insurance question

robert321 · Aug 18, 2007

I'm not really sure about all the specifics because my parents are taking care of it and are rather dismissive of me when i ask so i have to eaves drop to find out anything, but my dad just got a new job and my insurance might be changing, but then again it might not, we don't know for sure yet. if it does change it will go to blue cross.
my question is, if it changes, is it likely that there will be a period of time that i won't be covered? if so how long? i know some times there is waiting period before a new insurance will cover you, and with cf, a waiting period just isn't good.
Because i've only been about 75% compliant overall (its getting better) and every 30 days we're at the pharmacy picking up meds whether i'm out or not so i can go though my "stockpile" in a situation like this. i've got about a 4 month supply taking up the bottom crisper of the refrigerator so i've got enough to get me by if there is waiting period.
I haven't been able to get much information from my parents on this so maybe its all just nothing but its sort of annoying being left out of the loop

robert321 · Aug 18, 2007

I'm not really sure about all the specifics because my parents are taking care of it and are rather dismissive of me when i ask so i have to eaves drop to find out anything, but my dad just got a new job and my insurance might be changing, but then again it might not, we don't know for sure yet. if it does change it will go to blue cross.
my question is, if it changes, is it likely that there will be a period of time that i won't be covered? if so how long? i know some times there is waiting period before a new insurance will cover you, and with cf, a waiting period just isn't good.
Because i've only been about 75% compliant overall (its getting better) and every 30 days we're at the pharmacy picking up meds whether i'm out or not so i can go though my "stockpile" in a situation like this. i've got about a 4 month supply taking up the bottom crisper of the refrigerator so i've got enough to get me by if there is waiting period.
I haven't been able to get much information from my parents on this so maybe its all just nothing but its sort of annoying being left out of the loop

robert321 · Aug 18, 2007

I'm not really sure about all the specifics because my parents are taking care of it and are rather dismissive of me when i ask so i have to eaves drop to find out anything, but my dad just got a new job and my insurance might be changing, but then again it might not, we don't know for sure yet. if it does change it will go to blue cross.
my question is, if it changes, is it likely that there will be a period of time that i won't be covered? if so how long? i know some times there is waiting period before a new insurance will cover you, and with cf, a waiting period just isn't good.
Because i've only been about 75% compliant overall (its getting better) and every 30 days we're at the pharmacy picking up meds whether i'm out or not so i can go though my "stockpile" in a situation like this. i've got about a 4 month supply taking up the bottom crisper of the refrigerator so i've got enough to get me by if there is waiting period.
I haven't been able to get much information from my parents on this so maybe its all just nothing but its sort of annoying being left out of the loop

robert321 · Aug 18, 2007

I'm not really sure about all the specifics because my parents are taking care of it and are rather dismissive of me when i ask so i have to eaves drop to find out anything, but my dad just got a new job and my insurance might be changing, but then again it might not, we don't know for sure yet. if it does change it will go to blue cross.
my question is, if it changes, is it likely that there will be a period of time that i won't be covered? if so how long? i know some times there is waiting period before a new insurance will cover you, and with cf, a waiting period just isn't good.
Because i've only been about 75% compliant overall (its getting better) and every 30 days we're at the pharmacy picking up meds whether i'm out or not so i can go though my "stockpile" in a situation like this. i've got about a 4 month supply taking up the bottom crisper of the refrigerator so i've got enough to get me by if there is waiting period.
I haven't been able to get much information from my parents on this so maybe its all just nothing but its sort of annoying being left out of the loop

robert321 · Aug 18, 2007

I'm not really sure about all the specifics because my parents are taking care of it and are rather dismissive of me when i ask so i have to eaves drop to find out anything, but my dad just got a new job and my insurance might be changing, but then again it might not, we don't know for sure yet. if it does change it will go to blue cross.
my question is, if it changes, is it likely that there will be a period of time that i won't be covered? if so how long? i know some times there is waiting period before a new insurance will cover you, and with cf, a waiting period just isn't good.
Because i've only been about 75% compliant overall (its getting better) and every 30 days we're at the pharmacy picking up meds whether i'm out or not so i can go though my "stockpile" in a situation like this. i've got about a 4 month supply taking up the bottom crisper of the refrigerator so i've got enough to get me by if there is waiting period.
I haven't been able to get much information from my parents on this so maybe its all just nothing but its sort of annoying being left out of the loop

Alyssa · Aug 18, 2007

COBRA is the word of the day.... if you want to be on the safe side, you pay your health insurance premium (usually to the previous employer) to keep you covered from the old job to the new job so you have absolutely no lapse in coverage (whether you need meds or not) This will likely run your parents about $300 per month in between but it is the safest route.

Now, if you want to play the odds.... legally you have 62 days to go without insurance while you wait for the new insurance to kick in (sometimes with a new job it's 90 days) so you want to pay COBRA at least one month if that happens, but WHATEVER you do, DO NOT.... DO NOT go without coverage for more than 62 days or you will be held out for up to 18 months on the new policy for any pre-existing conditions (CF would be a biggy!) That would mean that even though you have a policy with them and are covered, they would not pay any claims related to CF.

We are in a very similar situation right now and I wanted to play the odds of having a lapse in coverage of only 53 days and figured I'd be safe (which technically it should be fine -- it's a federal law that says if you do not have a lapse of coverage for more than 63 days they cannot hold you out for pre-existing) but I consulted with Beth Sufian (an attorney with CF who helps people with CF related insurance/disability problems) She said, that YES, I had my facts correct, but if there was any way I could afford to pay the COBRA payments so there would not be any lapse whatsoever, it would be a far better situation. She personally has seen cases go mysteriously wrong for one reason or another so she recommended keeping cobra coverage until the new insurance was for sure in place.

Best of luck ! I hope you can find a way to share this information with you parents -- because if they do let you lapse for more than 63 days it would be a very costly mistake

Alyssa · Aug 18, 2007

COBRA is the word of the day.... if you want to be on the safe side, you pay your health insurance premium (usually to the previous employer) to keep you covered from the old job to the new job so you have absolutely no lapse in coverage (whether you need meds or not) This will likely run your parents about $300 per month in between but it is the safest route.

Now, if you want to play the odds.... legally you have 62 days to go without insurance while you wait for the new insurance to kick in (sometimes with a new job it's 90 days) so you want to pay COBRA at least one month if that happens, but WHATEVER you do, DO NOT.... DO NOT go without coverage for more than 62 days or you will be held out for up to 18 months on the new policy for any pre-existing conditions (CF would be a biggy!) That would mean that even though you have a policy with them and are covered, they would not pay any claims related to CF.

We are in a very similar situation right now and I wanted to play the odds of having a lapse in coverage of only 53 days and figured I'd be safe (which technically it should be fine -- it's a federal law that says if you do not have a lapse of coverage for more than 63 days they cannot hold you out for pre-existing) but I consulted with Beth Sufian (an attorney with CF who helps people with CF related insurance/disability problems) She said, that YES, I had my facts correct, but if there was any way I could afford to pay the COBRA payments so there would not be any lapse whatsoever, it would be a far better situation. She personally has seen cases go mysteriously wrong for one reason or another so she recommended keeping cobra coverage until the new insurance was for sure in place.

Best of luck ! I hope you can find a way to share this information with you parents -- because if they do let you lapse for more than 63 days it would be a very costly mistake

Alyssa · Aug 18, 2007

COBRA is the word of the day.... if you want to be on the safe side, you pay your health insurance premium (usually to the previous employer) to keep you covered from the old job to the new job so you have absolutely no lapse in coverage (whether you need meds or not) This will likely run your parents about $300 per month in between but it is the safest route.

Now, if you want to play the odds.... legally you have 62 days to go without insurance while you wait for the new insurance to kick in (sometimes with a new job it's 90 days) so you want to pay COBRA at least one month if that happens, but WHATEVER you do, DO NOT.... DO NOT go without coverage for more than 62 days or you will be held out for up to 18 months on the new policy for any pre-existing conditions (CF would be a biggy!) That would mean that even though you have a policy with them and are covered, they would not pay any claims related to CF.

We are in a very similar situation right now and I wanted to play the odds of having a lapse in coverage of only 53 days and figured I'd be safe (which technically it should be fine -- it's a federal law that says if you do not have a lapse of coverage for more than 63 days they cannot hold you out for pre-existing) but I consulted with Beth Sufian (an attorney with CF who helps people with CF related insurance/disability problems) She said, that YES, I had my facts correct, but if there was any way I could afford to pay the COBRA payments so there would not be any lapse whatsoever, it would be a far better situation. She personally has seen cases go mysteriously wrong for one reason or another so she recommended keeping cobra coverage until the new insurance was for sure in place.

Best of luck ! I hope you can find a way to share this information with you parents -- because if they do let you lapse for more than 63 days it would be a very costly mistake

Alyssa · Aug 18, 2007

COBRA is the word of the day.... if you want to be on the safe side, you pay your health insurance premium (usually to the previous employer) to keep you covered from the old job to the new job so you have absolutely no lapse in coverage (whether you need meds or not) This will likely run your parents about $300 per month in between but it is the safest route.

Now, if you want to play the odds.... legally you have 62 days to go without insurance while you wait for the new insurance to kick in (sometimes with a new job it's 90 days) so you want to pay COBRA at least one month if that happens, but WHATEVER you do, DO NOT.... DO NOT go without coverage for more than 62 days or you will be held out for up to 18 months on the new policy for any pre-existing conditions (CF would be a biggy!) That would mean that even though you have a policy with them and are covered, they would not pay any claims related to CF.

We are in a very similar situation right now and I wanted to play the odds of having a lapse in coverage of only 53 days and figured I'd be safe (which technically it should be fine -- it's a federal law that says if you do not have a lapse of coverage for more than 63 days they cannot hold you out for pre-existing) but I consulted with Beth Sufian (an attorney with CF who helps people with CF related insurance/disability problems) She said, that YES, I had my facts correct, but if there was any way I could afford to pay the COBRA payments so there would not be any lapse whatsoever, it would be a far better situation. She personally has seen cases go mysteriously wrong for one reason or another so she recommended keeping cobra coverage until the new insurance was for sure in place.

Best of luck ! I hope you can find a way to share this information with you parents -- because if they do let you lapse for more than 63 days it would be a very costly mistake

Alyssa · Aug 18, 2007

COBRA is the word of the day.... if you want to be on the safe side, you pay your health insurance premium (usually to the previous employer) to keep you covered from the old job to the new job so you have absolutely no lapse in coverage (whether you need meds or not) This will likely run your parents about $300 per month in between but it is the safest route.

Now, if you want to play the odds.... legally you have 62 days to go without insurance while you wait for the new insurance to kick in (sometimes with a new job it's 90 days) so you want to pay COBRA at least one month if that happens, but WHATEVER you do, DO NOT.... DO NOT go without coverage for more than 62 days or you will be held out for up to 18 months on the new policy for any pre-existing conditions (CF would be a biggy!) That would mean that even though you have a policy with them and are covered, they would not pay any claims related to CF.

We are in a very similar situation right now and I wanted to play the odds of having a lapse in coverage of only 53 days and figured I'd be safe (which technically it should be fine -- it's a federal law that says if you do not have a lapse of coverage for more than 63 days they cannot hold you out for pre-existing) but I consulted with Beth Sufian (an attorney with CF who helps people with CF related insurance/disability problems) She said, that YES, I had my facts correct, but if there was any way I could afford to pay the COBRA payments so there would not be any lapse whatsoever, it would be a far better situation. She personally has seen cases go mysteriously wrong for one reason or another so she recommended keeping cobra coverage until the new insurance was for sure in place.

Best of luck ! I hope you can find a way to share this information with you parents -- because if they do let you lapse for more than 63 days it would be a very costly mistake

thefrogprincess · Aug 19, 2007