Short-term health insurance bridge plans

Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 01:54 pm Post Subject: Medicare Special Election Period

I have learned the hard way. See Special Enrollment Period, page 22, 2010 Medicare & You booklet. If you have COBRA coverage, you must enroll during the 8-month period that begins the month after the employment ends. Even the first representative who have me paperwork to sign up for Part B wasn't aware of that. Of course now that it is on our record that we are denied, we are out of that option. Thus, we are still are looking at a bridge plan. Anyone have some sources?

Posted: Fri Jul 30, 2010 05:59 pm Post Subject:

Well, I have misread that, too. My mistake. At least, once enrolled in Part B, you will have a 6 month period of guaranteed acceptance for a Medicare Supplement plan. Unfortunately, it appears that you will have the lifetime disadvantage of the premium penalty for Part B.

The Part D Prescription Drug Plan only requires enrollment in Medicare Part A, so you should at least enroll in a Part D plan as soon as your COBRA benefit expires (or perhaps enroll ahead of time just to make sure that there is no gap in coverage) in order to avoid the 1% PER MONTH lifetime premium penalty for that.

Unfortunately, you cannot enroll in a Medicare Advantage plan prior to enrolling in Part B, so all the hype that will be coming in a couple of months won't do you much good, other than alerting you to any plans available in your area. When enrolling in Part B after January 1, your Part B will not begin until July 1, which is the earliest your coverage in a Medicare Advantage plan would start also.

So sorry you have fallen victim to the government's ridiculous patchwork of rules and regulations for the only national plan of health care currently in existence. Not what one expects after having paid into the system most/all of one's working life.

It can only get worse on 1/1/2014 if Obamacare is not overhauled before then.

So to answer your original question about a "bridge" plan, many insurers offer such plans. They are not inexpensive, depending on the coverage you require. A good (i.e., experienced) local agent will be able to help you and your wife evaluate what's available in your area. Major companies to offer such plans include Aetna, CIGNA, and some of the Blues, as well as other HMO/PPO providers whose names you would recognize.

Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 12:05 pm Post Subject:

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Posted: Wed Feb 29, 2012 02:17 am Post Subject: rgElZEnsBTs

Your coaemntmry is more balanced than some, but the facts remain we are heading into a world where there will be 2 workers for ea retiree unsustainable to say the least. I don't think that the younger generation is unwilling to help seniors in need, but a line has been crossed here. The younger generations are paying more and mor4 fica and medicare taxes have done increased and are going to have to go higher. Still, they have literally no hope of receiving benefits anywhere close to wbat today's seniors are getting. There is no disputing these basic facts.I understand the need for self preservation, but there is something perverted about parents and grandparents throwing their kids and grandkids under the bus so to speak. It would be one thing if we had elders living in abject poverty. The fact that in many cases, the elderly are better off financially than their kids. In terms of the transfer you mentioned in the form of real estate, I say bunk. To cry poor boomer when a market was severely overvalued due to the very financial maneuvering and game playing by the boomers finally gets half-way to reasonable is obscene. In the 60's and 70's, one could buy a reasonable middle class home for twice your salary. The median salary now is about $50K. Think you can buy a house today for $100K. Not where I live. Never mind ins premiums will cost you $6K for a family. Wasn't that when you were young. You have to have dual income families and therefore need daycare add another $20K at least to your budget. I just wish we could all get together and decide on what would be fair to EVERYONE.;