Friday, February 13, 2009

Is there an alternative to COBRA?

By Jeff Cline

Turn on the news or radio and you are sure to hear about the widely spread lose of employment. It is difficult times and many are being laid off. Some of the largest corporations are filling the crunch. It is scary times financially.

With so many competing for jobs it makes it ever so difficult to find a job. So this could mean longer periods of time with out a job. We could be at risk of losing our healthcare benefits. Health insurance is important to our financial security so we must search all of our options.

Many people make the mistake of cancelling there health insurance thinking they are healthy and can risk it. This could be one of the biggest financial mistakes they could make. Yes, it is important to make adjustments to survive, but going uninsured should not be an option.

I hear the horrible stories too many times about those who went uninsured. They thought, they are healthy or it is just for a short time. No one can predict an accident or illness. What if you had such an accident or illness that landed you in the hospital. Can you afford a $50,000 hospital bill?

If you are lucky enough to be offered COBRA continuation insurance from your employer you can opt for that. but, many people just can not afford it. The cost of COBRA is often times triple your deduction you were use to your employer taking out. Why? Because, your employer is no longer sharing the cost and you must often pay administrative fees.

Many major carriers offer other options. Those same carriers that supply insurance to the employers offer individual insurance also. You can choose the plan that best meets your budget and your expectations.

There is one advantage to keeping your COBRA plan. If you have an expensive pre existing condition. If you change to a individual plan you can expect that condition not to be covered for 12 months and sometimes not at all ever. In this case it would be wise to hold on to COBRA the 18 months allowed.

Individual health insurance can be a good solution for some. But it is important to look at your individual situation. If you are interested in only getting a temporary solution that is very cheap opt for Temporary or short term health insurance. - 15224

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