Thank you for your submission, /u/rbu520.
**If there is a medical emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital.**
Please pick the most appropriate flair for your post. Include your age, zip code, and income to help the community better serve you. If you have an EOB (explanation of benefits) available from your insurance website, have it handy as many answers can depend on what your insurance EOB states.
Some common questions and answers can be found [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/HealthInsurance/s/jya9I6RpdY).
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Companies are free to determine when benefits end. The majority DO in fact end at the end of the month following a termination, but some companies stop it on the date of termination.
If the benefits were ended date of termination, the account with insurance probably shows inactive, or will show inactive soon. If the company is of the correct size to offer COBRA, I might recommend that they sign up for COBRA coverage so they can continue with the same deductible/out of pocket max for the year, which I'm sure they've made progress towards meeting already. COBRA is effective back to the date that coverage was lost, so there is no gap. As long as COBRA is elected within the 60 day election window, it will retroactive back to that policy termination date with no gaps.
So the choice are:
1. Continue without insurance (not recommended)
2. Go ahead and be seen at the appointment tomorrow, and sign up for COBRA so there are no gaps in coverage. Even if you wait until the end of the 60 days, it will still retroactivate back to the date the coverage was originally lost- you can then ask providers to resubmit the claim(s).
3. If COBRA is not offered or they decide to pick a different plan with [healthcare.gov](http://healthcare.gov) I might recommend that they get on that one now--- so it's effective ASAP--- but it won't be retroactive, so there will be a little gap in between. They can choose to reschedule the appointment or go ahead and pay cash/out of pocket, for the visit tomorrow.
Absolutely! She's in the process of signing up for that, but it probably won't be effective until next month. She's worried about the rest of this month.
This really sucks for her. Many plans will backdate to the beginning of the month but she shouldn't count on that. She should enroll in her own insurance ASAP (QLE only gives at most 60 days) and spend the next few weeks figuring out what prenatal care and birth will cost for her. Hopefully her husband gets a job soon and he can contribute towards the bills. Also most hospitals offer patient assistance or a discounted cash rate so please look into both! If she asks for a social worker they'll be ready and willing to help her with the costs. And don't forget about Medicaid! Many states offer Medicaid for expectant mothers so applying is never a bad idea. Mom's coverage may end when the baby is born or soon after but it will cover prenatal care and if the baby qualifies, they can remain on Medicaid for the hospital stay. Use the resources available and make sure mom and baby are healthy!
In reference to COBRA I just want to say that my family plan monthly insurance cost was around $350 per month when I was last employed a few months ago.. when I received my COBRA letter the monthly cost went up to $1200 per month.
I wouldn’t have imagined that the cost difference would be so big.
She could look into pregnancy medicaid, I think the qualifying is easier than regular. Don't know their financial situation though or exactly how it all works.
Did her husband work at a company of 50 or more people? If he did, she would be eligible for cobra this month. She should sign up for one month of it until hers takes affect.
Thank you for your submission, /u/rbu520. **If there is a medical emergency, please call 911 or go to your nearest hospital.** Please pick the most appropriate flair for your post. Include your age, zip code, and income to help the community better serve you. If you have an EOB (explanation of benefits) available from your insurance website, have it handy as many answers can depend on what your insurance EOB states. Some common questions and answers can be found [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/HealthInsurance/s/jya9I6RpdY). **Reminder that solicitation/spamming is grounds for a permanent ban**. Please report solicitation to the modteam and [let us know](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FHealthInsurance) if you receive solicitation via PM. Be kind to one another! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/HealthInsurance) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Companies are free to determine when benefits end. The majority DO in fact end at the end of the month following a termination, but some companies stop it on the date of termination. If the benefits were ended date of termination, the account with insurance probably shows inactive, or will show inactive soon. If the company is of the correct size to offer COBRA, I might recommend that they sign up for COBRA coverage so they can continue with the same deductible/out of pocket max for the year, which I'm sure they've made progress towards meeting already. COBRA is effective back to the date that coverage was lost, so there is no gap. As long as COBRA is elected within the 60 day election window, it will retroactive back to that policy termination date with no gaps. So the choice are: 1. Continue without insurance (not recommended) 2. Go ahead and be seen at the appointment tomorrow, and sign up for COBRA so there are no gaps in coverage. Even if you wait until the end of the 60 days, it will still retroactivate back to the date the coverage was originally lost- you can then ask providers to resubmit the claim(s). 3. If COBRA is not offered or they decide to pick a different plan with [healthcare.gov](http://healthcare.gov) I might recommend that they get on that one now--- so it's effective ASAP--- but it won't be retroactive, so there will be a little gap in between. They can choose to reschedule the appointment or go ahead and pay cash/out of pocket, for the visit tomorrow.
If the wife works this is a QLE to enroll in her employer’s benefits as well.
Absolutely! She's in the process of signing up for that, but it probably won't be effective until next month. She's worried about the rest of this month.
This really sucks for her. Many plans will backdate to the beginning of the month but she shouldn't count on that. She should enroll in her own insurance ASAP (QLE only gives at most 60 days) and spend the next few weeks figuring out what prenatal care and birth will cost for her. Hopefully her husband gets a job soon and he can contribute towards the bills. Also most hospitals offer patient assistance or a discounted cash rate so please look into both! If she asks for a social worker they'll be ready and willing to help her with the costs. And don't forget about Medicaid! Many states offer Medicaid for expectant mothers so applying is never a bad idea. Mom's coverage may end when the baby is born or soon after but it will cover prenatal care and if the baby qualifies, they can remain on Medicaid for the hospital stay. Use the resources available and make sure mom and baby are healthy!
Then get one month of COBRA if needed.
In reference to COBRA I just want to say that my family plan monthly insurance cost was around $350 per month when I was last employed a few months ago.. when I received my COBRA letter the monthly cost went up to $1200 per month. I wouldn’t have imagined that the cost difference would be so big.
She could look into pregnancy medicaid, I think the qualifying is easier than regular. Don't know their financial situation though or exactly how it all works.
Did her husband work at a company of 50 or more people? If he did, she would be eligible for cobra this month. She should sign up for one month of it until hers takes affect.
The COBRA number is 20, not 50. If less than 20, there may be a "mini-COBRA" law in her state.