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The majority of them will be cheaper than Cobra.

Posted By: me on 2008-02-13
In Reply to: COBRA QUESTION - Siren

Go through your local yellow pages and look for insurance companies who advertise health insurance and start calling.  Call several so you can compare rates.  Your weight issues are going to make your premium higher than it would if you were a normal weight. 


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jude is right. Cobra may not be cheap, but it's cheaper than the surgery.
.
Shop around before getting cobra. If you are leaving a job, you can get cobra. I am in the process
Cobra is almost $600 for you and children, I found a month to month coverage by shopping on internet, covers 2 visits a year (I only need it 3 months) and is less than $300. Less expensive coverage than cobra is out there
No, the employer doesn't pay COBRA, you pay COBRA directly.
:(
Anyone been on COBRA
I am trying to figure out how expensive COBRA is.  If anyone has been on COBRA, would you give me an idea of what it cost you?  I am trying to find an average cost here. My job has been terminated as of 08/31/07, due to outsourcing in-house transcription to a service.  I need to make many decisions on a very short timeframe.  Any info would be greatly appreciated.
cobra

My husband and I are on cobra right now.  For two of us with dental it's costing us $821 per month thru Aetna.


COBRA
Once you have insurance, you should be able to get COBRA.  The length of time should no matter.
COBRA
I had to use COBRA for my daughter a few years ago when my husband died. It's my understanding that you have until 45 days after regular insurance terminates to decide to take COBRA. In her case, anything within that 45 days ws covered by the regular insurance. I was also able to take the COBRA on a month by month basis, not have to pay in advance. I suppose plans may be different, but it ws my understanding COBRA has standards under the insurance act. You might have to speak to the plan administrator to find out for sure. Good luck!
COBRA
I do believe you have to pay it through the date you actually sign up, so that would mean you could drop it in February.  Here is something to consider - if you cannot afford the COBRA payments and your ER bill is quite substantial, the hospital collections office will sometimes pay the COBRA for you and then bill you for the premiums paid.  I used to work in collections and we often did this when we could see we would benefit by doing so.  We could sometimes pay $700 in COBRA premiums, but collect $7000; therefore, even if we never collected from the patient on the $700, we still came out ahead. 
COBRA
Actually, that's correct.  COBRA does not legally apply if there are less than 19 people.  I am not sure what state you are in, but in IL they have a state mandate that picks up for smaller companies, but the coverage time isn't as long as COBRA. 
COBRA
Have you tried Alli? The reason I ask is because I just started taking it myself. I did contact my doctor's office before taking it though, as I am Wellbutrin and Effexor, as well as Evista, Advair, albuterol, and take Tylenol ES quite often. She said that even with all these meds, it is safe. I have not experienced any adverse reactions to the Alli as far as my other meds go.

However, you need to really read up on the Alli program, including the side effects that some people have experienced.

Maybe it's worth a shot!!
When do I need to sign up for COBRA? sm

I turned in my notice on 6/28 and quit two weeks later.  I have received my last paycheck, reimbursement for PTO, a letter saying someone will be calling for an exit survey, and even my shipping labels to return my computer, etc. but have yet to receive any information about COBRA and I want to sign up!  It is now almost the end of the month and I'm worried that I have to get my money in by the first of the month.  Does anyone know?  I don't want to get stuck with a pre-existing condition problem.


Thanks!


That's exactly right. TAKE THE COBRA, even though the $$ is high.

At age 64, I have had to take COBRA, it's $926 a MONTH
I took a job with a medium-sized MTSO last year in September, qualified with 90 days above their set quota to get benefits, my share was about $75 biweekly. Then my work type dried up, they tried to force me to do clinic which I would not do. No one will cover a 64 year old woman because you better believe everybody has something pre-existing by the time they get into their 60's. I have to keep the policy through the COBRA until July next year when I'll be 65 and get Medicare. I never wanted to be 65 so much in my life! I have had to work 7 days a week on production to make enough money to meet my mortgage, regular household bills, and now this $926 COBRA. I'm lucky I found a service that will let me work my fingers to the bone. I've been paying this amount since April, please say a little prayer for me, I'm 5 months into this, I have 10 months more to go. Then I can cut back to 5 days a week, it's going to feel really good when that happens and I can do my errands and cleaning one day a week and have one real "day off" a week. I think my COBRA is so high because it is a really good BC/BS policy, and the actual cost of the coverage is horrific. Whatever you do don't let your coverage lapse. You actually will have almost 2 months to get the first payment to them, but if you are 1 cent short or 1 day late, you are out of luck. P.S. This treatment was the company that brags "you'll be proud to tell your friends about us." Don't ever believe what a recruiter tells you about the work type you'll be doing or the amount of work they have for you to do. Good luck to all the Old-Timers out there, we're all going to need all the luck we can get. Prayers would be even better.

Wise
Another Cobra inquiry
Does anyone know how long you have to be on the insurance to qualify for cobra. I did have a lapse in my prior coverage but have no pre-existing conditions so wasn't worried. Have now had the insurance at my employment about 30 days but am thinking about leaving, does anyone know if I will be eligible for Cobra?
Cobra question
I know this was recently discussed here but for some reason I cannot locate it.  I have been at my job a little over 4 months, have had 2 insurance payments taken out of my check.  I am really thinking seriously about leaving - does anyone know if I will be eligible for Cobra or do you have to have the insurance for a minimum amount of time.  TYIA.
Check out the COBRA
I'm so sorry to hear about your friend losing her job. Please tell her to check out the COBRA rulings on insurance policies. You normally have a 30-day window after termination ...so if she can get her surgeries in before that 30 days is up...the insurance should pay.
Can I do just 1 month of COBRA? sm
I'm wondering if I can sign up for just 1 month of COBRA health insurance after the fact. I'm nearing my COBRA election cut off. My last day of regular insurance was 10/31. I would just like to pay for COBRA for the month of November, but the paperwork says you must pay all months up to the day of election. I had an ER visit in November, which is why I only want to pay November, but if I made the COBRA election today, I'd have to make 3 months of payments. Has anyone ever done this? I thought maybe I could just send in a payment for the 1 month with a note that I didn't want it after that. TIA. I know I should probably ask the plan administrator, but I'm embarassed.
COBRA QUESTION

I have been covered by COBRA since September 2007 with dental coverage.  I just received my new card today and I do not have dental, and my last dental appointment and treatment are not being paid.  Can they do this?  Drop coverage that I already have.  To top it off they are charging me $20.00 more a month. 


My husband is covered under AARP; however, I cannot get on his insurance even though I will be 50 in one month due to being overweight.  They say I have to lose at least 70 pounds. 


Does anyone know of an insurance company that would insure me for less than what I am paying COBRA?


 


Thanks for your response. If I opt out of the cobra coverage,
does my current coverage stop immediately (last employment day), at the end of the current pay period, or at the end of the final pay period? Thanks!
Cobra takes precedence

Divorce is considered a "qualifying event" and would entitle you to 18 months (or 36 months in certain cases) of coverage through COBRA where you would pay the premium.  You can make an inquiry to the human resources department at his employer if there are children involved and the rate is the same for him to cover himself, the kids and you, and in that event, you would continue to have coverage without invoking COBRA.  The best thing is to read the policy and direct any questions to HR.


good luck


COBRA is not a specific insurance sm
policy. It is simply a continuation of what you already had with your employer, except you pay all the costs. That is what you need to find out, how much the full coverage will cost you without an employer contribution.


COBRA is simply an extension of your sm
prior insurance, and you pick up whatever the company was paying, and pay all costs. COBRA extends you current insurance when you lose your job, but YOU pay all of the charges, same insurance, though.
Again, COBRA is not insurance, just an extension of sm
any insurance you currently have. So while COBRA may be cheaper that whatever, it is exactly what you have had with an employer, just YOU have to pay for it.

I cannot understand why people think COBRA is a specific insurance policy. IT IS NOT. It is a government policy that allows you to still maintain you current insurance, with you paying for it, for a certain amount of time.


Completed COBRA recently-VLM

   The following speaks of my personal experience with Cobra - Insurance premiums out-of-pocket for any reason are an expensive undertaking (they are also tax deductible if you meet deduction requirements).  I was appreciative of having the option of Cobra because of my personal circumstances.  If you are considering going without health insurance for any amount of time, I would suggest that you may be gambling with more than your health.  One emergency surgery or health crisis not covered can cost you everything - I know because it happened to me.  Hospitals and physicians are bound by no debt code - they will sue you and take your home, business, car, pots, pans and the shirt off your back if they can redeem a penny for it.  They are not required to accept a payment plan.  My hospital told me that an indefinite payment offered by me to start of $100 every 2 weeks to start was not worth their time and effort.  A bit of trivia - I was employed by this same hospital for 10+ years.


COBRA guidelines are set by the Fed - all rules must be followed to the letter by all parties.  My premium was 120% of what my original premium while employed with the company was.  I went the entire 18 months during which my premium was raised once - without warning - if you fail to pay the premium exact to the penny, by the exact postmarked indicated date, you are terminated from the plan.  I was nearly terminated with the premium increase which arrived in a separate envelope along with the premium notice.  There are no exceptions to the rules governing Cobra - this works sometimes in your favor and sometimes in the ex-employer's favor.   After the first premium increase, I called 1 time each month on the same day and asked if there was a premium increase -  the point being don't take anything at face value when dealing with this issue.


        These guidelines also direct what happens when your Cobra involvement ends or if you terminate it before the 18 months are finished - there are also exclusions which may make the amount of Cobra coverage available longer than 18 months.  The day your Cobra ends, you have a set number of days to get involved with another plan - if you choose Cobra, make sure someone explains what happens when the plan ends, and if you are told "nothing" or "you are on your own," ask someone else who knows that they are talking about.


      If you choose Cobra, you need to speak to whomever administers the plan - some companies hire a third party, others do not.  Make sure you get all the facts.  


      There are obvious negatives but one thing is an absolute positive, if you meet all the guidelines each month and pay the correct premium on time, you will have continuation of your health coverage and time to plan for the future.  My research led me to understand that I might find a cheaper interim plan, but I might just as easily lose that plan for any number of reasons, leaving me high and dry.  I personally could not risk this.  I saw an earlier comment about not letting coverage lapse and preexisting conditions - If there is a plan anywhere which does not have a preexisting clause of some type for every new enrollee, I would be very surprised.  I talked to about 14 carriers over 6 months.  Not having a lapse in coverage or not exceeding the cushion of days provided by Cobra between policies is most beneficial, I feel, when you are applying for new coverage on your own - Companies are much more receptive to someone who has existing coverage as opposed to someone without, for obvious reasons.  However, this varies from ins co to ins so and you need to do your homework.


    One last thing, I cannot speak for every state, but I called our State Insurance Commish - wonderful lady whose staff went way out of the way to make sure I was fully clear on what my Cobra rights were. These people were totally on my side! I highly recommend this phone call to anyone trying to get health insurance.  The state is not allowed to recommend an insurance co; however, they do have ratings and data that you may find very helpful in choosing coverage.


I spent many, many hours learning about and personally experiencing this process - I hope you find something helpful here.  Whatever happens, I wish you the best of luck! 


Again, call Cobra. Google for #. You are not the
x
PS --COBRA IS A BANDAID NOTHIING more
When, OH when are you baby whiners gonna grow up!!! AARP is a bandaid, COBRA is a bandaid and when the whole HIPPA thing came into play the docs had a FIT!!!

Now, younguns you are seeing as "PATIENTS" what is going on -- have HUBBY WORK OR GET WELFARE

BTW -- workin ONE job and grossed 50K
You can get it by COBRA, that is what they told me, couldn't afford it. nm
nm
on COBRA at YOUR expense..that wasn't the question.
nm
Yet another COBRA/future insurance question

I'm reading a new plan that my company is probably going to switch to.  I just hired on and was going to sign up for COBRA so I wouldn't have a lapse in coverage for my pre-existing conditions etc.  Here is what this new plan says "This exclusion period may be reduced by the number of days of your prior creditable coverage.  The plan is not required to take into account any days of creditable coverage that precede a break in coverage of 63 days or more." 


So, can you please interpret what this is telling me?  If I get insurance from my new company prior to 63 days after the end of my previous insurance are my pre-existing conditions covered?  I was on insurance from the previous company for close to two years.


Thanks!!!


A majority of . . .
one.  How interesting.  I will certainly believe one person over the countless others.  Uh huh. 
The majority of us do far, far less than that, unfortunately. Definitely
s
Cheaper here only $9
http://dictationstore.com/search.php?mode=search
it was one of the cheaper ones :)
got it at Wal-Mart for about $50, I think.
If you get the cheaper ones (under $20) the
wiring has a tendency to break so that you only get sound from one side.  To test this you can jiggle around the wiring on the bad side and you can usually get sound.  I usually have to pull the wiring up like I'm going to lay it across my head towards the other side.   I've been through 3 pairs of earphones for this reason.   I've tried many styles/brands and these are what I like best and $20 once a year or so isn't bad. 
Cheaper for you to pay to have sm

internet service at their house.  If you pay, will they do it?


I dont think you have a set time to have had the insurance before your eligible for COBRA
My advice is to apply right now with your local Blue Cross or Blue Shield and get one of those major medical plans ($5000+ deductible) to kick in the second to quit and your other insurance ends. Keep it until you get new insurance with an employer and you wont have a gap in coverage, thus avoid pre-existing waiting periods etc..Getting one of those cheap plans is a A LOT cheaper than COBRA..COBRA's whole thing is trying to discourage you from keeping it..It worked for me. They wanted like $600 a month for me to go on it. No way.. I went to a BC plan and paid $100 a month for a high deductible plan. It's just my opinion, others may feel differently.
I think the majority of mistakes are
merely typographical or expander errors.  If MTs weren't paid such rotten line rates on production, maybe they could afford to relisten to and reproof every single report.  However, the people responding to the original post have evidently never made a single mistake in their entire lives.  Ah, yes, condescending, snotty superiority complexes on the rampage.  I'd be interested in seeing the MT profiles on those quoted reports, how many lines per day they produce, how many years of experience, and so forth.  For that matter, we could all sit here and rip on the mistakes we've found on completed reports, but personally, I don't feel better about myself by trashing other people.  My self esteem isn't measured by how stupid I think everyone else is like some people on this board.
By the page if the majority
of your work types are diagnostic plain films, such as chest and bone x-rays but if you have a lot of MRI's, CT's and special procedures such as catheter placement and removal, PET scans, angiograms and stent placements then by the line is more profitable.
The vast majority...
of kids do not get wrapped up in the things you did.  My DH is a  public school administrator and sees this stuff playing  out first hand.  He sees all the trouble makers and generally it's the "apple doesn't fall far from the tree" syndrome.  Once he meets the parents, he can usually tell why the kids act the way they do.   I tell my kids that peer pressure is bunk.  The ultimately responsibility for making bad choices lies with the individual.  You can only be pressured into what you want to be pressure into.   You can't blame the schools totally, which by the way are not any worse than they ever were.  I was a teen in the 70s and there's nothing much new going on.   Ever generation thinks it's worse now than the good old days.  In the 1920s they were aghast at girls showing  their ankles. 
The majority of mine do not even...
bother saying that, they just continue on as though nothing happened... !!!
The majority of normals are seen
Normals can also be a repetitive statement that the dictator makes, which you then turn into a normal so you do not have to keep typing the same thing over and over again.  Some use shortcut keys or Expander program.  I am not an expert on any of these as I do not use them.  Some who work in MS Word use autocorrect to expand terms or phrases that are said time and time again by a specific dictator.  I use autocorrect in Word and like it.  Hope this helps.  
Majority of time, no MTs. Right now..sm
however, a lot of people are leaving one of the big nationals, some after many years of service. Many are very experienced in multispecialty/acute care transcription, so until that settles down, there are a lot of good MTs looking at the moment. That's probably why you are seeing conflicting reports. In my personal experience, the majority of the time, there IS a shortage of well-trained, experienced, and reliable MTs. The good ones often get snatched up quickly, net good-paying jobs, and stay at those jobs, so they aren't always looking. Timing is everything. ;)

Also, to answer your other question, if a company is offering only 5 cpl, they are likely going to get responses from 5-cpl MTs so that certainly can play a role. IOW, the very good MTs typically won't respond to an ad for a job paying only 5 cpl, as they realize they are worth far more than that.
So the majority would feel ?
If the remote MTs are employees and are scheduled for 8 hours for coverage, the company can require them to work a complete 8 hours ?  This means that the ones who can produce more lines in those 8 hours will be paid more, while the ones who produce only their line count will get compensated accordingly.   The schedule is for a reason and needs to be followed for coverage.  Some of the MTs are only thinking of the "required" line count, not thinking in hours.   Maybe the wording should be changed to "minimum daily line count".  Just want to be sure it is not a far-reaching thought to think if you are an employee and are scheduled for 8 hours, that you should work 8 hours.  I know situations vary, but do most of you work a complete 8 hours, or just until you reach your minimum line count ?  Thanks.
Can't stand the majority of them...

I have several on my account that just make me cringe.  One ESL tries to talk so fast she stumbles over nearly every word and says, uh, uh, uh, uh, uh, repeatedly.  Another ESL ends every sentence like its a question, like a teenage girl.  I have one American woman who adds an extra ah-syllable at the ah-beginning of some of her ah-words.  Took me forever to figure that one out!  I had one at my first job who practically whispered huge operative reports.  Nuts!


I had another American this week that had me pulling my hair out.  She had someone else reading the PE and lab results to her in the background and then she was repeating them.  Drove me crazy!


If there are a majority of MTs making
the same mistake, send it to everyone. However, if 1 or 2 are making the mistake consistently they need to be notified, becuase no one believes it is them making the mistake a lot of the time.
majority are for at-home then?
I take it then the majority are for at-home positions?
Here you go, the majority of posters
are on your side.

Nobody can make you and your daughter to agree to take the vaccination.

And...I see no typos...!
So you disagree that the majority of MTs are
underpaid for their skill level? Just because you have a 15 cpl account (for now until you're underbid at least) doesn't mean the rest of the MTs are paid that well. The world is bigger than just you & you should learn compassion for others.
Good point. I've never done the Cobra because it was outrageous. I also did what you call a "b
overlapsed. I liked a cheap individual policy up ($7500 deducticle) before I lost my coverage..and kept the cheap policy until the new kicked in..
Winzip is cheaper and it also (sm)
compresses the files. You will be grateful for the compression when you are sitting in a campground on dial-up access!
Then you must have look for cheaper transcritionist
Have guts to pay more and look for talent, because you can not get away with competition by just give sarcastic remarks!!! So mind it before saying anything.

You should learn from competition....because that is the healthy way to do business.