When I was laid off in July I paid for COBRA coverage for a few months. The HR manager said that my payment was due before the month of coverage. Well, I couldn't afford the $400 payment after Sept. so I stopped paying. I just thought that my coverage would stop since they didn't get a payment from me.
I just got an email from my former employer saying that they haven't gotten payments for me for the last three months and are wondering if I want to discontinue coverage.
DUH!
I'm wondering if they (my former employer) can come after me for the $1,200 COBRA payment for the three months that I didn't pay.

Apple the employer will not come after you for the payment, you just dont have coverage if you went to the doctor's office or ER during this period of time.

rachel3 said:

Thanks The thing is though is that I'm STILL covered. My former employer has been making the COBRA payments for me without my knowledge.

applekisses said:

THen your employer is either being really nice or really stupid. You should be making payments for yourself and if payments stop, you should not have coverage. They should not make you pay, what they should have done was stop coverage...that's what they are supposed to do.

I'd say that you don't owe them anything. They should stop paying for you though.

superspaceboy said:

Thanks, hon...I agree. But, they are such buttholes that I can see them trying to come after me for back payment.

Did you have any medical procedures or doctors' visits in the past three months?

1sexymf said:

I had a couple of doctors visits.

The health coverage in America is so complicted.

althom said:

I KNOW! It's stupid!

applekisses said:

Well, if they're really buttholes, they can send you the bill for those visits (I'm assuming you just gave the doctor a co-pay), since they actually paid for them. Hoepfully, they'll have some compassion and won't send you the bill for them to be reimbursed or it got overlooked.

1sexymf said:

Yeah...I did just pay a copay. I assumed that I'd have to pay for the visits anyway after they were rejected from the insurance company (since I thought I didn't have coverage.)
I was waiting for bills, but they never came.

applekisses said:

Well, maybe you'll get lucky and you won't get anything - you can always hope. I wouldn't say anything to my former employer, though. I would just hope it got overlooked.

1sexymf said:

I'm gonna...I'm talking with an attorney about it as well as a relative who works for my insurance company.

That sounds like a lot of money for health insurance.
$400 a month? even if it covers everything, it's still waaaaay too much.

Heavenly said:

Here in the U.S., unfortunately, that's about right.

1sexymf said:

Wow. I hope it covers everything.
What does it include?
Do you ever get it back if you don't use it?
My family is known to be very healthy until we're at a very old age, we don't have use for it till then.

Heavenly said:

It doesn't cover everything (no dental...that's separate) and I still had to pay $30-$60 for prescriptions and $10 for doctor visits.

I pay $130 a month for private health insurance....and that covers everything.

althom said:

I'm moving to Australia!

Heavenly said:[quote]

1sexymf said:

Wow. I hope it covers everything.
What does it include?
Do you ever get it back if you don't use it?


No, it hardly ever covers everything. You can buy different plans where the more you pay the more coerage you get. You must always pay a co-pay of usually $10.00 for every doctor's office visit. The medication is discounted to about half-price.
And, NO, you get NOTHING back if you don't use it. The healthcare system is America sucks- and God forbid if you get and sick and you're not covered - better have money or have something saved.

Put it this way...I was in England staying with a friend's relatives and came down with bronchitis...I was able to go to see the doctor FOR FREE and my prescription was 3 pounds...and all because I was a guest of a citizen.
There is NO way I would have been able to do that in this country.

althom said:

We pay even less here in Israel. about $30.
Doctors visits? we pay $3 every three months.

Ariel-----Unless you have a company that is willing to pay 100% of your health insurance I wouldnt recommend it. Especially when you are only 31 and probably in good health. It is crazy to throw that money out the window each month when you could probably get free doctor visits through the county in which you are going to live. This is only if you absolutely were in a pinch and neeeded a Dr etc.This is the best advice I can give you.---Brian

This advice goes out to all of you who read this.....not just Ariel...hehehhe

MinneapolisFunk said:

Thanks
But if I wait until I'm sick, and they would do a check up, wouldn't it raise the price knowing that I WILL use their services pretty soon?