I just lost my job right before my surgery! help!

[Fluffy_Gurl 3]

So..yesterday...I found out that I no longer have a job...I am still waiting to see when my ins will run out. I am so frustrated, sad, and angry. After three years of doing research on lap band etc, I finally had insurance that covered the suregery, made the appts and had the surgery scheduled....October 26 (they scheduled it out because I had to quit smoking for two months prior to surgery per the doc) I am now 25 days without smoking cold turkey....

Has anyone else had this happen to them??? What did you do? I am contemplating asking the surgeons office if they would move up the surgery but I dont know if that is even an option.....This sucks!!!!

Not only do I not have a job but have no surgery either?

BUMMED BIG TIME!!!

[honk 780]

Speak with benefits and find out how long your health insurance is valid. It may be the end of the month. Or your employer may continue your insurance for a set period of time. Also you are eligable for Cobra. At one point the federal government was covering 2/3 of an unemployeed person's Cobra. This is currently saving me $375 a month. If you can afford it I would recommend paying Cobra and gettting the surgery done. Personally I don't feel I can live without health insurance after having a stroke last year. There is probably a company that was hired by your employer to handle the Cobra payments. You send a check to them and in turn they send the money to your insurnace company. For which they get paid like 1-2% of your premium.

[Fluffy_Gurl 3]

Does COBRA continue the insurance you already have or is it a different insurance?

[honk 780]

Cobra is your existing insurance. If you are lucky your employer will pay for the insurance for several months. You should have this information in your seperation documents (hopefully you recieved one). You should also recieved in the mail a document on Cobra that tells you the cost of your Cobra program. Expect that it will be expensive. For example my premium was close to $500 dollars (single no dependents). At the time I was laid off the Fed was paying 60% of Cobra. Depending on your state there may be a program that will help you pay for Cobra. Also some states have heath insurance programs that you can buy into when you are unemployeed. Those programs may not however cover your surgery. Call the HR department and ask who is the expert on your lay off/seperation from your employer. That may be an HR Generalist/Manager or it could be a Benefits specialist.