Do you know that you can still secure health insurance even when you have lost your job? It is quite possible. What it means is that there are avenues through which you can still get insurance without being employed. So you may be eligible for a special enrollment period on the Health Insurance Marketplace if you’ve lost benefits.
Best Health Insurance Companies for Those Without a Job
If you don’t have any job you are doing right now, and you are seeking health insurance, that will be very difficult because you are not covered under any job umbrella, but all things being equal, there are some awesome health insurance companies you can actually rely on for your health as an unemployed person. They are;
Health Insurance Options You Can Explore
- Short-Term Health Insurance
- Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)
- Marketplace Health Insurance
- Medicaid and/or CHIP
- Medicare
- Private Individual Plan
- Healthcare Cost Sharing
- Spouse’s or Parents’ Health Insurance Plan
Short-Term Health Insurance
This is a health insurance plan that is offered for a very short period. The time frame for this health insurance is always between 30 to 90 days. It is so because health insurance is designed to take care of health emergencies, and to cover lapses that exist for a short while. The insurance may not be the best, but it has helped a lot of people. Short-term health insurance can be very expensive, and it won’t cover everything like mental health services, and preventative care, just to mention but a few.
Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA)
COBRA is the kind of health insurance that allows you to extend your employer-based coverage for a limited period of time after you have retired from your job.
Don’t forget that there are some advantages and disadvantages that are attached to COBRA insurance.
Advantages of COBRA:
Federal law has mandated that employers permit their employees to continue to access healthcare plans for at least 18 months after they have left their jobs. But sometimes it will last for up to 36 months, for those that qualify.
Disadvantages of COBRA:
The disadvantage of COBRA insurance health care is that you are the one to pay for all the full cost of your health insurance premium. And this will become very expensive because your employer will not be in the picture anymore. However, for you not to get into financial crises, it is pertinent for you to find out from your employer while you are leaving to know how much is your health insurance premium.
Marketplace Health Insurance
Another means of accessing health insurance as one without a job is by getting coverage on the government-run healthcare marketplace. You can apply for it 60 after you have lost your employer’s insurance coverage. If your entire family depends on this insurance, it will be so overwhelming to bear.
Tips that can help you get marketplace insurance are;
- For you to get the market insurance, try and get a rising cost of health insurance subsidies for yourself. You may be lucky to qualify for tax credits offered by Medicaid and/or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
- If you and your family are healthy and don’t go to the doctor very often, search for a high-deductible plan.
Medicaid and/or CHIP
This kind of healthcare insurance is given to a certain group of people.
Medicaid gives aid to people with:
- Disabilities
- The elderly,
- Pregnant women
- The children
- Families on low incomes
Right about 80 million Americans are beneficiaries of this healthcare insurance that spreads across all states to only qualified persons.
Medicare
Medicare health insurance covers a certain group of people of a specific age. They include:
- It covers people over the age of 65
- It also covers people under 65 years. But for those under the age of 65, it must be people who have received Social Security disability benefits for more than two years.
- It also covers those suffering from kidney failure and ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease
- Medicare, coverage is divided into Part A (hospital costs) Part B (medical costs), and Part D (prescription drugs).
Private Individual Plan
This is the type whereby you go straight to the health insurance companies and buy it directly from them or you can also work with an independent insurance agent. The coverage for this is nice and can be compared to like Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace.
Healthcare Cost Sharing
This particular one can be compared to health insurance which has monthly premiums and defined coverage terms. What makes the both not to be the same is that in healthcare cost sharing, participants send you the money you need when you use medical services, but in health insurance, an insurance company pays for your medical bills.
Spouse’s or Parents’ Health Insurance Plan
This is one of the toughest health insurance to run because it will be a lot of financial load for a husband or wife who has no job to secure healthcare insurance for each other. This option is so unsaved.
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How to Get Health Insurance Without a Job
Having seen the different options of healthcare insurance that one can secure, let us now move to the main discussion of the day. That is the how of getting healthcare insurance even as a person who has no job to do. however, if you don’t have a job and you want to get healthcare insurance, here are the things you should do to be able to access it.
1. Start making plans early
While you are still on the job, start making plans for your healthcare insurance, knowing that you will not stay any longer in the job. Even before you leave a job, try to make sure that you find out from your employer how much your healthcare insurance costs. This will help you if you are to stay with COBRA or move to the marketplace.
2. Gather important details and paperwork
There is certain information you should have ready when you are ready to talk COBRA, marketplace, or even Medicaid, they include:
- Your income,
- Total household income
- Social Security number
- Your pay stubs
- Your tax records
- Information about your current health insurance plan
- And the number of dependents in your household.
3. seek advice from an independent insurance agent
Since independent insurance agents know the ins and outs of your state’s laws, and can also find you the best insurance package that will suit your budget, it is then good for you to seek the advice of an independent insurance agent.
4. You be wise in how You use your emergency fund
Ensure that you save and use your emergency fund well. Because if you can use a full emergency fund of 3–6 months of expenses well, you will be able to pay for insurance within a period devoid of stress.
