RE: Deciding to treat

February 10, 2008

When I lost my

job with insurance Cobra was 1200.00 for me, not something that was an

option. I did check into insurance for myself right away thinking Cobra

was the way to go till the other kicked in. The cost was out of my

limits. When I first heard the price reality that I was paying 600.00 a month

and my company chipped in the rest, so the price was normal. I wouldn’t

be surprised if this is because I had Hep C which raised the companies

insurance premiums. Insurance companies are big business, so I don’t

buy this crap from politicians who voted at some point to place these rules where

they are today. How many times have we heard of some family who child has

cancer and lose their jobs because the people they worked for just couldn’t

keep them on with the way the premiums were shooting up.

From:

Hepatitis_C_Central

[mailto:Hepatitis_C_Central ] On Behalf Of Dorothy

Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2008 7:49 AM

To: Hepatitis_C_Central

Subject: RE: Re: Deciding to treat

The

federal HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act)

regulations cover you if you have continuity of coverage. That’s

why if you lose a job, it’s important to pick up the COBRA coverage till

you get another job and are covered there. If you have continued

coverage, no insurance company can refuse to treat you for a pre-existing

condition – this applies to group plans and it applies to every state.

So if you

lose a job and pick up COBRA and then get another job and sign up for their

group plan, you would be covered immediately with no pre-existing condition

wait. If you didn’t have insurance at the time of enrollment, they

can impose the waiting periods.

Most

companies will pay your premium for the month if you quit at the beginning of

the month so if you plan to quit a job, do it after the first of the month

– chances are, you’ll at least get that month’s insurance

before you would have to begin paying yourself the following month. And

when you are notified of your COBRA election rights, you have 60 days to decide

whether to take it – and then, you have another 45 days to pay so you

have some breathing room if you’re not sure what to do. You can

always elect the coverage and then just not pay if you decide you don’t

need it or can’t afford it. Just elect it at the latest date to

stretch your time.

This all

also assumes that you worked for an employer with 20 or more employees and that

you were covered by insurance there. Of course, the key is that you can

afford to pay the premiums for the time you are between jobs.

From: Hepatitis_C_Central

[mailto:Hepatitis_C_Central ] On Behalf Of Jackie

on

Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2008 11:53 PM

To: Hepatitis_C_Central

Subject: RE: Re: Deciding to treat

that

is horrible,, while Im NOT for government insurance by any means, this is

awful, to not treat a pre existing for 5 years,, thats obscene,, Heck, I'd

move to another state for treatment if I needed it and couldnt get treatment

covered,,

what

would happen if you had cancer and it came back prior to 5 years?? would you

have to wait to start chemo or any other treatment for the relapse of cancer

?? thats obscene..

Lynne Dunham wrote:

It depends on what state you live

in. Here is VA they passed a law that only Blue Cross can treat any

pre-existing conditions. It would cost me about 1300.00 a month with no

guarantee it wouldn’t go up. I tried for temporary insurance and in

VA it is 5 years wait on pre-existing conditions. It just stinks that

each state has their own way on controlling people from getting health

insurance. Luckily I have one more year to go, so you all keep your

fingers crossed that I don’t get sick for anything between now and then.

Lynne

From: Hepatitis_C_Central

[mailto:Hepatitis_C_Central ] On Behalf Of butchholland2002

Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2008 11:08 PM

To: Hepatitis_C_Central

Subject: Re: Deciding to treat

I

hope this is not too unethical for here but if it helps someone get

heath insurance I'm ok with it.IF company insurance works like it did

when I was lucky enough to still work there is a pre-existing clause.

If you have not been treated for a specific illness in the last 12

months you are exept from it and qualify.If you can get the

disability insurance with it you would then be fully covered to start

treetment without worry so going back to work would be a plus. I have

only caught bits and pieces of you all's story's and do have brain

fog so please take this with a grain of salt. Just hate to see

someone foot the whole bill for treetment and insurance company's are

not angles eather. If this was not right of me to say here please

tell me and I will not mention it again.Just can't help trying to

help. It's a gift and a curse at times. Thanks and best of luck

February 10, 2008

I know – the cost of COBRA coverage

is the full coverage paid by your former employer and they even have the right

to upcharge you an additional 2% for their administrative costs. That’s

why so many people stay in jobs they hate – I have a few friends who

provide their families coverage since their husbands have jobs that have no

insurance.

From: Hepatitis_C_Central [mailto:Hepatitis_C_Central ] On Behalf Of Lynne Dunham

Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2008

8:21 AM

To: Hepatitis_C_Central

Subject: RE:

Re: Deciding to treat

When I lost my job with insurance Cobra was 1200.00 for me, not

something that was an option. I did check into insurance for myself right

away thinking Cobra was the way to go till the other kicked in. The cost

was out of my limits. When I first heard the price reality that I was paying

600.00 a month and my company chipped in the rest, so the price was

normal. I wouldn’t be surprised if this is because I had Hep C

which raised the companies insurance premiums. Insurance companies are

big business, so I don’t buy this crap from politicians who voted at some

point to place these rules where they are today. How many times have we

heard of some family who child has cancer and lose their jobs because the

people they worked for just couldn’t keep them on with the way the

premiums were shooting up.

From: Hepatitis_C_Central

[mailto:Hepatitis_C_Central ]

On Behalf Of Dorothy

Sent: Sunday, February 10, 2008

7:49 AM

To: Hepatitis_C_Central

Subject: RE:

Re: Deciding to treat

The federal HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability &

Accountability Act) regulations cover you if you have continuity of

coverage. That’s why if you lose a job, it’s important to

pick up the COBRA coverage till you get another job and are covered

there. If you have continued coverage, no insurance company can refuse to

treat you for a pre-existing condition – this applies to group plans and

it applies to every state.

So if you lose a job and pick up COBRA and then get another job and

sign up for their group plan, you would be covered immediately with no

pre-existing condition wait. If you didn’t have insurance at the

time of enrollment, they can impose the waiting periods.

Most companies will pay your premium for the month if you quit at

the beginning of the month so if you plan to quit a job, do it after the first

of the month – chances are, you’ll at least get that month’s

insurance before you would have to begin paying yourself the following month.

And when you are notified of your COBRA election rights, you have 60 days

to decide whether to take it – and then, you have another 45 days to pay

so you have some breathing room if you’re not sure what to do. You

can always elect the coverage and then just not pay if you decide you

don’t need it or can’t afford it. Just elect it at the latest

date to stretch your time.

This all also assumes that you worked for an employer with 20 or

more employees and that you were covered by insurance there. Of course,

the key is that you can afford to pay the premiums for the time you are between

jobs.

From: Hepatitis_C_Central

[mailto:Hepatitis_C_Central ]

On Behalf Of Jackie on

Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2008

11:53 PM

To: Hepatitis_C_Central

Subject: RE:

Re: Deciding to treat

that is

horrible,, while Im NOT for government insurance by any means, this is awful,

to not treat a pre existing for 5 years,, thats obscene,, Heck, I'd move to

another state for treatment if I needed it and couldnt get treatment

covered,,

what would

happen if you had cancer and it came back prior to 5 years?? would you have

to wait to start chemo or any other treatment for the relapse of cancer ??

thats obscene..

Lynne Dunham

<lynnefamilyszabo> wrote:

It depends on what state you live in. Here is VA they passed

a law that only Blue Cross can treat any pre-existing conditions. It would cost

me about 1300.00 a month with no guarantee it wouldn’t go up. I

tried for temporary insurance and in VA it is 5 years wait on pre-existing conditions.

It just stinks that each state has their own way on controlling people from

getting health insurance. Luckily I have one more year to go, so you all

keep your fingers crossed that I don’t get sick for anything between now

and then.

Lynne

From: Hepatitis_C_Central

[mailto:Hepatitis_C_Central ]

On Behalf Of butchholland2002

Sent: Saturday, February 09, 2008

11:08 PM

To: Hepatitis_C_Central

Subject:

Re: Deciding to treat

I hope this is not

too unethical for here but if it helps someone get