Question about insurance options

[teeny5]

So, I am seriously considering quitting my job and going into a different job field. Currently I have Kaiser Permanente insurance through my employer that I love. I have looked up the quotes for independent insurance, which I knew would be expensive, but I know I will need insurance. I am not so much worried about cost as much as keeping Kaiser.

Does anyone have experience continuing medical coverage after losing/changing jobs? I fear that with a pre-existing medical condition if I have to reapply for medical coverage I will be denied. Which would be total crap since I have been with Kaiser for over 25 years...but I am sure it is still possible.

Is it possible to just roll over coverage from a company one to a personal one???

Has anyone had to do this?

 

[Justanothercp]

Teeny,
Do you work for Kaiser or just have kaiser insurance?
You can certainly carry COBRA insurance until your coverage with your new jobs kicks in. COBRA is expensive. I believe you have to pay 100% of insurance cost + 2% for administrative fee. (so if your employer currently contributes, it can be a shock)
I see you are in California, so you can get "covered California" insurance, which is basically "obamacare" insurance, again I think it is expensive, but at least it is coverage.

 

[birdonastick]

So, I am seriously considering quitting my job and going into a different job field. Currently I have Kaiser Permanente insurance through my employer that I love. I have looked up the quotes for independent insurance, which I knew would be expensive, but I know I will need insurance. I am not so much worried about cost as much as keeping Kaiser.

Does anyone have experience continuing medical coverage after losing/changing jobs? I fear that with a pre-existing medical condition if I have to reapply for medical coverage I will be denied. Which would be total crap since I have been with Kaiser for over 25 years...but I am sure it is still possible.

Is it possible to just roll over coverage from a company one to a personal one???

Has anyone had to do this?

It really depends on the carrier, but we were able to roll COBRA over onto a plan that was actually even better than the original insurance. This was with Blue Cross, though, don't know about Kaiser. The COBRA was expensive, but we're both chronic in some way, not having it would be out of the question.

Ask the carrier. A lot of them have gotten much more competitive, it's a good time to shop.

 

[BlindLogic]

There are two types of private (non-government) health insurance policies in the USA.

1) GROUP health insurance is provided by your employer and has always had the legal requirement that the insurance company accept everyone in the group, specifically including those with pre-existing medical conditions.

2) INDIVIDUAL health insurance is bought by individuals who don't belong to a group. This includes self-employed people such as independent-contractors, farmers, ranchers, etc. as well as early-retirees and the long-term unemployed who have outlived COBRA (or couldn't afford it to begin with).

Before Obamacare/ACA became law, insurance companies could legally exclude anyone (in the individual market) who had a pre-existing medical condition. The most important legal protection of Obamacare was to require insurance companies to insure everyone who applied in the individual market, specifically including those with pre-existing conditions. In other words, Obamacare simply gave people in the individual market the same legal protection that people in the group market had always enjoyed.

So thanks to Obamacare, you no longer have to worry about being discriminated against by insurance companies for having a pre-existing medical condition.

 

[teeny5]

Thanks for the info. I do not work for Kaiser, just have their insurance. What I am considering is becoming self-employed so COBRA will be great, but my concern is what would I do when it runs out? I will have to dig deeper I think and try to find out from Kaiser what the next step would be.

 

[Robrich]

You can get an individual policy directly with Kaiser. You can apply online.
Or you can choose Kaiser through covered California which is better if you qualify for the bamacare subsidy.
In any case make sure you compare deductibles as they can be quite high. You will want lower deductibles.
There may also be restrictions n when you can apply. Open enrollment stars I think nov or dec until maybe March.
You have t check.
Job changes Qualify for special exceptions
I found going direct to blue cross better than the cobra plan