Insurance

[Sherry1]

has just their job.  Maybe you have a lot of extra money when you lose your job and can afford COBA but most cannot.

[Sherry1]

very expensive.  I had to go uninsured for a couple of months in between jobs when I lost my job.  Most normal people that have just lost their jobs do not have an extra $700-$800 laying around.  I think some posting to this really don't have a realistic approach of some things.

[Sherry1]

The majority of the posters were in agreement about the health insurance and him not being responsible because he is not working.  I agree that BM should look into Medicaid as soon as possible.  With a new employer he still might not be eligible for benefits for about 3 months.

[wysiwyg]

wow, I am sorry you took such exception to a toned down post.  I only offered an opinion.  Sorry to have trampled your toes.

[mistoffolees]

>very expensive.  I had to go uninsured for a couple of months
>in between jobs when I lost my job.  Most normal people that
>have just lost their jobs do not have an extra $700-$800
>laying around.  I think some posting to this really don't have
>a realistic approach of some things.

Well, COBRA is expensive, but so is uninsured illness. Even worse, if you are laid off from one job and go without insurance for 90 days, you lose your protection for pre-existing conditions. So if you have a serious illness (heart disease, diabetes, cancer, etc), you don't want to let your insurance lapse because even if you get a new job they can exclude those conditions if you've been uninsured for 90 days.

Under those circumstances, it needs to be a very high priority if there's any way to swing it from savings, etc. Even if you can't afford COBRA, it's worth looking for a high deductible policy from an independent insurance agent just to make sure you don't lose all your coverage.

Health insurance is a serious matter and there's no easy solution, but it's important enough that people should discuss it with their HR people when they leave a job for any reason so they know what their options are.

[mistoffolees]

>has just their job.  Maybe you have a lot of extra money when
>you lose your job and can afford COBA but most cannot.

Maybe 'most' can not, but your title is not accurate. SOME people can afford it - and more should.

The fact that few Americans save enough money to get them through a financial rough spot is the real issue here. Rule of thumb says you need to save enough to last you at least 6 months.

I realize, of course, that this is impossible for most people, but that's typically because they live beyond their means. Not always, but often enough. I know some people making over 6 figures of income who don't have any appreciable savings and that's just plain stupid.