Many short term medical policies are considered creditable coverage and would therefore eliminate the pre-existing clause with the new policy. Contact a local agent that works with all of the major companies in your area to find out which plans would work for you.
Otherwise, you can take COBRA for 1 month. You are allowed a break in coverage of no more than 63 days before the new policy can impose the waiting period.
You can either take Cobra, and keep coverage for your ADD issues, or buy the short term coverage, and pay out of pocket for your ADD for the coming year. My guess is, your meds will be less than $200 a month, meaning paying out of pocket will be cheaper.
You can ALSO just buy cobra for one month . . . and then your lapse in coverage will be less than 63 days, so they can't exclude preexisting conditions.
Don't blame this on Obama. . . . contrary to popular belief, the President does NOT have the power of a King. That's our faulty public education system, that hasn't taught our kids how laws get made.
You can buy a temporary policy for catastrophic coverage rather inexpensively. Usually about $100 a month maybe less for you since you are so young. This way if you should get into a car wreck or something else awful happens you at least will be covered for hospitalization. It won't cover your ADD medicine. Then get on your company policy as soon as possible. Good Luck, this is a good example of the problems in our current health care system.
I thought only children had ADD. The only proposal he has is to extend childrens' coverage until the age of 26 instead of 19. You think Pres. Obama is creating a new "problem" and you want him to create a "problem" for people in your situation? You should join the Republicans who say people don't need a government plan, they should take better care of themselves. You will have to go to a Public Health Clinic, or a Clinic inside a medical center like I did. The Catholic Hospitals believe in charity and that helped me.
Well, there was ONE good reason to stick with the old job.
Too late now. If you purchase an individual policy that will cover the pre-existing condition, it'll probably cost you about $800/month anyhow.
I know a guy who has a bad heart condition. He's been doing a job he hates for about 5 years now because he has insurance through them and no other insurance company will touch him with the pre-existing heart condition he has. He just works to keep the insurance.
You gotta do what you gotta do.
Just buy the insurance for 90 days. Paying for your ADD meds out of your own pocket is much cheaper than trying to find coverage that will cover it such as Cobra.
Just as a lesson to others, stock up on your meds before you quit your job. Signing up for delivery by mail may allow you to get a 90 day supply.
I suggest you skip your insurance for 90 days. Try to limit doctor appointments. Explain to your doctor that you have no insurance for 90 days and ask if they can give you some free samples of the medications you need, or if you can switch to generic brands until you get coverage.
ADD is not a real disease.... you will be 100% FINE! just get off the meds and stick with it for about a month... you will be a better person for it - trust me- cause I was diagnosed with that BS and took meds for almost 17 years... I am now almost 10 years older and couldn't be happier that I stopped wasting my time and money on a BS disease....
Spend 800.00, or call blue cross, or go without health insurance for 90 days, and hope you don't get sick.....
health-quotes.isgreat.org - here is my health insurance plan. As I remember they can provide such a service.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/…
Here is a link of an article explaining the pros/downfalls of short term insurance.
Short term insurance is great for just a situation in your case. Most policies can be for 1 month up to 6 months. Many employers have a "waiting time" to be eligible for their group health insurance, which in your case is 90 days. So this fills the gap vs opting for the cobra.
But;;;;;;;;here is the downside and is explained in this article. Short term policies do not cover anything pre-existing for the last 12 months, and in some policies I have seen, go back 18 months to 2 years. Depending on the company the time they set.
So in your case, you think, I will keep the policy for 1 year and they will cover my ADD. This is completely WRONG. Even if you were to keep renewing the policy every 6 months, it will still be pre-existing. Since every time you renew, you still have ADD, so it is pre-existing and excluded. It is not like a private policy you take out and have a 12 month wait, since short term is used in many cases where no private insurance company will insure them due to a pre-existing condition. Short term insurance is basically catastrophic insurance which you need for something big that you have NEVER been diagnosed with.
As for the $794 monthly cost for Cobra is no surprise since your employer most likely paid over 50% of the cost and you had no clue how much your insurance cost. Even though you are young/healthy, the group policy is based on the GROUP OF EMPLOYEES, healthy/sick and young/old. You all got the same coverage.
So take out the short term insurance till your new employers kick in. Since the new employers group health policy will most likely cover everything and you wont have to worry.
The first three answerers should NOT be answering insurance questions. (rolling eyes in disbelief). If you take the first responder's advice you need to not get in a car accident or fall down the stairs. Jeez, with that logic if we just followed the 'be careful' advice there'd be no health insurance problem. (still rolling eyes).
Anyway #4 has it right EXCEPT for one key point. BEFORE your current coverage ends you get a 90 day supply of your medication to carry you the 3 months (hopefully it hasn't ended yet). Then you get a temporary health insurance policy to cover you during the 90 days. I have links to 6 different companies on my site. I recommend the United Health temporary plan so you can get the network discounts.
As the above responder said you won't have coverage for the ADD during the 90 days BUT you will maintain your uninterrupted coverage so your pre-existing condition should still be covered when the new job coverage kicks in.
Also, depending on the meds you take and how otherwise healthy you are you may (underline may) be better off with an individual plan than the new group plan anyway. Just check with an insurance broker. I have links to brokers on my site in the health section. It's broken down by state.