beauty and health

Posts Tagged ‘omnibus budget reconciliation’

COBRA Subsidy Expires: Less Affordable Health Insurance for Unemployed

Finding affordable health insurance is one of the primary concerns for people who have recently become unemployed. If your job offered health insurance benefits, the premiums were heavily subsidized by the company. Moreover, the cost of underwriting policies is spread among the entire workforce. This makes employer-sponsored health insurance relatively inexpensive. Since the risk is also distributed evenly among employees, you are virtually guaranteed to recieve health insurance, regardless of any pre-existing conditions you may have.

However, the situation changes when you lose your job; your former employer will no longer pay part of your health insurance premium, so you will be responsible for the entire amount yourself. COBRA, also known as the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, lets former employees retain the health insurance coverage from their last job. It won’t necessarily be affordable health insurance, but it’s there nonetheless. Keeping your health insurance policy (whether it is an individual health insurance policy or through COBRA) current is very important, since uninterrupted insurance will help protect you from future coverage exclusions.

Unemployment obviously makes covering the cost of a COBRA health insurance premium difficult. This recession has resulted in millions of Americans becoming out of work and in danger of losing their health insurance. As part of last spring’s stimulus package, President Obama and Congress enacted a 65% subsidy of COBRA health insurance premiums. Qualified ex-employees-those who were let go as a result of a layoff or downsizing between September 2008 and December 2009-were able to take advantage of affordable health insurance made possible by the government’s subsidization. This type of health insurance is still more expensive than insurance provided by an employer, but paying only 35% of the cost of health insurance frees up money for other consumer spending able to stimulate the economy.

Unfortunately, the subsidies only last for nine months. After that, health insurance rates will triple for many people, as they are again forced to shoulder the full cost of a policy. Without an extension of this provision in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, affordable health insurance options for the unemployed will decrease. Congress doesn’t seem to have any plans to address the issue in overarching jobs legislation or separate legislation any time soon. Economic recovery is occuring at a slow pace, which means that a significant percentage of the unemployed remain so after that length of time. Health insurance costs eat up a large portion of state unemployment benefits. COBRA enrollment has doubled since the subsidy was enacted, meaning that quite a few people feel an unwelcome shock at the cost of next month’s premiums.

There are multiple steps a person can take if they are worried about the cost of purchasing a health insurance plan. Affordable health insurance is available for both individuals and families on the open market. In many cases, these policies cost less than retaining a unsubsidized COBRA policy (when paying 102% of the premium’s cost). It is important, however, that a person doesn’t drop their COBRA coverage until another health insurance plan has approved him or her. When a person has pre-existing conditions, buying affordable health insurance becomes more difficult. However, most states have high-risk health insurance pools as supplements. There are also Children’s Health Insurance Programs run by each state that kids may qualify for if their family is earning below a certain income level. No matter what, there are solutions to the affordable health insurance crisis available.

Employer based Health Insurance

When looking for health insurance, the first question you should ask is, “Does my employer offer a health insurance plan?” Most companies provide health insurance as a benefit, and larger firms are required to provide health insurance. If your employer has a health insurance plan you should take the time to look into the costs and benefits. Very often employer-based health insurance is less expensive than comparable individual coverage.

Employer-based health insurance is cheaper for a number of reasons. Number one is your employer bears some of the cost for your health insurance. Another key reason employer-based health insurance can be less expensive than individual health insurance is rates and qualification requirements are typically lower. You can also save additional money with employer-based health insurance. One way is to have your employer pay the premium on a pre-tax basis to lower your overall taxable gross pay. Another way to reduce your taxable income is to participate in your employer’s flexible spending plan to save money for out-of-pocket health insurance expenses such as co-pays, some medications and certain medical devices.

COBRA benefits

A concern you might have about employer-based health insurance is what happens to your health insurance when you change jobs, are released by your employer or otherwise become unemployed? A government program called the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) gives you the right to carry your employer-based group health insurance coverage with you for up to 18 months. While COBRA will allow you to remain insured, you will have to pay the entire premium for your group health insurance. Previously both you and your employer contributed to the cost of your health insurance. If you find yourself requiring COBRA benefits make sure to fill out the appropriate forms available from your previous employer’s benefits department within 60 days of leaving the job. Otherwise you could be denied COBRA health insurance coverage.

No employer-based health insurance? No problem!

What if your employer doesn’t offer health insurance? Not a problem, you can always buy an individual health insurance policy. And it’s possible, if you are member of an organization or group that offers group health insurance, to retain the benefit of employer-based health insurance in terms of lower rates and qualification requirements.

Whether your employer offers health insurance or you are just looking for an individual health insurance policy, be sure to take your time and compare health insurance quotes to find a policy that best fits your family’s health insurance needs and saves you money. It pays to shop around for your health insurance policy.