Health insurance after a lapse in coverage

ILOVELIFE

Wed, Jul 17 2013, 11:21 am

Any help would be appreciated.

Something had to go from the budget and health insurance it was. Husband has been without coverage for nearly 6 years and I've been without for 2.6 years. We've tried to get insurance through my employer now and have found that due to our lapse of coverage, we can't get insurance until company open enrollment which is in May 2014. We'd really like to get coverage sooner-- any good ideas? No, we are not eligible for gov insurance and no we can't get COBRA. What are other options.

TIA

amother

Wed, Jul 17 2013, 11:40 am

Are you under 26? can you join your parents' plan?

wow

Wed, Jul 17 2013, 12:22 pm

Do you live in NY? If yes, as per the new Obama Care Act, there will be new options availalbe - enrollment starting October 1st 2013 for coverage for January 1st 2014. See all the info on their website:

http://www.healthbenefitexchange.ny.gov/

ILOVELIFE

Wed, Jul 17 2013, 9:19 pm

No I"m not under 26 and yes Obama Care may or may not be of help in my situation according to the insurance agent I'm dealing with. Oh well we'll wait and pray

wow

Wed, Jul 17 2013, 10:14 pm

FYI if youre in NY you wont need an insurance agent to enroll through the exchange. There wont be an income limit, and pre-existing conditions wont apply either. Just check into their website periodically to see updates.

Hopefully a lapse in coverage wont be an issue either!

myday

Sun, Jul 28 2013, 9:19 pm

I didn't want to go through gov and found a great agent at www.healthinsuranceguaranteed.com Just call the 800 number. It got us through our gap until we could enroll in company insurance again. It was actually pretty affordable and my coverage was fine although I'm not a big doctor-goer.

Peanut2

Sun, Jul 28 2013, 9:39 pm

ILOVELIFE wrote:

Are you sure that it's because of a lapse in coverage?

Generally you can join your work health insurance when you start your job, otherwise you need to wait until open enrollment or a 'qualifying event'. So first of all, check and see if maybe you have a qualifying event (either spouse losing/leaving a job, birth of a child.)

Next, check the details of the work plan for when you do actually join. Ask HR if anything may change by May 2014 (it will, but maybe HR knows of specific changes.)

Generally what I've seen is that the insurance will not cover preexisting conditions if you weren't on insurance previously for the past 12 months. So my main recommendation is that you join as soon as you can so that you actually have insurance, and so that everything will be covered in x amount of time through your insurance. - I don't know whether Obamacare is going to change that.

ILOVELIFE

Tue, Jul 30 2013, 7:52 pm

Peanut2 wrote:

ILOVELIFE wrote:

Just to clarify: I'm working at my job for a few years but did not have my insurance through them. Now if I want to join problem is I"m not a new employee and there was a lapse of coverage so I need to wait till open enrollment which will be May 2014

MaBelleVie

Tue, Jul 30 2013, 8:18 pm

Why don't you sign up for an individual or family plan until open enrollment at work?