I was let go today, and that means that the end of this month I no longer have my employers insurance. I already have a surgery date of jan 11th and I have been on a liquid protein diet already.

So now I am unemployed with no income and wont have insurance to have my surgery. What do I do? I tried to apply for something called Care Credit that you can get for medical expenses, but I am 20 and you have to be 21 to apply for that.

I get one last paycheck and I have a one year old son and bills that I will have to pay as well. I don't know what to do. I have come SO far and I've worked SO hard to get this surgery, and I'm soo close.

I feel like a failure, I cant give up though. I don't know how this is going to work. somebody....please. help me.

You're employer should be obligated to offer you "COBRA". You have to pay for COBRA yourself and it is quite expensive, but if you use your last paycheck to pay for it, perhaps it will cover you through the surgery and maybe you will have an new job by the time you are ready for your first fill. Just a suggestion.

I am very sorry to hear that you have been let go. Hang in there ... when a door closes, a window opens.

~Fran

If you live with your parents and they help support you, you can stay on their insurance until you're 26. I also think your employer has to offer you COBRA, which while expensive, won't cost as much as self-paying for the lapband.

If your insurance already approved your surgery, you should call them and ask what your options are. You might be able to continue with them and just pay your premiums.

You also might be able to qualify for medicaid.

Every state also has to have a program for those without insurance but you have to be without insurance for a certain period of time.

However, these various options might mean you might need to delay your surgery.

Good luck.

I think the above posters are right. You should be eligible for Cobra for 18 months or current timeframe per law. I personally would be calling the HR office immediately about that one.

Chances are your insurance may be good for 30 days. It is worth checking.

Everyone has the right idea.....get cobra and get through surgery. Then get on medicade to help with your insurance down the road. If you were approved I would personally pay the cobra. Plus I would want to find out for sure what they let u go for. Make sure it wasnt to save themselves a buck. I often wonder about that sometimes. I pray things work out for you!

i agree with Hummingbird.... i think you have to be covered for at least a month after you're let go. sooo you might be okay!!

i'll be keeping my fingers crossed for you!

I was let go today, and that means that the end of this month I no longer have my employers insurance. I already have a surgery date of jan 11th and I have been on a liquid Protein diet already.

So now I am unemployed with no income and wont have insurance to have my surgery. What do I do? I tried to apply for something called Care Credit that you can get for medical expenses, but I am 20 and you have to be 21 to apply for that.

I get one last paycheck and I have a one year old son and bills that I will have to pay as well. I don't know what to do. I have come SO far and I've worked SO hard to get this surgery, and I'm soo close.

I feel like a failure, I cant give up though. I don't know how this is going to work. somebody....please. help me.

Is your last paycheck after january 11th? If so, then aren't you technically on the books till that paycheck? I don't know anything about the CARE CREDIT and it sounds like you are too young for it. What about family to help?

I hope all goes well. You have come so far. Perhaps you can work out something with your employer. Good luck!

Thank you all. I've checkede out a few options. My current insurance ends the at the end of the month of termination. So Jan 1st I will no longer have the insurance. I CAN get the COBRA but you were all right about it being expensive. I was actually fired for something, but am appealing it immediately. I have already started the appeal process. If I end up being able to keep my job I will do so and will have no problem having the surgery.

I think what will end up happening is that I may not win my appeal battle, and will pay the outrageous amount for one more month to keep my insurance and have my lap band placed. I have already applied online for unemployment because my family cannot survive without my income.

I will also begin college next semester. between my loans and unemployment we will be fine until I can get a better job through my schooling. I am going early tomorrow morning to apply for the state insurance.

I guess everything happens for a reason right?

My old coverage would have covered my surgery but when I went on Cobra it was not covered. Bummer.

I was let go today, and that means that the end of this month I no longer have my employers insurance. I already have a surgery date of jan 11th and I have been on a liquid Protein diet already.

So now I am unemployed with no income and wont have insurance to have my surgery. What do I do? I tried to apply for something called Care Credit that you can get for medical expenses, but I am 20 and you have to be 21 to apply for that.

I get one last paycheck and I have a one year old son and bills that I will have to pay as well. I don't know what to do. I have come SO far and I've worked SO hard to get this surgery, and I'm soo close.

I feel like a failure, I cant give up though. I don't know how this is going to work. somebody....please. help me.

well, I think the above posters are correct about cobra, and getting on your parents insurance, but hey, you have insurance till the end of the month, and they already approved you, I would still go for it!!!

I don't live with my parents. I live on my own with my fiance and son. Although that would have worked out well =(. I am figuring out what can be done. I found out that the hospitals insurance that I have, I will only have untill the end of THIS MONTH so the 1st of january I have no more coverage. I am going to attempt today to call my surgeons office and see whether by the grace of God they have an open spot TOMORROW, which is the last day of this month, to do my surgery so that my insurance will still cover it. If not I WILL find a way to have my surgery my scheduled day. My brother in law *soon to be anyways* has offered to help us with a little cash if we need it, and my mother is a nurse so she MAY help as well.

I'm down because of everything that has happened but I still have hope. I'm doing everything I can to figure this out.

Thanks again for all of the advice.

PS. I get my last paycheck today. Since I was fired yesterday they have till the end of today to get it to me...or so I was told.

Because of the plan that Obama passed, you don't have to live with your parents, OR be a dependent to go back on their health insurance plan until you are 26. You just cannot have any other insurance available to you, which if the job doesn't work out, you won't. You will have to wait until your parents have open enrollment again, which happens once a year, so your surgery will most likely be delayed, but better late than never! I would absolutely talk to your parents about going back on their insurance plan. It will be worth it and will save you money.

Also I noticed you said you had a fiance'... once you are married you cannot be on your parents health insurance any longer, however..does your soon to be hubby have health insurance? You can be insured under his plan once you are married.

Ps- most open enrollment plans take place before the first of the year, and if thats the case with your parents, you have 2 days to get on their plan! Look into it.

Good luck.

Yes open enrollment is usually the begining of the year have your parents call/go to HR NOW (like this minute). However since you did have insurnce but no longer do that could be considered a "life change" and changes can be made at off times (like if you have a baby the baby can be added without having to wait until open enrollment.). I hate to be unromantic but if your fiance has a stable jobs with good health insurance; get married. One of my mothers biggest regrets in life is that my dad proposed many times and she put him off for like a year because she was young working and enjoying life. You can have a big party later; I've never understood saving up for a big wedding. It's just money down the toilet.

Honk....I married my hubby for the insurance..LOL...seriously I was losing my parents insurance after I graduated from college. I have a brain tumor so I HAVE TO HAVE insurance. We just celebrated our 9 yr anniversary. But it is true. I am getting my lapband on the 11th of Jan. However, its been 5 yrs in the making.First delay was my husband was layed off and lost his insurance. Next delay was Needed my tonsils out....Then I found out I was Prego...and then I got horrible infections after having my daughter. Then I had to wait for my doc to become a center of excellence...and FINALLY....here we are...but in my 5th month I got delayed because I had a fractured spleen. so 2 extra months but again FINALLY...we are here....

So my point to all this is that things sooooo happen for a reason. Head up and do what u need to do to get it done.