Dh was laid off...insurance ?

[MrsBanjoClown]

Dh was laid off today. All of our insurance was through his job. Besides COBRA, what are our options? We have two kids and I am pregnant. He is looking for another job, and has applied for unemployment. What do we do about medical insurance while he looks for a new job? I have an appt. for tomorrow, but it is just the initial paperwork appt. I am thinking I should cancel it until we know more about our insurance situation. I was going to drive an hour and a half to the hospital dh was working at (that is where his insurance covered). Thank you for any advice you can give us.

[Amy in NH]

If you have no income, go apply for emergency medical assistance at your local Health and Human Services office. It will cover your kids, and also your prenatal care and delivery, unless your dh gets another job in the meantime with an income high enough to make you ineligible.

[Um_2_4]

Not sure if state medical aid would cover you since you are pg and the kids??

Also there is AIM (Access for Infant and Mothers) for people who do not qualify for state free medical aid. (I think this is in all states and not just CA, it is on a sliding scale.) This would be just for you and the newborn though.

You might call an ob/gyn office near you, some will do the 1st appointment and help you fill out paperwork for medical aid.

 

Edit to add: So AIM is a CA thing, but if you type Access for infants and mothers followed by your state name, you may find something similar.

[Mergath]

If you tell us what state you live in, you might get more specific ideas about how to get help.

[Just Kate]

Dh was laid off today. All of our insurance was through his job. Besides COBRA, what are our options? We have two kids and I am pregnant. He is looking for another job, and has applied for unemployment. What do we do about medical insurance while he looks for a new job? I have an appt. for tomorrow, but it is just the initial paperwork appt. I am thinking I should cancel it until we know more about our insurance situation. I was going to drive an hour and a half to the hospital dh was working at (that is where his insurance covered). Thank you for any advice you can give us.

 

 

Do you know that your insurance ended today? Sometimes your insurance will continue through the end of the month. Just a thought for the short term.

[dbmamaz]

you often have a waiting period before any state insurance kicks in (you have to be uninsured for some period of time) and any insurance you buy on your own usually wont cover pregnancy the first year - at least that was what I found when we were planning our second child and the ex was self-employed. we ended up going for a home birth with a lay midwife because it was cheaper than paying for 2 years of insurance before they'd cover me.

 

cobra is crazy expensive. but . . . you dont have to pay the cobra for a few mo . .. what we've done at times is try to go that long without using it and get a job before then so we can just not pay the cobra because we didnt use it, if that makes sense. but we always knew ahead of time and we were able to stock up on meds and stuff

[Arcadia]

"Your child or teen may qualify for no-cost or low-cost health insurance coverage through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Many parents may also be eligible.

If you or someone in your family needs health coverage, you should apply. To find information about Medicaid and CHIP health coverage programs in your state, go to Programs in Your State or call 1-877-Kids-Now (1-877-543-7669)." (Source)

 

Also call WIC for your state http://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/Contacts/statealpha.HTM

[ktgrok]

In most states you will be covered by medicaid while he is unemployed. The criteria for pregnant women is much easier than normal.

 

As for Cobra..are you guys normally healthy?

 

What we did....we filled out the paperwork. Held on to it until the last possible moment. Then, according to the paperwork we had 60 days from then to pay for Cobra. If we had a claim filed before then we would have to pay before they would pay the claim, of course. So....we waited until that 60 day deadline, and by then DH's new insurance, at his new job, had kicked in. If we had been injured or sick before then we would have paid the Cobra, but we weren't so we didn't pay anything. It was a win win. Just read the paper work carefully.

[happypamama]

First, I am so sorry that your DH was laid off. So lousy!

 

I would immediately look into CHIP insurance for your kids. In my state, kids normally have to be uninsured for six months to get CHIP, but I'm not sure if that applies if you lost insurance because of a job loss.

 

Look into Medicaid for your pregnancy costs. Even if that's not normally an option, being pregnant may qualify you for a special program, and it won't count as a pre-existing condition.

 

If you can't find other insurance, you may need to purchase COBRA, at least for you, for the pregnancy, but if you're low-risk, you might also look into midwifery care, as it's often less expensive than OB care/hospital.

[momto10blessings]

So sorry this happened to you.

One thing I wanted to add was that when my husband quit his job to become self employed we had to use COBRA. In our state insurance companies would not cover us if we were eligible for COBRA, Does not make any sense to me and this was 10 yrs ago, but that's how it was.

Of course if you do not have any income it should be different.

[Mergath]

So sorry this happened to you.

One thing I wanted to add was that when my husband quit his job to become self employed we had to use COBRA. In our state insurance companies would not cover us if we were eligible for COBRA, Does not make any sense to me and this was 10 yrs ago, but that's how it was.

Of course if you do not have any income it should be different.

 

 

They say something like that here, but if you're broke they'll do some kind of cost analysis and if paying for the insurance isn't cost effective, you can get a waiver and get assistance anyway.

[Desert Rat]

First, :grouphug: . I'm sorry your dh lost his job. Been there, done that, have the worry lines to prove it.

 

We purchase our insurance from a broker who found us the best deal with a major insurance provider.

 

I'm over 40; dh isn't. We have 2 boys. We have Sierra Health (United) for $290 a month. We used Cobra for a year. I wish I had known of that option. If you'd like more info, let me know. I can give you the number to our guy here in NV and maybe he can direct you to one in your state. Oh, and our policy strictly states I cannot get pregnant. Well, I could but they won't cover a penny of it. That was the policy we chose to keep the costs down.

 

HTH

[momto5blessings]

OP,

Another thing to consider, that will help in this time, is to apply for WIC and food stamps. That may help you some as well. I'm so sorry!

Pamela

[tabinfl]

First, :grouphug: . I'm sorry your dh lost his job. Been there, done that, have the worry lines to prove it.

 

We purchase our insurance from a broker who found us the best deal with a major insurance provider.

 

 

Both of these. Individual policies can often be had for FAR less than COBRA (large group rates are crazy expensive because they have to take all comers!). Your pregnancy may not be covered, but you might be able to get a good cash-up-front deal from both your OB & hospital (this is what we did, as my policy does not cover maternity). Even without a maternity rider, complications are usually covered, so if you had a pg-related problem, it wouldn't necessarily come out of your pocket.

[MomtoCandJ]

Also check with your local health department when you sign up for WIC. You and your kids might get insurance through them. In Michigan we have MOMS for pregnant women without insurance that you sign up for through the health department

[gardenmom5]

you and your children should be able to get insurance through your state. sometimes with the state it can even be retroactive 3 months from when it comes through. you can get private insurance, and it can be MUCH cheaper than cobra. caveat - do not call to "cancel" the cobra as it will cover your pre-existing conditions if something horrendous happens before you have other coverage. (not paying the premium 'cancels' it too.) usually you can drag out the premium that if you get something fast enough, you don't have to actually pay a premium at all.

 

you can also swing it so your dh isn't paying for maternity coverage on his policy, but you would have a policy that has maternity.

[Susan C.]

So sorry your dh lost his job. You might need to keep COBRA for just you. Most insurance applications ask if your are pregnant.

[Granny_Weatherwax]

:grouphug: for the job loss. I am sure this is a scary and anxious time for you.

 

When DH was laid off a few years back, we opted to pay for Cobra for our children only; DS had asthma and we were working with the docs trying to diagnose some medical issues and we were concerned about him not being able to get coverage again if the current policy lapsed (the whole pre-exisiting condition caveats for many policies terrified me; still do). DH and I went without insurance. I realize your situation is different since you are expecting and you need some coverage.

 

Our current insurance policy did not cover DD's pregnancy (no maternity benefits for dependents) but we were able to petition for state coverage for some of her maternity care.

 

I wish you the best of luck and hope you DH finds a job soon.

[Joanne]

{{hugs}}

 

A situation like that is always stressful and challenging. Being pregnant during it is even worse.

 

I don't have anything to add to the above, but wanted to post in support. My xh was unemployed when I was pregnant with our youngest.

[besroma]

Did you have a FSA or HSA with funds in it? If you did, and the employer contributed, there may be more in it than you realize. There is a deadline to when you can use the funds.

 

:grouphug:

[besroma]

dp

 

:grouphug:

[elfgivas]

i am so sorry.

 

maybe this website will help?

it lets you put in some basic info and get options.

 

http://finder.healthcare.gov/

 

ann

[JFSinIL]

I'm reading this thread with interest, as since hubby lost his job mid-Feb. we crammed in dental visits and youngest dd's wisdom teeth before the end of the month. Of course, Cobra is too $$$ unless hubby can talk them into a cheaper plan (he had just gotten coverage at his new job of three months and we had selected a great PPO plan....which would run us $2,000/month on Cobra!!!). Of course, three days AFTER losing coverage, oldest dd, 19, falls on ice and has such bad pain the next day we go to ER for x-ray...she was pet-sitting for a friend and slipped at their house letting the dogs out. They are renters. Will the landlord's insurance cover dd's expenses? ER was resigned and wrote "no insurance" on the paperwork.

 

Oh, btw, you can "bruise" a bone from a fall. It is when not enough damage is done to be a visible fracture, and hurts like a #%^**^%. DD is basically immobile now.

 

Years ago, when I was pregnant with that same DD, hubby changed jobs and we had to get Cobra just for me until the baby was born - his new job covered the rest of the family, and dd as soon as she emerged.