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You parents have been telling it to you since you were young, “You cant believe everything you hear.” No where is that more true then when it comes to health care. Finding health insurance that is high quality and low cost is possible for those who want to take the time and effort to understand what they want. The only way you can know what you want is to have the right information and knowing your options.

If you have just lost your job, going on COBRA can keep you continuously insured and you wont have to worry about pre-existing health conditions. (Look around this blog, there is plenty on COBRA)

The easiest and most effective way to lower your insurance costs is to live healthier. People who are overweight or eat unhealthily will always end up paying more in insurance because of the risk that person is to the insurance carrier. Those people whose cholesterol is lower and have a proper weight will pay much less and live a better life as well.

Shop around! Never go with the first carrier you see on T.V. or a friend recommends. Contact a qualified insurance broker who can look at all your options and suggest the proper course of action.

DO NOT LAPSE YOUR COVERAGE. This is the biggest mistake a person can make when it comes to health insurance. If you stop paying your health insurance or drop your coverage for any amount of time, you may become uninsurable. Conditions as small as a gall stone can make you uninsurable for a year or even a lifetime.

A state that formally recognizes a same-sex marriage as legitimate, such as Connecticut, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont, may have to provide COBRA for spouses who had a “qualifying event”. A state that also provides mini-COBRA alternatively to COBRA must also provide such a right to a same-sex couple as long as they live and work in state that recognizes the marriage.

COBRA (The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) was passed in 1986 and provides for the continuation of group health plan and insurance coverage when an individual loses his/her job for 18-36 months. COBRA offers an alternative to an individual or family health insurance plan. Though COBRA may seem scary, it is but one of your numerous options to keep you and your family continually insured after you lose your job or your benefits.

What is COBRA and what does it cover?

With COBRA insurance, you will receive the same coverage and benefits you received under your former employer’s health plan. The key difference is that the former employee now has to pay the full cost of the health insurance coverage.This can be up to 102% of the monthly premium.

Short Term Insurance Policy

Many people turn to Short Term Health Insurance Policies to cover their needs from one job to another. This option, though a good one if the situation needs it, can lead to some bad things. First, many of these short term policies are not HIPAA certified, meaning you may face waiting periods or a decline if you apply for coverage after the short term policy expires. Second, some employers may impose a waiting period, as well as some carriers, if you are coming from a short term policy or even COBRA. With a Short term policy, you may not be able to extend the coverage, leaving you uninsured while you wait for coverage.

Pre-Existing Conditions

COBRA is a safer bet for people who have pre-existing conditions and may not otherwise pass medical under writing for health insurance coverage. Additionally, if you will be undergoing a major medical operation or have been diagnosed with a medical condition, COBRA may be your best option. Even if you are in good health, taking COBRA can be a safe option, just incase you have a condition that you are not aware of, that makes you uninsurable.

Learn How to Shop for Insurance:

There are several key things to look for when shopping for insurance. First, don’t compare your current plan to another plan that does not offer the same benefits. Some people will see a lower cost option and assume it is the same coverage they previously had. That may not always be the case, and in most cases isn’t. Secondly, always consult the full plan outline and make sure there aren’t any loop holes that an insurance carrier can use to exclude a condition. Finally, look at all your options. Just because an agent says that the carrier they represent is the best thing out there, does not make it true. Always seek out brokers, or people who represent many different carriers, and weigh all your options thoroughly.

Half of all bankruptcies are caused by bills due to medical problems. By not insuring yourself, you are opening you and your family up to not only the possibility of bankruptcy, but are setting them up for a certainly bleak future. About two million bankruptcies are due to medical bills and affect nearly 700,000 children. Not having health insurance is a recipe for disaster.

Don’t be another number in this growing epidemic. Get insurance, and most of all get insurance that fully covers you incase of any illness. By simply buying a plan that may cover a doctor visit here and there, but does not cover a major surgery is in some cases worse then not having any insurance at all.

Three main points about health insurance:

• Stay continually insured: Do not drop your coverage, and do not let it lapse due to non-payment. if you let your insurance lapse or expire, you will lose your coverage and may become uninsurable.
• Have Comprehensive Coverage: Have coverage that covers you fully and completely. By having a limited medical plan you are setting yourself for bankruptcy due to the carrier not covering a major illness.
• Know your options: Speak to a qualified broker at Cobra Help Center. Our brokers can look at every carrier in your state and can find ones that meet not only your budget, but also your future needs.

“Bankruptcy for the uninsured is but one illness, as simple as the flu or as severe as cancer, away from a family. No matter what the cause, medical bills can destroy a life, a  family and a future for those who remain uninsured.”

To be eligible for COBRA, you as a employee must meet certain conditions. If you meet any of these conditions, you are eligible for COBRA continuation. These qualifying events include:

• Voluntary or involuntary termination of employment, including by not limited to: quitting your job, being laid off, being fired or  retiring. If you were fired though for gross misconduct, you are not eligible for COBRA.

• Reduction in amount of working hours: This includes any reduction of hours that remove you from eligibility for a company sponsored plan, making you eligible for COBRA continuation.

Any private company that offers a group health plan, and has more than 20 employees, is subject to COBRA. All government jobs, non-profits or any other private organization that offers health care to its employees is subject to COBRA.

In some cases, even companies with fewer then 20 employees must offer COBRA, depending on which state the comapny is in.

Worried your not eligible for COBRA? Finding out is vitally important to maintaining your continued health insurance. To be entitled to COBRA continuation, you must have been enrolled in the company’s health plan, and a active member of the policy, before your employment was terminated. The policy must also still be provided to all still employed employees. Next, a qualifying event must have occurred that would make your eligible for COBRA. In short, you must have been fired, laid off, quit, or for some reason lost benefits, but it can not be due to “gross misconduct”.

To recap, as long as you meet a simple two criteria, you are eligible for COBRA:

• Were, while working, enrolled in or were eligible for the company’s health plan
• Stopped receiving benefits due to any qualifying event.

That’s it!