COBRA Alternatives—Five Mistakes People Make
Posted on Fri, Jan 16, 2009
There are COBRA alternatives. People often do not understand their options for health insurance coverage. When anyone faces a job loss, divorce, reduction in work hours, or death of a covered sponsoring employee, they may be eligible for extended coverage for up to 18 months under COBRA. COBRA is the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act adopted by Congress to ensure that eligible people can continue to have access to their employer sponsored health care plan.
Health insurance is complicated. That is why insurance agents must study to pass a complicated exam before they can become licensed to sell it. Most people never read their insurance policies and do not listen or in some cases misunderstand when their employers explain about their rights under COBRA. They make many mistakes that can be very costly:
- People do not ask questions when they do not understand some detail about their rights under COBRA. They may feel embarrassed or intimidated. No matter how stressful it may seem, understanding their rights is a high priority. Everyone should ask as many questions as they need in order to make an informed decision about health insurance.
- People assume their former employer continues to pay for health insurance. Nothing could be further from the truth. Anyone who participates in health insurance under COBRA pays 100% plus a penalty.
- People often think they do not need health insurance. The reasons vary. Younger people think that since they are healthy, health insurance is an unnecessary expense. Others think they will find a job quickly. Not all employers provide health care coverage and these days, new jobs are hard to find. The lesson here is that young people do get sick, and it is a mistake to assume all employers will provide health insurance.
- People do not seek the help of an insurance professional. Paying for benefits under COBRA is expensive. Insurance agents have a number of options to fit the differing needs of individuals and families. They can do a health insurance comparison that will contrast the benefits and costs to the person.
- People think everyone qualifies for benefits under COBRA. That is not the case. The law specifies the eligibilities. If an employer drops health care benefits, employees are not entitled to any protection under COBRA. This mistake goes back to assumptions. People should never make assumptions, but instead they should ask questions to find out if they are qualified.
- Many believe that COBRA is medical insurance. It is not. COBRA is an acronym that is short for the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act. It is a law enacted to help people continue employer sponsored health insurance for a short period of time.
Health insurance agents work on behalf of the person buying insurance. They can offer consultations that help people understand all of their options in relation to health care coverage. They often have access to Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Aetna health insurance plans, and plans offered by other companies.