Unemployment and Health Insurance in Ohio?

Question

I got laid off two weeks ago due to shortage in work. I will start receiving the unemployment benefits the coming week. I was scheduled to have a varicocele surgery in the first week of January. My wife also was scheduled to have an IUI procedure in late December. However, due to the termination of my health insurance I am not sure what we should do now.
Should I buy a health insurance temporarily and if so how much it will cost. Is there any other alternative in Ohio for unemployed people?
Thanks.

I checked with them and they said that it will cost me if I join COBRA $1200/month (while I was paying much less than that) which is too much at this time.

Answer 1

Cute, if you are still eligible for the Cobra, I suggest that you take it for the short term until the major glut of medical procedures are done.
I am going to assume that you have too much in monetary assets to qualify for Medicaid, and that you are under 65 and unable to qualify for Medicare.
You have a choice here.. odds are high that the medical system is going to charge you a lot more than the Cobra people are for a month. Check into it. You could drop the Cobra quickly, but odds are that even if you have to pay via credit card cash advance, it will be worth it for you to take the Cobra a month or two if you can. If you do go for the Cobra, make sure to notify your insurance people to have them verify the coverage of the procedures before you go for them. It is likely that you need to do this very quickly now. (that's a standard procedure, just want to make sure you know)
Now you have a pre-existing condition and no new insurance is likely to cover you for these procedures.
Most people don't understand the formalities of transition to Cobra in terms of paying etc. Please see a recent previous post of mine about Cobra.
(written later) It is Answer #9
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AkRFFz0Go_p88gFxRwQm1q_ty6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071210100731AACD16y&show=7#profile-info-D38aoZ1paa
I just read Sarah's posting and she brings up a very good point about the IUI. Also note, that you can elect Cobra to cover yourself, but not your wife, however, if she gets pregnant and you don't have insurance, that will also be considered a pre-existing for a while. There are HIPAA rules that concern insurance portability allowing the switching of insurance while covering pre-existings if there is less than 62 days between coverage.. note that this refers to insurance and not health plans.

Answer 2

Have you checked into COBRA? When you lose your job you are suppose to be able to have their benefits, at least for a certain amount of time while you try and find other employment.

What about state benefits? If you are within the income guidelines that would be my next suggestion.

As for insurance, all you can do is call around and ask. The cost is going to vary depending upon health issues, as well as many other factors, so no one can tell you for sure without knowing more.

If in fact you find that insurance is not possible, for whatever reason~ it's too expensive, they won't be able to cover what you need to have done, whatever it is, contact me and I will send you some information in regards to an alternative. I don't want to be in violation here for posting links and what not, so if you choose, contact me.

Answer 3

Your scheduled surgeries are going to be viewed as pre-existing conditions by any new insurance company. You will be hard pressed to find any temporary or permanent health insurance plan that will cover you and your wife for your upcoming procedures.

Taking COBRA may be your only option. Yes, it is more expensive, but the alternative is to pay out of pocket for the two procedures.

At some point in the future, you may be able to qualify for permanent insurance again - either with a new employer or by purchasing in the individual market, but until then your options are very limited.

You can quote individual and family health insurance policies in Ohio here:

http://www.ohioinsureplan.com/index.php/insurance/carrier-quotes/

Answer 4

You're not going to be able to buy a health insurance policy in Ohio that will cover those procedures in December/January.

The IUI would never be covered by an individual policy, period. (And it probably wouldn't be covered by most employer group policies, unless they have very generous benefits regarding infertility treatments.)

As far as your procedure goes...if you truly have a medical need for the procedure, you might not even make it through the underwriting process and get approved for a private health insurance policy. Even if you did get approved for a private policy, they'd likely exclude the surgery.

COBRA is your best bet for your surgery. I can't think of any other options for you, unless you happen to be low income enough to qualify for Medicaid.

Answer 5

No one qualifies for "health benefits through unemployment". The unemployed in Ohio, and the other 49 states, all qualify for health insurance, the same way as everyone else does, by purchasing health insurance from a health insurance company, and paying money for it.

Answer 6

Cobra is the way to go. You're not going to FIND someone willing to sell you helth insurance, with you guys both having preexisting conditions and needing surgery.

Or rather, you might find the policies, but it's going to cost you $400 a month EACH, assuming you're both around 40, and they WON'T pay for anything already wrong with you.

There aren't any alternatives. That's what it costs. COBRA might be expensive, but in the long run, that's what's going to cost you LEAST. If you haven't declined Cobra yet, sign up for it.

Answer 7

I work in customer service for a health insurance company, and I know that COBRA seems expensive, but when you hear the price of a direct pay, or individual plan directly from the insurance company, it will not sound so expensive any more.

Answer 8

Contact the HR department of your former employer and inquire about continuation of your previous coverage under COBRA. You will have to pay the entire premium costs, but you are entitled to continue this coverage at your expense under law.