New Jersey Nesties
Dear Community,
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Holy crap Cobra is expensive!
I didn't realize how much my old employer picked up. We had middle tier insurance, not even top of the line, and it's over $2k to pick up what we had.like $1400 if I want to drop a level.
Re: Holy crap Cobra is expensive!
Became a Mrs. on 4/29/06 and a Mommy on 12/5/08
Eye opening, right???
I remember when I got back from maternity leave and I was catching up on work. I came across all my claim info...HOLYSHIT. I've never been so happy to have a job in my life. It's ASTRONOMICAL how much money it costs to be in the hospital.
We were a self funded plan so I saw E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. I knew the cost of every hospital stay, doctor's visit, Rx of everyone in the company. The amount of money medical care costs is seriously disturbing. DISTURBING. You may not think your company is doing anything for you but really....I promise, they are.
Even now, I have an H.S.A....so basically, I'm paying for all my own medical claims and visits (within company funded $$-Thankfully). You become quite the consumer when you realize that you're paying the bill. Perhaps maybe I'll let this cough linger instead of going to the dr. and paying $80 for him to tell me it's a cough.
IT'S A RACKET!
the one time i needed it between jobs the cobra guy actually told me that if i'm healthy and likely won't need to go to the doctor during that time- to wait and if i needed it i could call and start it right up.... i did that- b/c it was like $500/mo just for me... i was single at the time and thankfully very healthy.
it is expensive. It sucks.
It sucks a$$. Imagine having to do that with unemployment being your only income?
Exactly. So you have 60 days from the date you no longer had medical coverage to elect Cobra. Plus, if I'm not wrong you have 30 days to remit payment once you elect coverage. It's a scary thought to not just know you have coverage, but it's worth thinking about delaying the payment.
Rob should be able to get you on...you quitting should be a qualifying event especially since you aren't eligible for benefits right away.
The question you need to ask though is can you get back off his once you can get on yours? It might not be a qualifying event for him to drop you because you became eligible.
Does that make sense?
I've done that before too when I was single. But now I get worried about pre-existing conditions and all that stuff I don't understand. I was also pregnant and seeing an RE at the time, so it was just easier to pay.
If you guys are pretty healthy, I'd try to ride it out without paying. Cobra fell into 2009 for us, so we're actually aiming to itemize our health expenses for our taxes, however that works.
Became a Mrs. on 4/29/06 and a Mommy on 12/5/08
Usually it's 30 days - make sure she's right!!
wait - actually i think it's 30 day sfrom start of employ.....so I could be wrong.
I believe it's 60 days to make a decision, 30 day grace period for the first payment. At least that is how the Cobra vendor I work with handles it. We outsourced our Cobra many years ago. All I have to do it notify them of benefit terminations and they handle the rest.
Mommy to Stephanie Lena - 2.13.07 and Evan Ralph - 9.23.10
Angel Baby (m/c at 9 weeks) - 1.2.09
Christmas Card Picture - 2011
(aka: the only picture I could get of them together that was not blurry and had them both sitting still!)
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we outsourced too - that's why I got confused - I corrected myself above though. I couldn't be bothered with it anymore!! plus, people would "forget" to pay and I'd feel bad and give them extra grace period!
Danielle, they should automatically send you a packet of info on it w/in 30 days
I know it's insane. It's about $1200 for us. MH's old job termed his benefits at midnight the day he resigned, so I'm hoping they pro-rate January. His new health benefits won't kick in until 4/1.
Be careful with waiting it out, gaps in coverage can create issues.
*always remembering Annaleigh Lucy*
thanks deb
Yes, you have 60 days to elect coverage and 30 days from the date of election to pay. So you could wait to elect coverage until 2/15, and not have to make a payment until 3/15...which puts you past the date that you'd be eligable at your new job. That's why I'm saying I'd hold off if at all possible until someone gets sick.
As far as a lapse of coverage goes, you're dealing with a short period of time - 2 months so I don't think it would be a big deal since in the grand scheme, you'd have been eligible for COBRA the whole time. And regarding any pre-existing conditions, they can't deny children with them but unfortunatly the law for adults doesn't go into affect until 2014.
This is the one part of HR/Benefit Mgmt that I was REALLY interested in so I remember a lot of it.
when my husband lost his job 2 yrs ago we were so lucky along with the severance package they gave him, they also covered COBRA for 6 months. It was a god-send.
Personally I wouldn't risk not having coverage for your son. Its one thing to wing it for you and your husband, but can you just add him? Do you know yet how much your premiums are going to be at your new employer or are you going to go on your husband's anyway?