Can you keep health insurance after being fired?

Answer 1

Probably, yes. You'll probably be eligible for either COBRA continuation (if your employer has 20+ employee) or state continuation coverage. Essentially, this means that you will keep the same benefits as you had while working, but you'll have to pay the premium yourself. If you're healthy, though, you may want to consider buying your own, individual health insurance plan, because doing so will probably save you money. Individual plans are, for most folks, less expensive (because they don't have to cover things like maternity, etc., they don't have to "take" everyone, & they are, typically, not subject to as many state & federal "mandated" benefits). Also, you can choose a plan that "fits" you better than the more common "one size fits all" of a group plan.

Here's some tips:

1- Stay with "brand name" insurance companies, like Blue Cross, Aetna, Humana, etc. There are a lot of plans around that look good & cost less, but remember - you get what you pay for. You don't want to be "stuck holding the bag" because you tried to save a little money.

2- Consider a plan with a higher deductible ($2,500 - $5,000); you'll really lower the monthly cost (which is a "fixed" expense you have to pay) but still get the 2 benefits you'll use the most: doctor and drug copays (for example, $35/doctor visit and $15/generic Rx).

3- Find a local broker to help you. Go to http://nahu.org/consumers/findagent.cfm ; this is the professional association for agent who, like me, specialize in health insurance.

4- If you like, run some quote online yourself at sites like http://www.acforrest.com or http://www.norvax.com. This will give you an idea about what's available at what cost.

Hope this helps a bit!