How to Get Health Insurance When Unemployed
Health insurance is considered essential these days. While hospital costs are soaring, other health care services also come at a high price. If you are employed, you likely get insurance coverage from your employer. However, if you are not employed, you will have to look for other ways to get adequately insured.
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Instructions
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Learn your options for getting health insurance. There is plenty of information on the internet. You can also get information at your local unemployment office.
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Explore COBRA (the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act), a federal law that permits many employees and their dependents to continue on an employer's group health plan after being unemployed. You can go this route if you were laid off or were unemployed by the company due to some reason.
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Check your state's coverage policy. You may qualify for continuation of coverage based on your past job.
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Go online and search for individual health coverage options. Depending on the state you reside in, you may qualify for cheap individual health coverage when unemployed.
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Contact a health insurance agent and seek advice on the best kind of coverage while unemployed.
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Check out HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) of 1996 that allows insurance for some individuals who lose group coverage. It has a separate method of charging the premium and provides coverage for at least two health insurance policies that do not impose a pre-existing medical condition exclusion period. Inquire if you are eligible, as it would also depend on your COBRA coverage. You must have used up 18 months of COBRA in order to qualify.
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See if you qualify for Medicaid. If you are disabled, above 65 years of age or if you are a woman and pregnant, you may qualify for Medicaid. It offers cheap insurance for people with low income families. Contact Medicaid directly by visiting their official website (www.cms.hhs.gov).
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Contact pharmaceutical companies that manufacture drugs. They have programs for people who are uninsured. The financial assistance under the program is limited to the cost of medication and does not cover doctor or hospital visit expenses.
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Tips & Warnings
Collect the maximum information from your local unemployment office when you have questions.
If your unemployment period is temporary, it is best to stay insured using the COBRA.
Being a member of certain alumni associations, groups and fraternities can help you get cheap coverage when unemployed. Become a member of such organizations, if you are not already.
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Comments
View all 8 Comments-
After losing your career of 25 years, then your savings as you can't find another in the Great Depression, then your medical insurance that's the time you get hit with something nasty like your fingers start deforming from arthrtitis. Then you apply for County and find out that you are pending month after month as you break out with shingles because the state cares more about educating illegals than taking care of workers it no longer needs. This IS America today. This IS California today. I AM that person.
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kayeller
Jul 14, 2010
I am an unemployed single woman whose COBRA benefits have expired and is ineligible for any state health programs simply because I've been unemployed for longer than a year (?!?). Am I really expected to go out and have a baby just to get basic medical coverage via Medicare? Can the US gov't really do no better for unemployed individuals? Personally, I think promoting more babies and mothers on welfare and gov't assistance is a bad thing, but with our backs against the way in this failing economy, what other message are we to receive from those kinds of stipulations? -
ukusa
Mar 30, 2010
I came to this country 32 years ago. I used to live in the UK. We have free healthcare for everyone, and it is NOT how it has been portrayed by the media or the AMA lobyists. All Britsh working people pay the government a fee for healthcare which comes out of their paychecks each week or month depending how you get paid. It is call a National Insurance deduction, and it is paid according to how much money you make, meaning there is a sliding scale for each individual worker. The other day I was looking over some of my old British documents in my lock box at my bank, and discovered that I still have my old 1978 National Health Card with my ID on it in my maiden name. I don't have healthcare covereage in the USA anymore due to my husband's lay off last year. He worked for a medical electronics company for over 26 years, and was laid off just when he was about to be retired. ...
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jibida
Nov 17, 2009
yeah. the dirty little secret is the only ones getting free health care are the illegals. and they certainly aren't paying taxes!
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cordoba1965
Nov 17, 2009
Worthless advice. I'm unemployed, and cannot afford insurance. And, when one does have a job, why should I or anyone make job movement decisions based health insurance or pre-existing conditions? It's disgusting that we don't have a system like the UK, France or even, Taiwan. Suggest watching "Sicko" and reading about health care in Europe.
