okay I appreciate health insurance more

[Zoe Girl]

I am in the process of getting my cobra insurance together and picking up a prescription. I wanted to see what my prescription was without insurance to compare and apparently it would be almost $400 without insurance! My other one is about $100, and I don't know about the one I use now and then for anxiety. So now my insurance premium seems a lot better!

Of course my old school district did not tell the company managing the cobra how much my premium should be so I have no idea what to pay. I just called and had this escalated. I am going to pay the full price and then get reimbursed for both prescriptions. I am glad I got a lump sum from the old job to manage this transition, if you are changing jobs it is good to have an emergency fund for all the complicated things!

[catherine]

I'll be honest--in my experience, COBRA sucks. Employers usually position it as being a great deal because you can stay in the large pool of insureds in your company but the monthly premiums are no bargain.

Glad it's working out for your prescriptions, though.

[Zoe Girl]

It is only for 2 months, otherwise I would find another plan. My colleague that left about the same time is ubering and went on medicaid until her new school starts in January.

[iris lilies]

I'll be honest--in my experience, COBRA sucks. Employers usually position it as being a great deal because you can stay in the large pool of insureds in your company but the monthly premiums are no bargain.

Glad it's working out for your prescriptions, though.

COBRA just means you have the same coverage you had when you worked there. Why it sucks is beyond me. Sure it costs something, hello. It costs your employer a chit ton to cover you when you worked there as well. Those big bad employers spend a lot on their employees. They are evil. And etc.

If you think ACA policies are a better bang for the buck, then go for them!

It all depends on what health services one actually uses, how regularly, and how predictible the use is.

[catherine]

COBRA just means you have the same coverage you had when you worked there. Why it sucks is beyond me. Sure it costs something, hello. It costs your employer a chit ton to cover you when you worked there as well. Those big bad employers spend a lot on their employees. They are evil. And etc.

If you think ACA policies are a better bang for the buck, then go for them!

It all depends on what health services one actually uses, how regularly, and how predictible the use is.

Yeah, you have the same coverage, but I don't think the premiums are a big savings compared to regular individual health insurance plans. I'm not saying employers are evil--I'm saying that if you are opting into an insurance pool rather than going individual, you'd think the premiums would reflect that, but they don't, in my experience.

It's been ages since I qualified for COBRA (2008), but I picked another insurance plan based on my status as an individual because it was just as good or better than COBRA, surprisingly. That's all I'm saying.

[Yppej]

COBRA "sucks" because as an ex-employee you no longer get the employer subsidy and they can charge you an adminstrative fee. The last I knew it was 2% of the premium. So it's sticker shock compared to what you were paying.

[iris lilies]

Yeah, you have the same coverage, but I don't think the premiums are a big savings compared to regular individual health insurance plans. I'm not saying employers are evil--I'm saying that if you are opting into an insurance pool rather than going individual, you'd think the premiums would reflect that, but they don't, in my experience.

It's been ages since I qualified for COBRA (2008), but I picked another insurance plan based on my status as an individual because it was just as good or better than COBRA, surprisingly. That's all I'm saying.

catherine.

No one in their right mind thinks that COBRA is a “great deal” or any kind of savings (generally speaking) but you MUST work the numbers for sure, and also COBRA exists for people who cannot get insurance otherwise and they are grateful for it. Do not discount that, your experience was when pre existing conditions caused exclusion, and also you dont use health care services much at all so of course the COBRA numbers didnt work for you.

COBRA also exists for a few others with, umm, err, odd requirements. Dont ask me how I know��. Haha. I just decided to pay for COBRA coverage for the two of us after I retired for as long as we could get it simply because DH was unable to have a rational conversation about ACA insurance, and yeah that did cost us! So worth it though to retire.

[ApatheticNoMore]

ACA and individual plans are both way way way cheaper for me. Although people who have health problems I don't know.

[Teacher Terry]

We needed cobra a few times when young and had a family. We were grateful for it. My ex was very good at making sure we had a emergency fund for such things.

[Zoe Girl]

oh wow!! the pharmacy tech who saw the $400 bill for my medication gave me a tip about going to another pharmacy and using goodRX.com. She told me what to do and it worked! I am picking up my prescription tomorrow, actually my 2 medications, and the one is $20. I don't know the other price, however none of this even compares to the nearly $400 for one medication.

so there are good people out there, and I am very happy to not use all my savings to take care of myself.