Look, people are willing to eat beans and rice forever if it helps them handle two things -- keeping the house and keeping health insurance after they lose their jobs. Both are obviously tremendous concerns and we don't need a survey to tell us that. Still, a survey by Peter D. Hart Research Associates conducted in November, before things got really bad, found that a third of the unemployed workers contacted lost their health insurance when they lost their jobs. Less than half, 45 percent, had health insurance and some 46 percent said they were postponing medical and dental treatments.
Yes, there's COBRA -- the employer sponsored health insurance, but that can be a bucket load of money and it carries risks. Even if you can afford to pick up the tab for the monthly premium, what if you are still unemployed after 18 months, the time you are permitted to continue under your employer's health plan? What if you start out healthy, but halfway through, you get, God forbid, cancer or diabetes? How easy is it going to be to buy your own insurance on the other end? You'll have to hock your first born and your gold fish.
Now here's some important news, courtesy of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, aka the Obama stimulus package: Employers who offered health insurance are required by federal law to send all their former employees a letter telling them they are eligible to now buy COBRA with a 65 percent subsidy for nine months. The letter could come from your employer, or from the administrator of your health plan. Those letters are supposed to go out now to anyone who has been laid off since September 2008. If you don't get one, call your health plan administrator or call the U.S. Department of Labor at 1-866-444-3272. You will get a benefits counselor who can explain it all and may help with some dicey situations. An example of dicey situation? What happens if you weren't actually laid off, but took a buy-out?
Even if you decided not to get COBRA before because of the cost, you can change your mind now. Once you get the letter, you have 60 days to decide what to do. Click here to find out more about it.
Now this federal subsidy stuff does not apply to small companies employing fewer than 20, unless the state has passed a mini-COBRA law. New Jersey has a law like that, Pennsylvania's is in the works. Here's the situation around the country.
We need to hold people accountable and responsible for their health. What is extremely disappointing is that many people CHOOSE not to buy COBRA because to be frank they would rather spend their money and their unemployment checks elsewhere. They do NOT want to change their lifestyle at all even though they are now unemployed. They COMPLAIN about the costs of COBRA, but it is still far cheaper than trying to buy good insurance on their own. Perhaps a stipulation of getting unemployment benefits SHOULD be that employees who HAD existing health insurance under their employer MUST buy COBRA or else, guess what, no unemployement benefits. I think then you would see compliance skyrocket. Imagine that, for once, government policy that moves behavior change in the RIGHT direction, instead of in the wrong direction like past policies associated with AFDC for instance.— Grill- Grill---I agree that some people would prefer not to change their ways when they become unemployed, but there are those that just can't afford COBRA. Where I work COBRA for a family is $1700.00 a month and that is without dental. I believe the most you can get in PA on unemployment is about 565.00 a week---2260 a month. After your COBRA paytment you are left with $560.00. Sometimes COBRA is too expensive.— lad
- lad, I privately insure my family of four(including myself) with Independence Blue Cross of PA for $750 per month, w/o dental. You need to do your homework.— afrdmd
- I can help both individuals and families get those great rates at Blue Cross and other quality carriers.Email me for details.— jh.churfingmail
- All the choices are tough -- mortgages, health insurance, food, utilities. Thank God children can usually get covered.— Jane Von Bergen
Every day for 60 days, Inquirer staff writer Jane M. Von Bergen profiled someone from the ranks of the region’s unemployed.
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Cold winter for the jobless
- Ranks of long-term jobless are growing.
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How a printing plant failed
- Big gambles and bad decisions, oil prices and credit crises, even a New Zealand tycoon: All played a role in Downingtown.
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