One Of An Est. 46 Million

Well, today my family and I became one of the estimated 46 million Americans without health insurance. The company can't afford it anymore. I sure as hell can't afford it right now.

Anyone else in this boat? Any suggestions?

First time ever in my life. Feeling kind of lost today.

[icehog3]

So sorry to hear about this, Al. Hope the company can figure out some other type of option for your employees.

[Footbag]

Not knowing the specifics, I would look into private coverage. Depending on your situation, it may be cheaper then you think. Employer coverage is usually considerably more expensive. The disadvantage to private coverage is that any pre-existing conditions will be factored into the price.

[Blueface]

Wow!
Sorry to hear that Al.
Cobra is a nightmare price wise.
Most plans on your own are not significantly cheaper necessarily.
I would look to price a major medical type policy to address hospitalization and risk out of pocket for regular doctor visits for now until you can afford or get a better plan.
Sadly, I think this will be more the norm as time passes with what is pending.

[kaisersozei]

Originally Posted by Blueface

Wow!
Sorry to hear that Al.
Cobra is a nightmare price wise.
Most plans on your own are not significantly cheaper necessarily.
I would look to price a major medical type policy to address hospitalization and risk out of pocket for regular doctor visits for now until you can afford or get a better plan.
Sadly, I think this will be more the norm as time passes with what is pending.

That's exactly what I would recommend, depending on your family situation. Hopefully there aren't any chronic conditions (e.g., diabetes) that require significant on-going expenses.

I'm sorry to hear of your situation. Healthcare administration is what I do for a living. Let me know if I can help.

[MedicCook]

Sorry to hear Al. Good luck with finding coverage for your family.

[G G]

I agree with the above two posters Al. You will prolly have to get a fairly high deductible and consider it a major catastrophe policy, but at least you wont be exposed to a 100,000 dollar hospital bill. Sorry to hear that you lost your coverage my friend.

[Poronico]

contact your state office and ask them if you qualify for state health insurance. Alot of states have plans you can pay for on a sliding scale for decent coverage.

i am truly sorry to hear of this news. i also fear this will become more common place.

[KidRock]

Al,

Brother I feel your pain. My coverage was cut...

[Veritas]

Originally Posted by ahc4353

Anyone else in this boat? Any suggestions?

First time ever in my life. Feeling kind of lost today.

I had a short ride in that boat earlier this year. The company I worked for was not very supportive of my military commitments (traditional member of ANG). They did what they had to do, but were very clear that they did not like it. I gave them about four months notice that I was being tasked with another deployment to the desert. They promptly began maneuverings that resulted in me being laid-off. All medical benefits immediately ceased. The insurance wasn't the best, but it was considerably better than nothing. The feeling of being uninsured wasn't a good one. The COBRA option was offered, but was prohibitively expensive. My wife has Graves Disease, a condition that requires lifelong monitoring, so being uninsured was not a good option for us.

The layoff happened only two months or so before my military mobilization. I volunteered to be activated early. Thankfully, this option was available to me. It isn’t there for most.

As for suggestions, look into a group option. Chances are that you belong to some group that has a policy with an insurance provider. Check with your bank, credit union, local professional organizations, fraternal organizations you may belong to… Options are out there, sometimes they are just difficult to find. Also look into a Health Savings Account. They have the advantage of offsetting a bit of your tax liability. Like others have suggested, a catastrophic coverage policy is a must. Good luck to you.

[Thrak]

Originally Posted by Veritas

I had a short ride in that boat earlier this year. The company I worked for was not very supportive of my military commitments (traditional member of ANG). They did what they had to do, but were very clear that they did not like it. I gave them about four months notice that I was being tasked with another deployment to the desert. They promptly began maneuverings that resulted in me being laid-off.

Isnt that illegal?? Man you could sue them and get enough to cover any and all health issues for the rest of your life... the .gov REALLY doesnt like it when this happens.

[TripleF]

Never been in your boat Al. Never had health insurance.
Wish you the best!!

[longknocker]

Thoughts & Prayers Sent For A Quick Solution, Al.

[dunng]

Sorry to hear that Al, I'm guessing it was a hard decision for your employer but had to be made to keep the business afloat...

Come move to MA... We have Health Insurance for all!

[Beagleone]

Sign up for COBRA if it is available. I would shop around for some sort of coverage and ask for a high deductible ($5000) and see about getting a medical bridge plan (Gap) to cover the deductible. The high deductible should be low enough to cover you, and the gap plan is a supplemental insurance you can purchase from Colonial or AFLAC.

When I saw the thread title, I initially thought that you were announcing that you were in the country illegally.

Previous posters (several) have suggested high-deductable private pay and I concur. My wife and I have followed this path for 20 years and it's not the greatest, but it works.
Good luck.

Thank you all for your sup[port and suggestions. Many ideas here that I had no idea about. Currently working the issue.

Thank you again for your support. It helps more than you know.

[awsmith4]

That sucks Al, when I was laid off COBRA became our only option seeing as Erika was 8mos pregnant and pregnancy is a preexisting condition. We have explored many avenues since then and a private policy is what we have been under until just recently when I landed a job again with benefits (well I still have 30+ days till they kick in). The only other suggestion is to search companies that offer benefits even for part time employees. A second job sucks but it is another option. I am sure many things have have changed with the economy but Starbucks, Home Depot and quite a few others used to offer benefits for part timers. Good luck brother I hope it works out for you

[Veritas]

Originally Posted by awsmith4

...but Starbucks, Home Depot and quite a few others used to offer benefits for part timers.

So does UPS (or they did the last I knew). I have a self-employed friend who worked there a few hours a week in order to get their benefits (was self-employed otherwise).