The number of employed people as a percentage of the U.S. adult population plunged to 52.8% in May as the coronavirus pandemic ravage the labor market that resulted to Americans losing their health insurance. It is important to look for health insurance coverage as quickly as possible and you don't want to remain uninsured under a pandemic.
Here’s how to get health coverage while unemployed:
1. Contact your employment's human resources department and ask when your health coverage technically ends.
2. If you have a diagnosed condition, for example cancer, lupus or diabetes, you may be able to get support deciding on and enrolling in a plan with the National Patient Advocate Foundation https://www.patientadvocate.org/connect-with-services/case-management-services-and-medcarelines/
3. If you have been recently laid off and uninsured, you have three options: COBRA https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/health-plans/cobra, the Affordable Care Act subsidized marketplace https://www.healthcare.gov/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIgbGyk7276gIVBZSzCh1ZsgD4EAAYAiAAEgJb5PD_BwEor a public plan like Medicaid https://www.usa.gov/medicaid or Medicare https://www.medicare.gov/.
COBRA, or the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, allows people who work at companies with 20 or more employees to pay to continue their workplace insurance plan for certain periods of time. It comes with a high price about $600 monthly on average since you’re now paying the cost of the entire plan. You have 60 days from the loss of your job to sign up for COBRA. You need to make sure that you have the money set aside for this plan.
ACA marketplace can give you some affordable options. However, there are some plans on the marketplace that will be costly, especially if you’re newly unemployed.
If you don't have money you can still turn to Medicaid. Medicaid has zero premiums in most states, so if cost is a problem Medicaid should be the preferred option. Medicaid eligibility is based on monthly income so even a short-run decline in income should make someone eligible for Medicaid for those months.
If you were on your employer’s plan and are over the age of 65, now might be the time to sign up for Medicare.
4.If your spouse still has a job and the company offers family coverage, you can request to join their group health plan. However, you typically have to do this within 30 days. Depending on where you live, you can access either the federal marketplace or your state marketplace. Losing your job will qualify you for a special enrollment period for either option. The enrollment window here lasts 60 days.
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