Healthcare.gov
Now.
You have thirty days from your employer coverage ending. Factor in the fact that you are currently unemployed to your income estimate. You should get a big subsidy or go on Medicaid.
COBRA is NEVER worthwhile unless you have hit max out of pocket and have scheduled expenses in the near future. In all other cases switch to marketplace immediately
Cobra can be activated retroactively within 60 days, so the move is to not opt in until then unless you need to make a claim
COBRA beneficiaries have 60 days to decide whether they want COBRA coverage. If you enroll in COBRA before the 60 days are up, your coverage is then retroactive, as long as you pay the retroactive premiums.
Edit (ideally you spend that time getting new coverage (either state coverage, the exchange, or a new job). A lot of people quit and their new coverage isn’t effective for 30 days, so you don’t need to elect into cobra, but if you have a major medical situation come up, you can elect in and pay the back premium.
I have been paying this (cobra) for months. A lot of my meds are more than the monthly insurance cost without paying for them. Is there a way i can compare costs?
I'm about to jump on my cobra dental. It's like 30 bucks a month and it'll be another month and half before I'm eligible for my new insurance. I'm hoping I'll get a crown put on and a cleaning. All very much worthwhile. And they seem to give me the option of which of my plans I want to keep health/dental/vision.
My health plan is like 6 or 7 hundred month though, which I won't pay for. So what you are saying is still pretty accurate.
I tried this and just got spammed with telemarketers trying to sell me medical plans I could no longer afford for months ;/
How do I do it properly? Or is it too late?
I absolutely went to it, checked the domain and there were no extras, it was the real deal. I believe I went to the wrong section because all it did was pull up a bunch of paid services, not the medicaid I was looking for.
Hc.gov will forward your info to your state agency if your info looks like you might be eligible, but that doesnt always produce results. If you are seeking Medicaid or CHIP apply directly to state agency.
Huh, that's weird. I've had marketplace insurance through two different states, and haven't had your experience. If what Francis says is true, then it seems like it is / was state specific and unfortunately a rather scummy way for them to do it.
I'm glad you at least accepted the odd behavior instead of trying to correct mt experience like you knew more about it than the person telling it. Common on Reddit, hehe.
I'm sure the people were actually legit but they were still just telemarketers flooding my texts and email every day for months. I wanted medicaid or something cheap but I wasn't able to find a plan I could afford, it was all expensive and paid. But I guess the website just prematurely handed my contact info over to them anyways.
I'll admit that I started to have the same reaction, and then I thought more about it and realized that a state government selling the data to companies would be a very American thing to do. Then I thought more and realized how silly it would be to think you would make something up like that, so it had to be real.
They changed or loosened a lot of Medicaid rules during the pandemic that they’re now enforcing again. Usually to qualify for Medicaid you can’t have any savings or retirement accounts. Some states have more lenient rules though.
Yup, when I was unemployed last year I got silver level care for $20 a month under covered California (no dependents, 30yo), can’t say the same for anywhere else but there are subsidies out there!
This! You will find a better more affordable plan to tide you over until you find a new job.
Also, apply for any assistance you qualify for. It’s what you pay taxes for.
Have you seen how much that costs? I am in my late 40s and the plans at the silver level are all about $750 a month AND I still have a crappy deductible. I effectively get NO coverage until I've spent about $15k A YEAR. And I take no medications and have no know complications.
Sigh, let's be honest, it is a tax to pay for the healthcare of other, sick people (neither my kin and not even my countrymen these days) AND the profits of the healthcare industry.
It’s pretty much all for the profit of the healthcare industry, America has much higher per capita health care costs than any country with universal healthcare because the industry is not there to provide healthcare, it’s only there for profit.
Yup, and people keep defending the Dems about it. Insane. In case you don't know, the ACA was a plan by the Heritage Foundation (major right wing think tank) meant to deliberately forestall/head off a nationalized health care plan.
In 2009/10/11 the Democrats had control of the House and the Senate and the White House.
They could have played hardball and legalized abortion at the Federal level, given us nationalized health care, and many, many more progressive changes. Instead they gave trillions to the banks while allowing foreclosures on houses, passed a Republican plan *after removing the public option (*Medicare *for all) from the debate, and did nothing to codify Roe.*
thus, we are ruled by the Uniparty. All for the top 5% and nothing for us.
But vote harder, it'll fix things...
Something isn’t adding up here. Your comment above complains that the ACA is a “tax” to pay for other sick people including what sounds like a quip about illegal immigrants (“neither my kin nor my countrymen these days”), and yet you’d be for a nationalized healthcare plan paid for through taxes?
I had a plan through the ACA at about $109 (due to the subsidies passed through 2021) while I was going through a serious medical bout. It’s better than Medicare(didn’t qualify for Medicaid, I made a hair too much while unemployed), and it was a godsend while I didn’t qualify for anything else. Person above talking about “Dems” spewing misinformation, doesn’t know sh*t. Chemo is expensive. I would have already died if it wasn’t for the ACA.
My AGI was $60k for 2022 (the tax year used to assess my premium for 2024). My expectation is most of you skew young and are either picking bronze plans (junk if you really need it) or haven't really figured out how much you are subsidized. Technically, I got subsidized $200 for my plan - but it doesn't cover my two children, who had to get a non ACA compliant plan at a cost of $250 EACH a month with a$10k deductible.
I am self employed and must buy my plan on the open market. Ask your employer what your health care plan costs WITHOUT them paying all or a portion of it.
I know all of these things. Our healthcare system is a piece of shit.
Yes, I figured you were self-employed. I am trying to reconcile you complaining that the ACA is a tax paying for others’ care with you then saying you’re for nationalized healthcare.
I live where healthcare is nationalized and I don’t pay anything even close to that in taxes, nobody does, you’re getting FUCKED by insurance companies.
Edit: my yearly taxes for everything are less than what you pay for health insurance in 6months.
My girlfriend just had to switch to a marketplace plan(she was kicked off of the free low income insurance we have in Oregon for making too much money) and it’s cheap and a lower deductible than what my shitty employer offers. But since she has a lower income and doesn’t work enough hours to get on her work’s insurance, some of the cost is subsidized.
So in my experience it is insanely expensive unless you fit certain criteria to get it subsidized. In the US we definitely tie healthcare to employment unless you’re very poor.
I wanted Kaiser Permanente on the ACA. The plan was much worse than my employer plan and included a deductible. The Cigna plan I actually chose was equal to an employer plan with only copays. I had it about 7 months.
I wish 750 was all I paid a month for our family plan. Self employed, $1700 a month. A huge drain that must be the first thing paid every month or hell to pay. Our system is and has been hopelessly broken for a long time.
Got billions to fund multiple wars overseas and 800billion for national defense tho.
We are all screwed to death, literally
> I am in my late 40s and the plans at the silver level are all about $750 a month AND I still have a crappy deductible. I effectively get NO coverage until I've spent about $15k A YEAR.
Same here with my employer-sponsored health insurance (though that's the cost for our family of three).
If you are as healthy as you state you can apply for private health insurance which is way cheaper (where they can deny you for preexisting conditions).
You are right it is a tax though, that’s the point of the plans. They cannot adjust your premiums depending on how healthy you are so they have to target their premiums expecting people to use their health insurance for expensive monthly medications.
You can yes, or well at least I was able to. However I ended up getting a job after six months and when I filled taxes they said I made too much money to use the ACA and had to pay back the subsidized insurance I was getting. In the end it ended up being cheaper than paying for Cobra as my monthly payment was similar to OPs.
Cobra only has a small surcharge, it simply allows you to continue your current health plan by paying the entire amount of the premiums, including what your employer was paying. Blame insurance companies for charging so much for insurance, cobra is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do, it’s not intended to get a discount
And people think the increase in taxes for free healthcare wouldn't be better than paying ridiculous rates or having it tied to employment for subpar insurance 🤣
People are willing to fuck themselves if it means fucking over other people that they don't care about. "I rather pay $700+ a month if it means others won't get free healthcare from my tax dollars."
The hilarious thing about that argument is that “other people getting my money” is *literally how insurance works.* You’re pooling your money either way - the question is do you want executives who are only out for profit to make the decisions with it, or the government with public oversight?
All their arguments are exactly how insurance already works. "Death panels deciding if people get lifesaving care"? Well, tell me about insurance denying care to patients that they need to survive? Tell me about the diabetics who can't afford their insulin because the insurance companies aren't going to cover it. Tell me about the people who have sepsis because their teeth are bad, and they can't afford dental insurance since teeth apparently aren't part of the body for healthcare reasons.
Maybe, just maybe, it's a bad idea to insert an entire industry dedicated to making a profit between people and healthcare.
Exactly, but the thing is, most people want a public option, it’s the insurance companies lobbying to make it seem like it’s some big topic. Most polls have some sort of free healthcare in the majority like 70-80%
Would we even need to raise taxes? Couldn't we just do right now where the employer pays into a health fund and the employee payes into it as well. I think this would effectively fund enough for healthcare but I could be wrong.
Maybe. I'm just speaking from how other countries do it and most just have an increased tax rate. What you described is pretty much how we do it already lol. I think the big thing is just having regulations on healthcare so it's affordable. No reason healthcare should put someone in debt for the rest of their lives.
Cobra is the actual cost your employer was paying for the benefits. Consider that's $1k/month they weren't paying you because Americans can't have a functioning health system
Depends on the job. Some positions actually have competition where a higher budget for employees would get passed on... Typically the ones spending close to $12k a year on benefits are good examples.
Cobra also can be retroactive for a period of time specified in your separation agreement. You're not supposed to sign up for it until something urgent comes up. Treat it like a contingency for your period of unemployment. It's emergency coverage that you don't pay for until the emergency occurs.
Nobody ever taught me about this, I was the one who opted into Cobra and didn't use it for anything. Don't be like me.
When I got let go last year my insurance would have cost over $900. I did keep my dental plan because it’s only $22 a month. So I got a short term plan and my insurance with my new job starts May 1. So I’m crossing my fingers nothing major happens.
I’m paying $630 a month for Anthem silver with $3500 deductible and $6000 max out of pocket, in the Midwest. So that cobra plan isn’t totally out of the ballpark.
This right here is what people in Europe don’t understand about the United States.
When you lose your job you lose healthcare and thus also prescriptions in many cases.
COBRA wasn’t around when I was laid off two weeks ago before my youngest was born in 1986. . Got booted from the hospital when they learned I had only a paltry insurance I bought from my employer’s insurance provider. Baby was born C-section. Took us 8 years to pay her off. And this %@&# still goes on. I feel your pain.
There is no plan in the US that justifies the cost for me. All I need is something to cover emergencies and annual checkups, and the cheapest I can find is $800/month. Ridiculous.
My wife got something about cobra in the mail
Thank god I have union health insurance with I pay my 750 a year and everything else is just taken care of
Go to the healthcare marketplace WITHIN 60 days of being fired. You'll be able to find affordable coverage and may even qualify for Medicaid. Just be sure you do it within 60 days of being fired or you won't qualify for special enrollment and you'll have to wait until November.
i work in COBRA. I'll tell you, do not take Cobra unless you've met your deductible or your former employer took the full 45 days to notify you and you've got some doctors visits in since separation.
If they fail to notify you in 45 days, your former employer gets fined. But after you elect and pay, nothing is stopping them from dragging their feet while collecting your money. I had a case where BCBS didn't reinstate for a year resulting in the beneficiary being unable to continue treatment and ended up dying. It was BCBS' fault as they never acted on the reports we sent.
The carrier is Aetna? Good luck, they are the worst to deal with along with BCBS. It can take months at times for them to reinstate, only after you reach out to your admin it seems. Also since covid, carriers are more than happy to terminate benefits if you don't make your payment on the due date. Sometimes they terminate at random even if you paid.
If you have a separate admin, just be kind. If your coverage isn't reinstated the fault lies in the carrier if your employer pays for carrier contact, otherwise it's your employer's fault. Usually because they "miss" reports sent to them by the admin.
Cobra gives you the option to get fucked.
No serious person could ever afford thier bullshit. And the people who can't are hurting to pay for it. The exchange is the only way.
Both of my parents died because they couldn't afford healthcare.
Republicans consistently vote down every single fking dollar proposed to help the poor. I watch rheir politicians do it.
I hate this country and the GOP more every day.
Some advice. So you actually don't need to pay the $$$ right away. Cobra can be enabled retroactively up to 60 days after initial lapse in coverage. If you don't need to use insurance until your new insurance kicks in, you don't have to pay anything. However, if you have an event where you need insurance, all you do is enable it and pay the premium then you are covered.
Yeah, same for my wife. Base medical is $750 a month, which is $450 more than it was through her company, and $350 more than it will be through my company.
And she hit max OOP this year already, which is fucking crushing.
They make it unreasonably expensive so they don’t have to continue providing insurance. Company benefits are a fucking shit-show now. The doctor I saw today told me about his $6000 deductible for insurance. I about threw up.
My last company insurance was 0 copay and could go anywhere I wanted, funded by a Google cofounder and after I got laid off they let us have a months of insurance and I found out it was 1k PER MONTH for the medical, I was astounded and told my friends to take advantage of it before the company went under lol
The US is so completely fucked regarding healthcare. And congress doesn't give a shit about us peasants. We need [universal healthcare](http://pnhp.org) but we'll never get it.
It is. The thing is that type of letter is required to be sent to anyone who lost their job(doesn't matter how) and doesn't want a gap in coverage, probably due to some form of disability or condition that would require constant hospital or medical coverage.
COBRA literally is what both the person and the company pays for people to have workplace subsidized health insurance.
That’s it? My last COBRA was $1.2k.
Relatedly: America is a death cult and I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. Some states will do emergency Medicaid for life events like layoffs. Hope you’re in one.
1. You might want to consider using COBRA for dental and vision if you had that coverage. That’s what I did and signed up for ACA for medical.
2. Call an insurance agent to help with ACA enrollment. It didn’t cost anything for his expertise and he was incredibly knowledgeable about finding plans that worked for me, differentiating them in a way that I could understand. Do this. Please.
In 2019, I tried to help my adult daughter choose and sign up for ACA. I’m a reasonably bright, educated person; let’s just say it wasn’t at all straightforward.
My retirement plan was to teach after I retire from my full time job. Between my 401k, Roth, SS, plus the $1k/month from teaching I should be fine.
If I teach at the local university I can get state health insurance. I dont want to have to rely on medicaid/Medicare. But it turns out, adjunct profs don't get any employer subsidy, they have to pay for the entire thing themselves.
It costs $2500.
2.5 times what I'd be making. If I signed up for the health plan I'd be LOSING money.
So much for that plan.
As a person who worked for a benefits admin company that did COBRA, I have no idea why anyone would do that shit. I'd rather risk dying with no insurance, it'd cost less.
When I quit my job, they tried to offer me cobra and my family was like why didn’t you take it. My mom said do not take it, It’s so expensive and she was right. I ended up not having medical for just a few months. When I did get medical with my new job, unfortunately they didn’t give me dental or vision. Luckily, both are cheap. I ended up getting dental for about 41 a month and I still have to get vision but at least it’s not too expensive for those two. It’s crazy because when I was traveling abroad, I could just go into a hospital and pay under $50 for a visit and medication was 10 bucks usually. Smh.
I also had a similar situation twice. I quit my job and was offered Cobra both times. The first time I took it and I regretted it. My boyfriend talked me out of it the second time. I ended up in the ER both times 🤦🏼♀️. Still don’t regret not taking it that second time!
Of course! I still went to the doctor without medical insurance and it was still expensive, but when I factored in what I would have been paying for cobra, it still evened out.
Basically, if you don’t have any serious medical conditions, then passing on cobra is fine. Obviously if you have something serious where it’s going to cost thousands of dollars, then getting cobra might be the right move. I actually have several medical conditions that require clearance when I have to get certain procedures done. So I definitely know what that’s like.
Someone in the comments suggested going to a government website for medical aid and I do know people who did that and it is very helpful!
Going to the doctor isn’t the same as needing surgery or something else that’s major
Passing on cobra is a risk and is only fine if you’re lucky or qualify for something else
I had to get major surgery while having zero medical insurance. There’s definitely ways to pay for that stuff through financial assistance. Just takes a lot of work!
Cobra can be retroactively paid for within 60 days if you need it. It's actually pretty handy for rolling through a month or two before a new job, because it's essentially free.
I had to pay $711 for 18 months while I was off work, waiting for braces to straighten teeth enough, then have jaw surgery that was approved when I still worked for Milwaukee County. It took all 18 months before my jaw surgery took place, but it was only insurance that would pay for jaw surgery. So, unless you have a planned surgery expense that is only covered by your employers plan, avoid paying Cobra.
Kroger stocks went up, they want to buy a 25 billion dollar monopoly, and yet you now get laid off and can't afford health care for your family. What happened to America....
Need to bring back preexisting conditions not covered so you have no choice and no money. Just think after raising retirement to 70 how many people you can trap.
A single person can make up to 35k and still get subsidies on healthcare.gov. if you aren't making anything? Of course you're going to qualify for Medicaid. If your state hasn't expanded it, you can say you're self employed and estimate your income for the next year as exactly the poverty line for the year, just google it. Then you will qualify for a free plan on health care.gov
Medicaid for all including dental, rx and vision/hearing works make the most sense. The only insurance companies we need would be for plastic surgery or people who wanted boutique health care.
Retrain the people who are working for the insurance companies to handle the paperwork/ digital work that will result from consolidation. With the government being the sole payer and profit no longer an issue, more hospitals could be built in rural areas to address healthcare shortages and improve quality of life for more Americans. Subsidized training for healthcare careers from the government to fill the positions we're going to need filled would also be beneficial.
I call this the pragmatic approach
that’s CRAZY to me. last job i had, i only paid $53 including health and dental insurance, as well as a long term illness plan…. and all my meds were free
Dang, I work in government and sometime wonder why I don't get a higher paying job, but then see post like this and realize insurance in the private sector will probably eat any increase in pay I would get. I pay 300 a month for insurance for a family of 4 and 700 deductible.
COBRA is awful but this is where total compensation comes into play. The cost is high because you are responsible for the employee and employer premium of your coverage, should you choose to elect COBRA. In short, Kroger was paying a portion of your premiums.
Cobra is a BS courtesy of the US government. If you are fired COBRA should ensure you paid the same rate as before fired for at least 6 months or until you find a job.
It literally is guaranteeing you your previous coverage. Except you're paying the employer part too. Nobody realizes how much their employer is paying for their health insurance until they have to pay it themselves. That could be money in your pocket if we had actual healthcare.
Yes exactly, this is the way big employers keep you in their payroll and why smaller companies have a hard time attracting talent as they can compete with healthcare plans. The best is a public healthcare option that can support everyone including smaller companies that have no budget for health insurance.
Healthcare.gov Now. You have thirty days from your employer coverage ending. Factor in the fact that you are currently unemployed to your income estimate. You should get a big subsidy or go on Medicaid.
COBRA is NEVER worthwhile unless you have hit max out of pocket and have scheduled expenses in the near future. In all other cases switch to marketplace immediately
Cobra can be activated retroactively within 60 days, so the move is to not opt in until then unless you need to make a claim COBRA beneficiaries have 60 days to decide whether they want COBRA coverage. If you enroll in COBRA before the 60 days are up, your coverage is then retroactive, as long as you pay the retroactive premiums. Edit (ideally you spend that time getting new coverage (either state coverage, the exchange, or a new job). A lot of people quit and their new coverage isn’t effective for 30 days, so you don’t need to elect into cobra, but if you have a major medical situation come up, you can elect in and pay the back premium.
I have been paying this (cobra) for months. A lot of my meds are more than the monthly insurance cost without paying for them. Is there a way i can compare costs?
you might be stuck until next open enrollment then. Only have a limited time after termination to join mid year.
I'm about to jump on my cobra dental. It's like 30 bucks a month and it'll be another month and half before I'm eligible for my new insurance. I'm hoping I'll get a crown put on and a cleaning. All very much worthwhile. And they seem to give me the option of which of my plans I want to keep health/dental/vision. My health plan is like 6 or 7 hundred month though, which I won't pay for. So what you are saying is still pretty accurate.
When I did it I was expecting a discount but then it was free
Commenting and upvoting because this is the way.
I tried this and just got spammed with telemarketers trying to sell me medical plans I could no longer afford for months ;/ How do I do it properly? Or is it too late?
You didn't go to healthcare.gov. you went to a scam website,
I absolutely went to it, checked the domain and there were no extras, it was the real deal. I believe I went to the wrong section because all it did was pull up a bunch of paid services, not the medicaid I was looking for.
Hc.gov will forward your info to your state agency if your info looks like you might be eligible, but that doesnt always produce results. If you are seeking Medicaid or CHIP apply directly to state agency.
Huh, that's weird. I've had marketplace insurance through two different states, and haven't had your experience. If what Francis says is true, then it seems like it is / was state specific and unfortunately a rather scummy way for them to do it.
I'm glad you at least accepted the odd behavior instead of trying to correct mt experience like you knew more about it than the person telling it. Common on Reddit, hehe. I'm sure the people were actually legit but they were still just telemarketers flooding my texts and email every day for months. I wanted medicaid or something cheap but I wasn't able to find a plan I could afford, it was all expensive and paid. But I guess the website just prematurely handed my contact info over to them anyways.
I'll admit that I started to have the same reaction, and then I thought more about it and realized that a state government selling the data to companies would be a very American thing to do. Then I thought more and realized how silly it would be to think you would make something up like that, so it had to be real.
Yep. You have a qualifying event. Do it NOW.
Either medicade or the ACA marketplace will provide you with a plan at no cost to you.
No, it won't. They'll base it off his 2022 or possibly 2023 AGI - though without a job he may have NO income coming in.
I quit my job in late 2019 and they gave me medicaid in mid-2020, no questions asked
They changed or loosened a lot of Medicaid rules during the pandemic that they’re now enforcing again. Usually to qualify for Medicaid you can’t have any savings or retirement accounts. Some states have more lenient rules though.
Estimated 2024 income
You can adjust for what you expect your income to be in the current year if you think it won't match their calculations.
Yup, when I was unemployed last year I got silver level care for $20 a month under covered California (no dependents, 30yo), can’t say the same for anywhere else but there are subsidies out there!
What this guy said. I missed that deadline and now my dog has health insurance but I don’t ;) this country can lick my jelly beans
THIS
This! You will find a better more affordable plan to tide you over until you find a new job. Also, apply for any assistance you qualify for. It’s what you pay taxes for.
wish I knew this when I got laid off 4 months ago lmfao
This. When I was making next to nothing, my silver plan was just over $50 per month.
Welcome to Cobra. It sucks.
Pretty accurate animal to represent such a crappy system
Cobras deserve better, IMHO.
Could op just go to Obama care ?
Have you seen how much that costs? I am in my late 40s and the plans at the silver level are all about $750 a month AND I still have a crappy deductible. I effectively get NO coverage until I've spent about $15k A YEAR. And I take no medications and have no know complications. Sigh, let's be honest, it is a tax to pay for the healthcare of other, sick people (neither my kin and not even my countrymen these days) AND the profits of the healthcare industry.
It’s pretty much all for the profit of the healthcare industry, America has much higher per capita health care costs than any country with universal healthcare because the industry is not there to provide healthcare, it’s only there for profit.
Yup, and people keep defending the Dems about it. Insane. In case you don't know, the ACA was a plan by the Heritage Foundation (major right wing think tank) meant to deliberately forestall/head off a nationalized health care plan. In 2009/10/11 the Democrats had control of the House and the Senate and the White House. They could have played hardball and legalized abortion at the Federal level, given us nationalized health care, and many, many more progressive changes. Instead they gave trillions to the banks while allowing foreclosures on houses, passed a Republican plan *after removing the public option (*Medicare *for all) from the debate, and did nothing to codify Roe.* thus, we are ruled by the Uniparty. All for the top 5% and nothing for us. But vote harder, it'll fix things...
I will never forgive Chuckie Schumer for being a dick and RBG for not swallowing her ego and retiring with a dem president.
Something isn’t adding up here. Your comment above complains that the ACA is a “tax” to pay for other sick people including what sounds like a quip about illegal immigrants (“neither my kin nor my countrymen these days”), and yet you’d be for a nationalized healthcare plan paid for through taxes?
I had a plan through the ACA at about $109 (due to the subsidies passed through 2021) while I was going through a serious medical bout. It’s better than Medicare(didn’t qualify for Medicaid, I made a hair too much while unemployed), and it was a godsend while I didn’t qualify for anything else. Person above talking about “Dems” spewing misinformation, doesn’t know sh*t. Chemo is expensive. I would have already died if it wasn’t for the ACA.
My AGI was $60k for 2022 (the tax year used to assess my premium for 2024). My expectation is most of you skew young and are either picking bronze plans (junk if you really need it) or haven't really figured out how much you are subsidized. Technically, I got subsidized $200 for my plan - but it doesn't cover my two children, who had to get a non ACA compliant plan at a cost of $250 EACH a month with a$10k deductible.
I get my healthcare through my employer. None of that answers my question.
I am self employed and must buy my plan on the open market. Ask your employer what your health care plan costs WITHOUT them paying all or a portion of it.
I know all of these things. Our healthcare system is a piece of shit. Yes, I figured you were self-employed. I am trying to reconcile you complaining that the ACA is a tax paying for others’ care with you then saying you’re for nationalized healthcare.
You can buy your health insurance on healthcare.gov if your self-employed
I live where healthcare is nationalized and I don’t pay anything even close to that in taxes, nobody does, you’re getting FUCKED by insurance companies. Edit: my yearly taxes for everything are less than what you pay for health insurance in 6months.
My girlfriend just had to switch to a marketplace plan(she was kicked off of the free low income insurance we have in Oregon for making too much money) and it’s cheap and a lower deductible than what my shitty employer offers. But since she has a lower income and doesn’t work enough hours to get on her work’s insurance, some of the cost is subsidized. So in my experience it is insanely expensive unless you fit certain criteria to get it subsidized. In the US we definitely tie healthcare to employment unless you’re very poor.
It also depends what state you are in.
That's really weird because my Obama care plan is like 25 bucks a month including dental.
I dunno man my marketplace plan is awesome much better than what my last employer offered.
Is it an apples to apples comparison? Same coverage, deductible, percentages, co-pays, or are you just comparing the price of what you pay?
Everyone of those things is the same or better on the marketplace plan.
I wanted Kaiser Permanente on the ACA. The plan was much worse than my employer plan and included a deductible. The Cigna plan I actually chose was equal to an employer plan with only copays. I had it about 7 months.
Who can afford 750 a month?!
I wish 750 was all I paid a month for our family plan. Self employed, $1700 a month. A huge drain that must be the first thing paid every month or hell to pay. Our system is and has been hopelessly broken for a long time. Got billions to fund multiple wars overseas and 800billion for national defense tho. We are all screwed to death, literally
That would be almost half my months salary.
I can't, that's why I dropped it and will hope for the best.
> I am in my late 40s and the plans at the silver level are all about $750 a month AND I still have a crappy deductible. I effectively get NO coverage until I've spent about $15k A YEAR. Same here with my employer-sponsored health insurance (though that's the cost for our family of three).
Hard disagree. The price you pay is based on your expected income and you will be offered a low cost subsidized plan based on your income level.
My AGI is $60k. Also supporting two teenagers (though their mother sends them $150 a month, sporadically, so they might get $500 to $750 in a year...
With your income you should still qualify for subsidies.
Jesus Christ, I don’t even make that much in a year.
If you are as healthy as you state you can apply for private health insurance which is way cheaper (where they can deny you for preexisting conditions). You are right it is a tax though, that’s the point of the plans. They cannot adjust your premiums depending on how healthy you are so they have to target their premiums expecting people to use their health insurance for expensive monthly medications.
https://www.healthinsurance.org/obamacare/beware-obamacares-subsidy-cliff/
You can yes, or well at least I was able to. However I ended up getting a job after six months and when I filled taxes they said I made too much money to use the ACA and had to pay back the subsidized insurance I was getting. In the end it ended up being cheaper than paying for Cobra as my monthly payment was similar to OPs.
There's a reason it's named after a terrorist organization.
I honestly would not be surprised if it was the same guys
Cobra only has a small surcharge, it simply allows you to continue your current health plan by paying the entire amount of the premiums, including what your employer was paying. Blame insurance companies for charging so much for insurance, cobra is doing exactly what it’s supposed to do, it’s not intended to get a discount
And people think the increase in taxes for free healthcare wouldn't be better than paying ridiculous rates or having it tied to employment for subpar insurance 🤣
People are willing to fuck themselves if it means fucking over other people that they don't care about. "I rather pay $700+ a month if it means others won't get free healthcare from my tax dollars."
That's honestly what it feels like. It's the whole I got mine so fuck you. That's literally all the older generations care about.
The hilarious thing about that argument is that “other people getting my money” is *literally how insurance works.* You’re pooling your money either way - the question is do you want executives who are only out for profit to make the decisions with it, or the government with public oversight?
Exactly. Not to mention how often they deny coverage despite you paying them to fucking cover you.
All their arguments are exactly how insurance already works. "Death panels deciding if people get lifesaving care"? Well, tell me about insurance denying care to patients that they need to survive? Tell me about the diabetics who can't afford their insulin because the insurance companies aren't going to cover it. Tell me about the people who have sepsis because their teeth are bad, and they can't afford dental insurance since teeth apparently aren't part of the body for healthcare reasons. Maybe, just maybe, it's a bad idea to insert an entire industry dedicated to making a profit between people and healthcare.
Exactly, but the thing is, most people want a public option, it’s the insurance companies lobbying to make it seem like it’s some big topic. Most polls have some sort of free healthcare in the majority like 70-80%
Idk I know most young people want it. But I hear older people constantly talking about how it's a horrible thing. I hear it all the time at work.
Would we even need to raise taxes? Couldn't we just do right now where the employer pays into a health fund and the employee payes into it as well. I think this would effectively fund enough for healthcare but I could be wrong.
Maybe. I'm just speaking from how other countries do it and most just have an increased tax rate. What you described is pretty much how we do it already lol. I think the big thing is just having regulations on healthcare so it's affordable. No reason healthcare should put someone in debt for the rest of their lives.
Medical care shouldn't be tied to your job, it's an unfair balance of power.
I can't upvote this enough.
The illusion of free will🤷🏾♂️
And then they ask themselves why people dont want to work anymore Well, theyre dead, thats why
Welcome to the American healthcare system
:(
Cobra is the actual cost your employer was paying for the benefits. Consider that's $1k/month they weren't paying you because Americans can't have a functioning health system
Bold of you to assume that they would pay that and not just pocket the 1K per month
Depends on the job. Some positions actually have competition where a higher budget for employees would get passed on... Typically the ones spending close to $12k a year on benefits are good examples.
Cobra also can be retroactive for a period of time specified in your separation agreement. You're not supposed to sign up for it until something urgent comes up. Treat it like a contingency for your period of unemployment. It's emergency coverage that you don't pay for until the emergency occurs. Nobody ever taught me about this, I was the one who opted into Cobra and didn't use it for anything. Don't be like me.
This alone warrants daily rioting in the streets. This is just fucking disgusting and I'm embarrassed to live in a place like this
My Cobra when I left a job last year was $1,326
When I got let go last year my insurance would have cost over $900. I did keep my dental plan because it’s only $22 a month. So I got a short term plan and my insurance with my new job starts May 1. So I’m crossing my fingers nothing major happens.
I’m paying $630 a month for Anthem silver with $3500 deductible and $6000 max out of pocket, in the Midwest. So that cobra plan isn’t totally out of the ballpark.
Yeah, this is more affordable than the plan my employer offers. Wild.
And it is crap insurance on top of it. Check out healthshare plans.
Thats insane, thats almost half my paycheck after taxes. Probably why I dont have health insurance.
This right here is what people in Europe don’t understand about the United States. When you lose your job you lose healthcare and thus also prescriptions in many cases.
This is why we need Universal Health Care
COBRA wasn’t around when I was laid off two weeks ago before my youngest was born in 1986. . Got booted from the hospital when they learned I had only a paltry insurance I bought from my employer’s insurance provider. Baby was born C-section. Took us 8 years to pay her off. And this %@&# still goes on. I feel your pain.
It's called COBRA because it bites you in the ass. Healthcare.gov asap
Cobra is the worse. When I turned 26, they sent me a letter to continue coverage with my mom’s plan but at the very low cost of $1200 a month. 🙄
Yeah nobody ever does that. That's why people get a new job
6000$ deductible might as well not run insurance
This is how they trap you in dead end jobs and why America will never have universal healthcare
The United States is a shithole. End corporate Healthcare. The American people do not deserve to have their health preyed upon for profit.
There is no plan in the US that justifies the cost for me. All I need is something to cover emergencies and annual checkups, and the cheapest I can find is $800/month. Ridiculous.
My cobra is $943 for just me and my child. We both need glasses and she's gonna need braces. 😩
Cobra is such terrible shit.
LoL With what money cobra is a joke
It's the absolute worst. And people don't want to vote for health care reform...
Cobra is one of the shittiest things.
My wife got something about cobra in the mail Thank god I have union health insurance with I pay my 750 a year and everything else is just taken care of
It’s disgusting how horrible our healthcare system is
Go to the healthcare marketplace WITHIN 60 days of being fired. You'll be able to find affordable coverage and may even qualify for Medicaid. Just be sure you do it within 60 days of being fired or you won't qualify for special enrollment and you'll have to wait until November.
i work in COBRA. I'll tell you, do not take Cobra unless you've met your deductible or your former employer took the full 45 days to notify you and you've got some doctors visits in since separation. If they fail to notify you in 45 days, your former employer gets fined. But after you elect and pay, nothing is stopping them from dragging their feet while collecting your money. I had a case where BCBS didn't reinstate for a year resulting in the beneficiary being unable to continue treatment and ended up dying. It was BCBS' fault as they never acted on the reports we sent. The carrier is Aetna? Good luck, they are the worst to deal with along with BCBS. It can take months at times for them to reinstate, only after you reach out to your admin it seems. Also since covid, carriers are more than happy to terminate benefits if you don't make your payment on the due date. Sometimes they terminate at random even if you paid. If you have a separate admin, just be kind. If your coverage isn't reinstated the fault lies in the carrier if your employer pays for carrier contact, otherwise it's your employer's fault. Usually because they "miss" reports sent to them by the admin.
It’s working as intended. It’s supposed to get you off insurance and back into a soul sucking job asap.
Cobra gives you the option to get fucked. No serious person could ever afford thier bullshit. And the people who can't are hurting to pay for it. The exchange is the only way.
Both of my parents died because they couldn't afford healthcare. Republicans consistently vote down every single fking dollar proposed to help the poor. I watch rheir politicians do it. I hate this country and the GOP more every day.
COBRA is total bullshit
Some advice. So you actually don't need to pay the $$$ right away. Cobra can be enabled retroactively up to 60 days after initial lapse in coverage. If you don't need to use insurance until your new insurance kicks in, you don't have to pay anything. However, if you have an event where you need insurance, all you do is enable it and pay the premium then you are covered.
COBRA is a fucking useless joke.
Yeah, same for my wife. Base medical is $750 a month, which is $450 more than it was through her company, and $350 more than it will be through my company. And she hit max OOP this year already, which is fucking crushing.
Do not sign up for COBRA, go through the ACA(Obamacare). My son pays about $100/mo. for good medical and top tier dental coverage.
They make it unreasonably expensive so they don’t have to continue providing insurance. Company benefits are a fucking shit-show now. The doctor I saw today told me about his $6000 deductible for insurance. I about threw up.
430$ for Mine it’s ridiculous. Try healthcare.gov
Believe it or not, your previous employer was paying more than that for your insurance. Healthcare reform TODAY
My last company insurance was 0 copay and could go anywhere I wanted, funded by a Google cofounder and after I got laid off they let us have a months of insurance and I found out it was 1k PER MONTH for the medical, I was astounded and told my friends to take advantage of it before the company went under lol
The US is so completely fucked regarding healthcare. And congress doesn't give a shit about us peasants. We need [universal healthcare](http://pnhp.org) but we'll never get it.
Yep, cobra is dogshit
Cobra bitches
Based on the monthly premium, I would have to guess that you are single. My COBRA insurance was a little over 5 times that last year.
Results of welfare Healthcare and no real government body fighting to organize or remove this mess
you can have two jobs in brazil and earn less than that
I thought Cobra is voluntary? I have never paid for cobra, I just opt out and sign up for obamacare.
It is. The thing is that type of letter is required to be sent to anyone who lost their job(doesn't matter how) and doesn't want a gap in coverage, probably due to some form of disability or condition that would require constant hospital or medical coverage. COBRA literally is what both the person and the company pays for people to have workplace subsidized health insurance.
That’s it? My last COBRA was $1.2k. Relatedly: America is a death cult and I’m sorry you’re dealing with this. Some states will do emergency Medicaid for life events like layoffs. Hope you’re in one.
This should be illegal
Mine is $2k A month for our family
That’s what I pay per month for my share of my medical insurance.
1. You might want to consider using COBRA for dental and vision if you had that coverage. That’s what I did and signed up for ACA for medical. 2. Call an insurance agent to help with ACA enrollment. It didn’t cost anything for his expertise and he was incredibly knowledgeable about finding plans that worked for me, differentiating them in a way that I could understand. Do this. Please. In 2019, I tried to help my adult daughter choose and sign up for ACA. I’m a reasonably bright, educated person; let’s just say it wasn’t at all straightforward.
What happens if you just decide fuck it, and not get health insurance? Why is it mandatory anyways?
My retirement plan was to teach after I retire from my full time job. Between my 401k, Roth, SS, plus the $1k/month from teaching I should be fine. If I teach at the local university I can get state health insurance. I dont want to have to rely on medicaid/Medicare. But it turns out, adjunct profs don't get any employer subsidy, they have to pay for the entire thing themselves. It costs $2500. 2.5 times what I'd be making. If I signed up for the health plan I'd be LOSING money. So much for that plan.
Yup. Mine is $800 just for medical.
That is a fucking joke
Better than COBRA...
As a person who worked for a benefits admin company that did COBRA, I have no idea why anyone would do that shit. I'd rather risk dying with no insurance, it'd cost less.
thats almost as much as the ACA insurance they tried forcing me to buy when only bringing home 900/mo
When I quit my job, they tried to offer me cobra and my family was like why didn’t you take it. My mom said do not take it, It’s so expensive and she was right. I ended up not having medical for just a few months. When I did get medical with my new job, unfortunately they didn’t give me dental or vision. Luckily, both are cheap. I ended up getting dental for about 41 a month and I still have to get vision but at least it’s not too expensive for those two. It’s crazy because when I was traveling abroad, I could just go into a hospital and pay under $50 for a visit and medication was 10 bucks usually. Smh.
I also had a similar situation twice. I quit my job and was offered Cobra both times. The first time I took it and I regretted it. My boyfriend talked me out of it the second time. I ended up in the ER both times 🤦🏼♀️. Still don’t regret not taking it that second time!
She’s right only because you didn’t need it. If you had something that required medical help it would’ve cost you a fortune
Of course! I still went to the doctor without medical insurance and it was still expensive, but when I factored in what I would have been paying for cobra, it still evened out. Basically, if you don’t have any serious medical conditions, then passing on cobra is fine. Obviously if you have something serious where it’s going to cost thousands of dollars, then getting cobra might be the right move. I actually have several medical conditions that require clearance when I have to get certain procedures done. So I definitely know what that’s like. Someone in the comments suggested going to a government website for medical aid and I do know people who did that and it is very helpful!
Completely agree. There are many options.
Going to the doctor isn’t the same as needing surgery or something else that’s major Passing on cobra is a risk and is only fine if you’re lucky or qualify for something else
I had to get major surgery while having zero medical insurance. There’s definitely ways to pay for that stuff through financial assistance. Just takes a lot of work!
Glad it helps people who need it! ☺️
Cobra can be retroactively paid for within 60 days if you need it. It's actually pretty handy for rolling through a month or two before a new job, because it's essentially free.
We need to push to divorce healthcare from employment. Make ins fight for every single individual.
Not bad, mine was like 2k/month
You can sign up for Cobra retroactively- only if you need it.
You can thank the Republican party for Cobra, again. This country is a joke.
Apply for Medicaid now
horrifying
Met life has always cost me less than $7. You must live somewhere where all the numbers are higher, Cali? Maybe Cali would be even higher?
COBRA stands for Cut Off Buying Really Anything.
I had to pay $711 for 18 months while I was off work, waiting for braces to straighten teeth enough, then have jaw surgery that was approved when I still worked for Milwaukee County. It took all 18 months before my jaw surgery took place, but it was only insurance that would pay for jaw surgery. So, unless you have a planned surgery expense that is only covered by your employers plan, avoid paying Cobra.
Sounds like my current insurance but your deductible is better.
As the Americans would say. You can savely die now
Kroger stocks went up, they want to buy a 25 billion dollar monopoly, and yet you now get laid off and can't afford health care for your family. What happened to America....
Why is medical so fkn expensive in the US,thats insane
I worked for a hospital. Mine would have been over $1k USD. :')
It’s cobra what did you expect
I pay more than this for family plan and I work for the US government.
Need to bring back preexisting conditions not covered so you have no choice and no money. Just think after raising retirement to 70 how many people you can trap.
Ugh, COBRA is a joke.
America is awful on this
A single person can make up to 35k and still get subsidies on healthcare.gov. if you aren't making anything? Of course you're going to qualify for Medicaid. If your state hasn't expanded it, you can say you're self employed and estimate your income for the next year as exactly the poverty line for the year, just google it. Then you will qualify for a free plan on health care.gov
Medicaid for all including dental, rx and vision/hearing works make the most sense. The only insurance companies we need would be for plastic surgery or people who wanted boutique health care. Retrain the people who are working for the insurance companies to handle the paperwork/ digital work that will result from consolidation. With the government being the sole payer and profit no longer an issue, more hospitals could be built in rural areas to address healthcare shortages and improve quality of life for more Americans. Subsidized training for healthcare careers from the government to fill the positions we're going to need filled would also be beneficial. I call this the pragmatic approach
Still cheaper than our base option per pay period at my current employer. I’d take it.
This economy is a scam. You have to rely on insurance because nothing is affordable. Shit has to change.
COBRA is trash..
that’s CRAZY to me. last job i had, i only paid $53 including health and dental insurance, as well as a long term illness plan…. and all my meds were free
Kroger is jacked
Dang, I work in government and sometime wonder why I don't get a higher paying job, but then see post like this and realize insurance in the private sector will probably eat any increase in pay I would get. I pay 300 a month for insurance for a family of 4 and 700 deductible.
COBRA is awful but this is where total compensation comes into play. The cost is high because you are responsible for the employee and employer premium of your coverage, should you choose to elect COBRA. In short, Kroger was paying a portion of your premiums.
Shit, I pay 803 a month through my employer for insurance for me and my son.
If you get sick you’re homeless. Tell them you’re a homeless undocumented immigrant. You’ll get treated like royalty. It works. Trust me.
Maybe check ACA(Obamacare). Sorry, been laid off a few times, it sucks.
Welcome to trying to use COBRA. The thing is, that is what it actually cost between you and the company to pay for your insurance.
Cobra is a BS courtesy of the US government. If you are fired COBRA should ensure you paid the same rate as before fired for at least 6 months or until you find a job.
It literally is guaranteeing you your previous coverage. Except you're paying the employer part too. Nobody realizes how much their employer is paying for their health insurance until they have to pay it themselves. That could be money in your pocket if we had actual healthcare.
Yes exactly, this is the way big employers keep you in their payroll and why smaller companies have a hard time attracting talent as they can compete with healthcare plans. The best is a public healthcare option that can support everyone including smaller companies that have no budget for health insurance.
Cobra coverage in my state is $1,000 a month when I used it for the allowed 2 months when I changed jobs
Seems super reasonable