I got the first COBRA bill today for my daughter.

[Ballygrl]

Yeah you can say if someone is young they most likely won't need to use health insurance BUT young people can get sick too. I worked at a Hospital and some Doctor's offices and we had young adults diagnosed with things like Leukemia, Brain Tumors, Hodgkin's Disease, Strokes etc.

I look at it like this, having insurance is an individual responsibility, you have young adults riding around in really nice cars, they have top of the line electronic equipment in their homes, they have really nice cell phones, the cost of health insurance for them is probably lower then their cell phone payment, and if they do get sick? as usual it's those of us with insurance who end up paying higher rates to pay for their bills.

[jukin]

If it $600+/month than that is some CADILLAC INSURANCE for someone 19 or the young lady has used the health care services of our nation quite a bit. I can see a six month premium for a 19 year old for six months at $600+. I have never had a COBRA situation but my understanding is it is the same coverage as what you had before being laid off. The difference being there is no employer contribution. You are still in the same group coverage as before.  My guess is the OP DUchebag is on the government teat and that is why it could be so high but most likely this is a total bouncy as one of the few provisions that came into effect was the 26 year old child rule.

[Shandalear]

How can the kid be on COBRA if the parent is working and covered under a benefit plan. Something doesn't make sense about that DUmmies story.

[Celtic Rose]

Indeed.    

And another point.  The current HCR that went into effect 1/1 covers children up to age 26 (which I think is bull shite), so....

Yep, and I found out that you can actually be included on your parents insurance for the whole year.  I've had my own insurance for almost 4 years now, but I could actually drop my insurance and switch to my parents for this entire year, even though I turn 26 in April.

[Ballygrl]

How can the kid be on COBRA if the parent is working and covered under a benefit plan. Something doesn't make sense about that DUmmies story.

OK, this story totally doesn't make sense then, unless because the kid isn't working or going to school so she isn't eligible for benefits but is eligible for Cobra, which begs another question, you're going to have a lot of kids sitting on their butts not going to school or working until they're 26 and still able to be covered under their parents insurance thus enabling them to be dependent.

[Ballygrl]

Just saw Issa's post, so I'm going to say this Cobra thread at DU is a

[IassaFTots]

How can the kid be on COBRA if the parent is working and covered under a benefit plan. Something doesn't make sense about that DUmmies story.

Well, LAST year, depending on the state, and the companies choice of insurance plan, fully insured vs. self insured, a child would be dropped at whatever the age limit is, and then be offered COBRA, for 36 months.  But, after HCR, effective 1/1 all children are covered up to age 26, regardless of their own employment and marital status.  Which means, they can work and be married, but Mom and Dad can still pick up their insurance tab. 

ETA:  Yup, just like CR said it. 

[DumbAss Tanker]

Yeah, the only way this thing makes sense if the DUmmie doesn't understand it was effective January 1st, without it being necessary to wait for the policy renewal to come around.  Sounds like the insurer just made six bills the easy way!

  

[MrsSmith]

If it $600+/month than that is some CADILLAC INSURANCE for someone 19 or the young lady has used the health care services of our nation quite a bit. I can see a six month premium for a 19 year old for six months at $600+. I have never had a COBRA situation but my understanding is it is the same coverage as what you had before being laid off. The difference being there is no employer contribution. You are still in the same group coverage as before.  My guess is the OP DUchebag is on the government teat and that is why it could be so high but most likely this is a total bouncy as one of the few provisions that came into effect was the 26 year old child rule.

Actually, COBRA really is that expensive.  When I switched jobs a few years back, there was a 90 day wait to get insurance.  I didn't really worry about it because my understanding of COBRA is that you have 6 months to opt in...so if something catastrophic happened and it was needed, I'd have opted in.  But I was quoted close to $700 a month for it, and that was nearly 10 years ago.  And that was no cadillac healthcare plan.  I had $1000 deductible, no prescription coverage, no co-pays at doctor's offices...pretty basic coverage.

Mr Smith's college was looking for insurance coverage about 6 years ago - at that time he and his kids were all on my family plan (thank God for insurance companies that cover step-kids, many don't!).  The insurance they were looking at, I think it was BCBS, offered a family plan exactly like I stated above,  $1000 deductible per person, no prescription, no copay....and the total monthly cost for family coverage was $1200 a month.    Mr Smith's college would cover about 1/2 of that, we'd have had to pay the other half.  

My employer self-insures, and is part of a PPO.  Sometimes it sucks, they don't cover anything they can find a way to avoid...but it only costs me $150 a month.  I would seriously keep my job just for that!!

[Evil_Conservative]

Excuse me for not knowing how COBRA worked. 

The woman made it sound like it was a BILL that they received in the mail for care received in a hospital. 

[formerlurker]

If it $600+/month than that is some CADILLAC INSURANCE for someone 19 or the young lady has used the health care services of our nation quite a bit. I can see a six month premium for a 19 year old for six months at $600+. I have never had a COBRA situation but my understanding is it is the same coverage as what you had before being laid off. The difference being there is no employer contribution. You are still in the same group coverage as before.  My guess is the OP DUchebag is on the government teat and that is why it could be so high but most likely this is a total bouncy as one of the few provisions that came into effect was the 26 year old child rule.

Actually $600 is cheap.   It is far more expensive than that.

[GOBUCKS]

Actually $600 is cheap.   It is far more expensive than that.

You got that right. I know a single girl who just got out of grad school, not yet covered by an employer's group plan, who pays $1300/month. COBRA premiums are much lower because you're getting the advantage of the group rate.

[Boudicca]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x252811

Don't worry none, Harry Reid has your back. 
Any bets that in July we see a post that she can't afford to put the daughter back on her insurance?

Don't worry none, Harry Reid has a knife in your back. 

I thought your sentence needed a bit of explication.

[Boudicca]

Why in the heck didn't this DUmmie go shopping on the free market, or what's left of it, and find a much cheaper insurance policy?  When our daughter turned 19 she wasn't going to college and wasn't covered on hubby's then active duty Tricare health insurance so we got her a $68 a month fairly comprehensive, fairly low co-pay, policy which she had until she turned 23 and became a federal employee with government insurance.  Granted the monthly charge went from $68 to $120 in those 4 years, but still, who would use COBRA if they could get covered cheaper elsewhere?  I must be missing something here.

[GOBUCKS]

A DUmmy has no need for COBRA insurance if he just stays away from snakes.

[DumbAss Tanker]

A DUmmy has no need for COBRA insurance if he just stays away from snakes.

Well, they're sure as Hell never gonna need insurance on a Viper.

[terry]

Why in the heck didn't this DUmmie go shopping on the free market, or what's left of it, and find a much cheaper insurance policy?  When our daughter turned 19 she wasn't going to college and wasn't covered on hubby's then active duty Tricare health insurance so we got her a $68 a month fairly comprehensive, fairly low co-pay, policy which she had until she turned 23 and became a federal employee with government insurance.  Granted the monthly charge went from $68 to $120 in those 4 years, but still, who would use COBRA if they could get covered cheaper elsewhere?  I must be missing something here.

Exactly.  Someone even suggested that.

llimiami  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Sat Jan-22-11 08:31 PM
Response to Original message
4. If she is healthy an individual private policy should be much less.
   
We had our 21 yo daughter insured through Humana for around 200.00/mo for a couple of years.
Thanks to HCR she is now on my work policy.

The op mentions Western Pa and when I did research for individual policies, a healthy young person could get a policy for less than $100 a month.
This was just last year.

Her response is to complain about co-pays and deductibles

Bunny  Donating Member  (1000+ posts)  Journal  Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Sun Jan-23-11 08:57 AM
Response to Reply #4
14. We looked at plans like that, but the deductibles and co-pays were
   
Edited on Sun Jan-23-11 09:02 AM by Bunny
insanely high. Like, thousands of dollars high, whereas my company COBRA has no deductibles, $15 co-pays, prescriptions for $10 and $20, and pretty much every doctor and facility in Western PA is in the network. So, we decided to go with the COBRA. But we can only afford the $600/month for a limited time, not indefinitely, and she needs to be able to go back on my plan in July.

Which is why the Dems better stand up to the Republicans and not let them repeal HCR.

and logic..

Statistical  Donating Member  (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author  Click to view this author's profile  Click to add this author to your buddy list  Click to add this author to your Ignore list      Sun Jan-23-11 12:13 PM
Response to Reply #14
28. Another way to look at it is.
   
The private insurance would just be for catastrophic event.

Say you could get private insurance for $200 per month. You are saving $400 per month. Over 6 months that is $2400. If she just needs a doctor's visit, or some meds she can just pay out of the deductible (w/ $2400 you saved). If something catastrophic happens she still has the coverage.

is ignored.

She talking about 6 months of insurance from now to July 1.  How much is a healthy college kid likely to use in deductibles and copays between now and July 1?

If it was me I would get the kid an individual policy, with a high deductible, open an HSA put the out of pocket max in the HSA.  Then I would keep her on that and get her to pay for it herself as soon as she is able.  Try to move her toward independence.

[AllosaursRus]

So the whole ****in' thing is nothin' more than a plug to whine about the Repubs tryin' like hell to give the people what they want. 60% of us didn't want this POS in the first place! DemoncRats shoved it down our throats anyway. The OP is just runnin' cover!

It's a bouncy, and a real bad one at that! He/She/It should owe us bongs on this one, but I don't know what we would do with 'em!

[BlueStateSaint]

It's a bouncy, and a real bad one at that! He/She/It should owe us bongs on this one, but I don't know what we would do with 'em!

AR, I'm ashamed at you. 

Bait for bail jumpers, man!

[AllosaursRus]

AR, I'm ashamed at you.  

Bait for bail jumpers, man!

Heh! Yeah, but do to needin' a coupla more screws in my back, I don't do anything anymore but an occasional skip trace. Even then, if I can't make a grand, I turn 'em down.

The last couple were for Gangstas over in Seattle, and I'm not physically in the best shape in order to be trouncin' around in "the Hood", if ya catch my drift. The Meth Heads have been pretty lucrative locally though, so I take them on 'cause most of 'em don't weigh more than a dollar and a half soakin' wet, but gettin' old is a bitch!

Bondin' these jerks outa jail was gettin' to be a pain in the ass, since sleepin' is a commodity nowadays and gettin' woke up to get a drunk outa jail at 3 A.M. for 35 bucks, just wasn't workin' out!

[jtyangel]

If it $600+/month than that is some CADILLAC INSURANCE for someone 19 or the young lady has used the health care services of our nation quite a bit. I can see a six month premium for a 19 year old for six months at $600+. I have never had a COBRA situation but my understanding is it is the same coverage as what you had before being laid off. The difference being there is no employer contribution. You are still in the same group coverage as before.  My guess is the OP DUchebag is on the government teat and that is why it could be so high but most likely this is a total bouncy as one of the few provisions that came into effect was the 26 year old child rule.

Not necessarily...on the federal plans I've seen(and they can be searched on line) minus their 70% contribution(depending on the plan) can range from 300 a month to 1000 a month. 600 falls about in the middle. Her parents possibly had the best insurance plan offered by their employer. Someone in their middle ages with a grown child would be expected to have the kind of income to support the best insurance plan at their employer. I also just got the bill for cobra from my previous employer--small business--and it was around 600 too(smaller pool of people so probably higher premium). Lots' of things to consider into figuring what went into that figure.

But you bring up a good point. My 60 year old mother was self-insured for a few years and paid about 400 a month. At 19, her parents could probably find her a better plan on their own for 1/2 that price.

[jtyangel]

Well, LAST year, depending on the state, and the companies choice of insurance plan, fully insured vs. self insured, a child would be dropped at whatever the age limit is, and then be offered COBRA, for 36 months.  But, after HCR, effective 1/1 all children are covered up to age 26, regardless of their own employment and marital status.  Which means, they can work and be married, but Mom and Dad can still pick up their insurance tab. 

ETA:  Yup, just like CR said it. 

Seriously? So married ADULTS--big and grown up enough to say vows to one another and place themselves in a position to pro-create and do all those other things adult married couples do can still be covered by mommy and daddy's insurance ? Wow, I'm really...speechless...wow.

[Chris_]

Sadly, it's not new.  It's the same trick Clinton used to count the number of uninsured "children" under Hillarycare.

[jtyangel]

 


Now, that aside...



Yeah, judging by how the very logical suggestions got ignored, I'm guessing this probably isn't real after all either. What the other poster suggested there makes sense--get catastrophic coverage and open an HSA with the rest and just pay anything else out of pocket. As I said before, minute clinic and other things like it cover routine type of things for about 60 bucks. I've went there twice for strep throat and found it far more convenient then my own doctor for routine matters of illness and if you aren't insured, they beat the doc's rate by about 30-50 bucks. If it's true, those dipshits over there have no sense of the idea of prioritizing and compromising...everything has to be right now and just how they want it.  Let her spend 600 bucks a month..the DUmmie.

[IassaFTots]

Seriously? So married ADULTS--big and grown up enough to say vows to one another and place themselves in a position to pro-create and do all those other things adult married couples do can still be covered by mommy and daddy's insurance ? Wow, I'm really...speechless...wow.

Yes, but we don't have to cover the kids.  Of the kids.