COBRA - A day Late

[diogenes]

Check this out.

I paid for my extended US medical coverage for March 2006. US sent me another statement for April, and I've already mailed that it - the checked cleared the bank.

Today I get a COBRA notice postmarked 3/28/06 telling me my coverage ended 3/18/06 and I have until 5/27/06 to elect COBRA coverage.

Soooo, I go to the HUB to start the process of getting to the bottom of this (nothing I love better than playing phone tag with bureaucracy :angry: ).

Natch, I no long have access, and will have to call tomorrow to get that straightened out before I get the COBRA thing straightened out.

Of course, after 25 years, I have become acclimated to the US piss-poor way of doing things.

Anybody else having difficulties?

 

[BoeingBoy]

Dio,

Have you just qualified for COBRA? If so, hopefully it was just a standard notification letter and nothing more - the standard "left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing" kind of thing where the person sending out the letter didn't check to see that you're already signed up and paying.

On the other hand, and I hope not, it could take you several days of "phone tag" to get it straightened out. Good luck.....

Jim

 

[diogenes]

Hi guys,thanks for asking.

Jim, yes, just qualified. Part of our furlough was an extension of regular medical benefits that are just running out. The parts that concern me are (a) as far as I know, I have paid for the regular benes thru April, but the letter says coverage terminated 3/18/06, and (B) the note was postmarked 3/28/06, meaning not only have I not been covered since 3/18, but didn't know it until yesterday.

PB, yes I've heard the horror stories. By the way - "madern"?
Freudian or deliberate? Appropriate!

I'm standing by the phone waiting for 8 am with a cup of coffee - what a lovely way to spend a gorgeuous day B)

US Airways - the gift that keeps giving!

 

[Non Rever]

I left Oct 30. Its been 5 months now, and i have received two bills for my insurance. The first bill was for the first month, the second was for past due for the 2nd month for which i never received a bill. So with the 2nd month bill i wrote a check for 4 months, because i saw a pattern developing. I called the 20th and asked for them to send a bill, as of today, nothing! Goog Luck!

 

[diogenes]

I called benefits today and got bounced over to Ceredian, the COBRA provider.

If you are furloughed fleet service, the regular medical coverage lasts 180 days past your furlough date, so long as you pay it on-time.

After that, you are eligible for COBRA. You will typically get a letter from Ceredian AFTER your regular coverage has expired: however, COBRA is retroactive to the date regular coverage ceased, so long as you select COBRA by the deadline specified in the letter.

If you are going to select something other than COBRA, you need to have it standing by and ready to go when regular coverage ends. I understand if you provide your COBRA letter to another carrier, they waive waiting periods, and cannot exempt pre-existing conditions. I wouldn't wait to the last minute, though.

Also per Ceredian, you can change your coverage. If you were covered 100%, you can change it to 90% or 80%. That brings the COBRA cost within range of the catastrophic Blue Cross coverage I've checked out.

I had originally intended to go with BC, but COBRA is in the running.

 

[AP Tech]

If you happened to be furloughed and reside in PA check out the HMO that Highmark offers. I did a side by side comparison and it looks far superior to what U's Cobra policy offered, and its cheaper!! PM me if you would like the actual website.

 

[diogenes]

Thanks AP, I live in NC, and BC/BS is about it in my end of the state.

It's going to be pricey either way.