Health insurance isn’t the best subject to think about. As a matter of fact, most of us would rather not think of this subject at all! I didn’t make that piece of statistics up. In a study done by the Insurance Information Institute, it was found that a third of all American families with a new baby do not take the time to update their life insurance coverage!
What does that information show you? Simple – few Americans actually dwell on health insurance even if they already have a policy. But what if you are planning to leave work? Isn’t it time to think about healthcare cost, insurance health coverage, and how you can benefit from COBRA?
Forget the snake. The COBRA we are talking of here isn’t that. Federal laws ensure you can keep your health insurance coverage with your former employer under COBRA.
Here are three reasons that make COBRA a very good option:
1. Cost. Insurance, health, and finances get threatened when you leave your employer. Whether the decision is voluntary or not, COBRA gives you the option to retain your health insurance coverage from the employer you are leaving for up to 18 months. Here’s the kicker: you have to pay 102% of the premiums. Then again, considering you get to retain the benefit of health coverage, that’s not so bad at all. Just consider the risk of going without a policy while you shop for a less expensive provider or get a new job with health benefits.
2. Pre-existing medical conditions. COBRA eliminates or effectively reduces the risk of a new insurer putting your pre-existing medical condition in the exclusion clause of your policy. The way it works with providers, if you already have a serious medical condition, no private insurer would want to touch you. COBRA provides you with a way to retain coverage even then.
3. Flexibility. When you change jobs or switch careers, your primary health concern is cost. Insurance, health, and finances are a lot to handle simultaneously, especially without regular paychecks. At least with COBRA, you have 105 days to raise the money for the first premium payment. Even so, coverage begins at the time your group insurance coverage is lost.
Whether you admit it or not, COBRA provides you with relief you can use at a time when you need it most. COBRA is meant to protect you from further losses in an already tough spot. So, take advantage of the opportunity to never go without coverage.
