We are not COBRA. For specific contract details about your current company policy, contact your health plan administrator.
On Monday, February 23, 2004, at 11:30 a.m., my
husband was informed that he was being laid-off by his
employer. There was no notice of any kind except that
he will receive a severance pay equal to one weeks
wages. He packed up and left his office.
We then found out that unless we agreed to pay the
COBRA fee of about $1,000 for our family, which
consists of my husband, and me our health insurance
would end at midnight of that day.
Traditionally, companies would give a two-week notice,
allow you to work out the two weeks before you left
their employ. This would give time to make other
arrangements for insurance, employment, etc. These
days, the approach seems to be to give severance pay
and release the employee. In our case, my husband is
getting only one-week severance pay, though he has
worked for this company for 6-1/2 years.
I feel this is difficult at best for an employee to be
held over the barrel and forced to continue this
insurance at such a premium since we all know it is
not possible, especially for older employees, to get
health insurance in less than 24 hours.
Please let me hear from you on this.
Sincerely,
Jovanka Hammond