Changing Jobs - Healthcare
 

My husband is starting a new job at the beginning of April. We currently have health insurance (Aetna) through his current employer and will have health insurance through his new employer but with a 30 day waiting period. I'm presuming our current healthcare will end on the last day of employment, I've asked hubby to look into this but I could be waiting a while for this to happen. If this is the case does anyone have any suggestions of how to cover the 30 day period that we will not be insured for? I think we can go with the COBRA option where we just pay the monthly premium with Aetna, although I expect this will be rather a lot and hubby will say forget that.

Also, hubby ruptured his achilles playing soccer before Christmas, had surgery and has been undergoing physio since January, I also don't think this will be covered with our new insurance as it will be classed as pre-exisiting although he is coming to the end of his physio and has a check up with the surgeon at the end of this month. If anything were to happen in the future (next 6 months or 2 years etc) relating to his achilles does anyone know if this would be covered by the health insurance or would it still be classed as pre-existing?

Re: Changing Jobs - Healthcare
 

The achilles injury is pre-existing, but should be covered as long as the gap between the old and new provider is no longer than a specific period of time in days which I cant remember? 60 days? Someone else will be along with more details :)

Re: Changing Jobs - Healthcare
 

COBRA might be your only option, be prepared for sticker shock. It isn't just paying the premium to Aetna, you'll be paying the bit the company subsidized and usually a fee on top of that.

Depending on the new insurance pre-existing conditions usually have a waiting period before they can be claimed on.

Re: Changing Jobs - Healthcare
 

Thanks for your posts, reassuring to know about the achilles as husband is determined he's going back to playing soccer!

He just told me to continue our Aetna one for a month would be $2000!!! Started to look at short term health insurance plans but for some reason it doesn't look like any are available in NJ!

Re: Changing Jobs - Healthcare
 

Another thing occurred to me if you have any daily meds (birth control that sort of thing) go to your doctor now and make sure you can get some refills done just before the old insurance ends, if possible ask for a double refill.

Also worth checking that your doctors are in network with the new insurance if it is a different insurance company.

Re: Changing Jobs - Healthcare
 

There is no such thing as short term plans. Health insurance companies want to review your medical records before they will give you a final quote. Depending on the number to be insured, this would likely take a minimum of 4 weeks but could be as much as 2 months. If your medical records indicates that you are high risk, they likely won't insure you or offer you expensive high risk insurance.

The cost of COBA is 100% of the cost of the premium plus a maximum of 2% for administrating the plan. If your husband works for a company with young healthy employees and dependents, the cost is generally reasonable but if the company has older or sicker employees and/or dependents or is small and has just one or two very sick employees or dependents, the cost can be very high.

Re: Changing Jobs - Healthcare
 

You can apply for COBRA in arrears up to 60 days after your employer coverage ends. This is really useful if you have a break shorter than that as you can make a retrospective decision as to whether to pay for the gap or not. When I've been in this position, I've made sure that I get prescriptions before or after the break, and that I don't do non-emergency medical stuff in the window, knowing that if something bad does happen I can take COBRA.

Re: Changing Jobs - Healthcare
 

After a bit of reading around and taking into account your info we definitely can't do short term anyway as it's not allowed in NJ :ohmy:

COBRA cost would definitely be around $2000, my husband's HR dept has confirmed this.

Re: Changing Jobs - Healthcare
 

This is great news! None of us are on any meds etc and only have check-ups due to be booked which I will obviously wait to do until the new insurance kicks in. I was more concerned that if one of us had a trip to the ER (we have 2 boys aged 8 & 9) in the 30 days of non-coverage we would be wiped out financially, but if I'm understanding you correctly if this were to happen we could then decide to pay the $2000 or so to COBRA and claim under our original Aetna policy?

Re: Changing Jobs - Healthcare
 

Thanks for this, no daily meds so no need to worry on that front. As for Dr's I'm looking into this now, don't think the kids pediatrician is on the new insurance which I'm gutted about :thumbdown:

Re: Changing Jobs - Healthcare
 

That's correct:

http://careerplanning.about.com/cs/l.../a/cobra_2.htm

Re: Changing Jobs - Healthcare
 

Say you waive Cobra and get through the 30 days before the new insurance kicks in without needing to retroactively pay it. Do you still have continuous insurance cover in the eyes of the law (HIPAA etc) or would that count as a gap in insurance?

Re: Changing Jobs - Healthcare
 

HIPAA allow you a break of up to 63 days between plans:

http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq_consumer_hipaa.html

Re: Changing Jobs - Healthcare
 

You sign up for Cobra, but as another poster said you pay the premiums in arrears. So you just let the Cobra expire without paying the premium unless you get ill between your old job insurance finishing and the new one's starting

Re: Changing Jobs - Healthcare
 

Sometimes when you leave a job your health plan ends on the day you leave, sometimes you are covered through the end of the month, so you might want to check that with his HR too.