posted
Hi Everyone! I would like to get your opinion on a couple of insurance questions. I am about to leave my job and go on Cobra. My concern is that I will only get Cobra coverage for a max of 18 months. After that I would try to get on Medicare or Medicaid. I currently have diverticulosis, had diverticulitis, high wbc, high rbc, and tested positive for lyme twice. Could you give me your experiences pro and con regarding COBRA and medicare/medicaid. Would it be better to just try to get another job with benefits again, or do you think the coverage and treatment (or lack there of) would remain the same under these plans.
Also, if anyone also has a high wbc and high rbc issue, I would love to hear from you.....I can't find anything online regarding producing too many blood cells.
Thanks! Wildthing
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Starfall1969
Frequent Contributor (1K+ posts)
Member # 17353
posted
We're just about to lose our COBRA after the extension we were granted.
We did go through a short period on Adult Basic before the extension kicked in (That's a long story, suffice it to say it was the govt's fault for not informing us the extension was available).
Adult Basic for me was HORRIBLE!!! It really didn't cover my meds, and of course it didn't cover my LLMD.
But at least with COBRA I can pay the LLMD in full and then send in a claim and get partially reimbursed. AB wouldn't pay anything if it wasn't a network doctor.
Some of the isurances we've looked into have told me I won't be able to get coverage because of my "pre-existing condition," which I thought wasn't an issue if you had no lapses in coverage.
That's just my experience. I don't have any advice for you; I don't have a clue what we'll do after this month.
I do have some links to check out, but I haven't had a chance to do that yet. I'll try to PM you with those.
Posts: 1682 | From Dillsburg, PA | Registered: Sep 2008
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posted
I think an important thing is that you want to make sure you don't have a lapase in coverage because if you do then they can deny you coverage due to pre-existing conditions. If you don't have lapses then they have to take you. Someone please correct me if I am wrong on this!
Posts: 526 | From NJ | Registered: May 2007
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TF
Frequent Contributor (5K+ posts)
Member # 14183
posted
In the state of Maryland, lyme doctors won't accept you as a patient if you have Medicare, period.
It is so bad here that for this reason I have decided I will not take Medicare whenever I am old enough for it.
So, you may want to check the lyme doctors you are interested in and see if it is the same thing where you live. PA borders Maryland, so it could be the same where you live. I hope not.
I have 3 elderly friends who need to see lyme doctors and only one fairly inexperienced doctor is left in our state who will see them. He could decide to quit taking Medicare patients at any time! Then, they would have to look outside the state!
Medicare doesn't pay the lyme doc enough, and if they have not opted out of Medicare, they have to take the Medicare payment if they take you. You can't sign a paper saying you won't submit to Medicare. That is the problem as I understand it.
And, if they won't take Medicare, they certainly won't take Medicaid.
So, from my point of view, the best thing is to try to get another job that offers health care coverage.
Posts: 9931 | From Maryland | Registered: Dec 2007
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