COBRA Insurance?

Question

Can anyone tell me about COBRA? I currently have health insurance through my employer. However, when I go on maternity leave I do not qualify for FMLA (I've been there less than 1 year) so during my leave my job is UNPROTECTED. I am worried that I will be fired and replaced and am extremely nervous about losing health insurance for myself, my husband, and our new baby (my husband is a PhD student so I have the health insurance for our family). Has anybody used COBRA? Can you explain what exactly it is and what it does?

Since I don't qualify for FMLA (12 weeks unpaid, job protected leave) through my employer I am entitled to 12 weeks of unpaid, unprotected leave.

I'm pretty sure this is completely legal since FMLA is what would have protected my job. Of course my employer wouldn't say it was due to my pregnancy as the reason for firing me...but I'm pretty sure they can offer me unprotected leave. Otherwise, I have never heard of not qualifying for FMLA and still being guaranteed job protection...if you know about this then let me know!

Answer 1

COBRA is expensive. I was just giving an outbound employee information on it this morning. Since your husband is a student and you're the primary bread winner (I'm only assuming, sorry if I'm mistaken) and you lose your job, y'all may qualify for medicaid or some other kind of low income insurance. I would first contact your HR person and find out all the information you can. Then, look into the possibility of medicaid. Remember, you'll be considered a 3 person family (they count the unborn baby), so with no income (or little from hubby) you may make the cut. Best of luck to you!

Answer 2

All the above statements are very accurate about Cobra. You end up paying your cost, employer cost, and then a percentage for "hassle" on their part. It's such a scam. Unfortunately, your pregnancy will not allow any other option for you, if you are no longer employed. Use it, and then within 63 days of the baby being born you should switch to independant insurance. Blue Cross is usually the cheapest--and that's a very relative term here. If you have a 63 day or more gap in between coverage they pretty much give you hell, so don't do that.

Now, onto the fired bc you are pregnant. Girl you need to stand up to that. There are laws to protect you no matter how long you work there. I don't know your situation, but very few situations would allow for legal firing of a pregnant woman.

Best of luck, and with insurance continue to ask questions!

(Something I didn't know---; you have to elect to place your baby on insurance 30 days after birth, or he/she will not be covered for ped. visits at the two month mark.)

Answer 3

COBRA is after you leave your employment. Since you intend to return to work, they should still let you pay your premium at the current rate. Mine was about $105, my employer paid remainder. When I quit my job, I looked into COBRA and it was way too expensive, like $700 a month. I found out that if I stayed at my job, just took maternity leave (which they cannot deny you and you can take up to 12 weeks without losing your position/salary/benefits/seniority by LAW) I would only owe my $105 since I was technically still their employee on "leave".

COBRA is only if you quit your job, was fired, or something else, and the insurance company allows you to stay with them, but at the full rate, which for a "family plan" is around $700 (or was for me). You still get the same coverage, plan, and benefits, but you pay the whole price. It also expires, and is meant for an "in between" plan. I believe you have only 1 year until they discontinue it.

YOUR JOB IS NOT UNPROTECTED! You need to contact a lawyer if they tell you that. Just becausue you do not qualify for paid leave, does not mean you do not have any time off. By law you are allowed up to 12 weeks maternity leave (doesnt matter how long you were at your job)! I told you that in my answer above, but they cannot touch your position, salary, benefits, or senority, or personal days or sick time. PLEASE DO NOT LET THEM TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOU!

Answer 4

You can use COBRA up to 18 months from when you lose employment. you still have to pay the monthly fee though.
For my family, my husband lost his job and I was 4 months pregnant. So without income and insurance I was sure that I was going to have to squat in a field.
Anyhow, because we were all unemployed I was able to drop coverage on my husband, my daughter, prescriptions. I was able to just keep coverage on myself, which took the bill from $1150 a month to $350 a month.
You need to check with your HR person. If they blow you off you will need to contact your insurance company directly.
Also, make sure that you keep a copy of your payments that you make for COBRA. You will want them and ANY other medical expenses, including Co-pays and Prescriptions for when it is time to do your taxes.

Answer 5

I used COBRA during my second pregnancy, I had just gone through with a divorce and therefore was losing my husband's coverage. I had to pay to continue the coverage, but my insurance plan continued just as it would normally. I was on it for around 11 months then switched to my own plan a couple months after my baby was born. You can stay on it up to 18 months if necessary. It was pretty painless for me really, just paid my monthly premium and everything was covered as it normally was.

Answer 6

Cobra can be VERY expensive...mine was 800 a mo. for just me and baby for a crappy HMO...if hubby is a full time student, have him buy student health insurance. Pay cobra for you and baby for first month or 2 after delivery. Call around and buy a single policy for you w/o maternity coverage (Blue Cross) and put baby on medicaid until you are working again.

Answer 7

I had to go on an extened maternity leave and stayed in the hospital for the last month the I was pregnant. My son was born at 30 weeks, when I called to add him to my insurance I found out that eight days before they cancelled my insurance. I was left with him in the NICU and trying to figure out medical insurance coverage......horrible. Anyway COBRA is extremely expensive. Mine was for me and my son for a year after he was born and it was $5000.00! FOR ONE YEAR. It was worth it on my part, because he was in the NICU for the first six weeks. Good LUCK!

Answer 8

I haven't used cobra .. but my good friend is using it right now. She is 21 weeks pregnant and was just transferred jobs.
She pays $225. a month to keep the exact insurance she had with her employer. Everyone is offered that if they have insurance through their employer.
I would strongly suggest paying the money and keeping the insurance .. it is well worth it.
call your INS company and ask them what the rate is to continue your ins. through cobra.

good luck! God bless!

Answer 9

COBRA is like health insurance for the lapse of elibility between jobs. I think that the payments are more. You might have to change your doctor to one of theirs, but I am not sure about that. You can have COBRA for up to 18 months after you leave your job.

Answer 10

i worked at a blue jeans plant and had to be off they offered cobra but i couldn't afford it,it was expensive and i had to just drop my insurance