Yet another issue that needs fixing in our healthcare system.

[groundloop]

I just discovered another weakness in our healthcare laws (and at a particularly bad time with the Covid-19 outbreak).

I was recently laid off from my job as an engineer at a manufacturing plant that will soon be closing because its' jobs are being sent to Mexico. Naturally I lost my health insurance, but thankfully I can be put on my wife's policy. HOWEVER, what I found out was that I have to go uninsured for almost a month because I can only start on her policy on the first day of the month.

We MUST keep pushing our Democratic leaders to fix healthcare. Ideally we should have national health insurance similar to what most other civilized countries have, but at a minimum we MUST make serious improvements to the Affordable Care Act.

[radical noodle]

1. Normally you're covered for a full month

at your ex-employer. Premiums are normally first of the month to end of the month, with payment at the first of the month. You should be covered the entire month and that should take you right up to being added to your wife's policy.

[X_Digger]

2. Correct, a.. what's the term.. qualifying life event or somesuch usually covers mid-month changes.

Worst case, get a month of COBRA from the previous insurer.

[Ms. Toad]

3. Not always possible.

My daughter's company went bankrupt. They announced closing partway into February, the month they closed.

Her insurance has always terminated on the last day of work (not the end of the month), and when you go bankrupt the obligation to provide COBRA disappears in most instances.

In theory, you can buy insurance under the HIPAA guarantee - but you have to be able to find a plan that starts mid-month.

The qualifying event permits you to purchase insurance outside of open enrollment, but does not guarantee mid-month enrollment.

She has had a maximum of $2,200 out of pocket expenses on her old plan, which rolled over July 1 - so she paid (by the end of July) all she would ordinarily have had to pay until July 1 2020.

Because she doesn't have the option of COBRA, she has to start a brand new plan year as of Sunday - this one also has a $2,200 max out of pocket, that she will spend by the end of this month.

She will be eligible on June 1 for insurance at her new workplace - another $3,500 out of pocket that she will spend within a month. AND since she is eligible for work insurance, she loses her subsidy if she stays on the ACA plan.

Then in October the plan at her new job starts a new year.

So - she will have to satisfy 4 out of pocket maximums in a 16 month period (total of $11,500). Since her billed costs are $200,000 every year, she'll pay every penny of it. Or, more accurately, mom will pay every penny of it since her new job will pay her all of about $18,000 a year.

There are holes - but at least she doesn't have to pay $18,000/year for insurance on top of the out of pocket expenses. (And her company was nice enough to keep her on the extra 3 days she needed to cover one more $24,000 infusion - so she didn't have to wrestle her new company to the ground for approval in the first days she was on the plan.)

[Ms. Toad]

4. nope.

Not all companies work on a full-month policy. My daughter's policy terminated her last day of work. She was terminated before the company went bankrupt due to a miscommunication (they thought she resigned when she had a panic attack at work). We stocked up on meds, assuming she had until the end of the month before the coverage terminated, then (after spending several thousand dollars) got the notice that it terminated the day they thought she resigned.

It went bankrupt this month - same story. We wrapped her in bubble wrap on the 29th (the only day she was without coverage, thanks to employers who kept her three extra days to cover her last $24,000 infusion).

[radical noodle]

6. That really sucks

I worked in several places and was always in charge of insurance (among other things). We never did it in any way but monthly. I mean, we were paying for a month's worth of insurance per person, it seems only right they get it.

I'm so sorry. I hope your daughter is doing well?

[Ms. Toad]

7. I have a feeling that it might relate to bring self-insured

My employer is. We have what looks like a standard insurance package, but the bills are paid by the employer as managed by an insurance company. If hers is the same, it makes sense that even though she pays a monthly premium, the employer pays the bills on a pay as you go basis so rejecting bills for someone no longer employed makes sense.

[radical noodle]

8. Ah, yes!

I bet that's the difference.

[Ms. Toad]

5. Yup.

And - that's not even counting at least one extra out-of-pocket you'll have to cover for this year.

[AwakeAtLast]

9. I went a year and a half without insurance

After I got divorced. It took that long to find a job with insurance.

[Brainfodder]

10. Marrying people for health insurance, yeah that's probably already a thing too.

[maxsolomon]

11. Another thing that won't be fixed.

I don't know where the idea that Dems can "fix" anything in the face of 100% obstruction from Repukes comes from.

The ACA "fixed" healthcare and cost Dems power for 10 years now.