What Happens to Your Health Insurance Coverage if You Lose Your Job

If you are enrolled in a health insurance plan as part of your employee benefits package, your insurance coverage is dependent on your employment. If you leave your job for any reason, one of your top priorities should be securing alternate coverage to protect yourself from the financial hardship that often accompanies an unforeseen illness or accident.

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You have three main options available to you for health insurance coverage when you leave a job.

• Under the federal law known as the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, or COBRA, group health plans at companies with 20 or more employees must offer continued coverage to you and your dependents for 18 months after you leave your job. The advantage of COBRA coverage is that you receive the same benefits you had when employed. However, you are responsible for your entire premium plus an administrative fee. That can be costly, especially when paying it without the income to which you were accustomed.
• If COBRA coverage is not an option for you, sometimes you can convert your group policy to an individual plan. The main advantage of such a conversion is that you would not have to provide proof of good health to obtain the coverage.
• Another option, and usually the most affordable by far, is a temporary health insurance plan. Temporary health insurance provides major medical coverage for up to one year (duration varies by state), often at about 1/3 the price of COBRA continuation. Since temporary insurance is designed to cover unforeseen medical bills during the policy term, it usually does not include coverage for pre-existing health conditions. The affordable protection of temporary health insurance provides a safeguard against high medical bills during any gap in permanent coverage.

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