We are not COBRA. For specific contract details about your current company policy, contact your health plan administrator.
Health insurance termination
I am currently experiencing a problem with my husband's former employer regarding COBRA. He terminated on June 13, 2005. That same day his company terminated our insurance even though he contacted his HR department two weeks prior to his termination date and requested he be put on COBRA immediately following his last day of work.
Since I have numerouse medical conditions that require medication and occasional doctor's visits and x-rays it is important that there be no break in our coverage. Unfortunately, the day after our coverage was terminated, I needed a perscription and the pharmacy was denied authorization from our insurance company saying that the coverage was terminated. I am supposed to go to a therapy session tomorrow but I have to cancel it because we are terminated and the facility will not schedule until they have the proper authorization from an insurance company. Isn't the employer cancelation of our insurance a complete disregard for the term "Continuation" in the COBRA term?!?!?! I thought the law stepped in to protect the rights of the employee - not the employer. Just today-July 5, 2005 we received a letter from my husband's company dated June 29 asking if we want to sign up for COBRA continuation? And if we want it then afer we respond, another company will contact us shortly with the premium amount that will be due. When we call the employer, all they say is that we will have to pay for services up front until our policy gets re-instated. Meanwhile, I am suffering for lack of medical attention because my employer chose to terminate our policy. Is this permissible for an employer to do? On a side note, this is the second time this has happened to me. Last November 2004 I terminated my employment with a different employer and they also terminated my health insurance on the same day of my termination without regard for my immediate request to stay on COBRA. It took me 6 months to straighten it out and get all the bills paid. Please help with this on-going problem! Isn't the employer supposed to give you at least a few weeks notice before they cancel?