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Husband getting new job thus changing insurance companies



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I am so mad right now - I don't know how to feel!!! We have been struggling alot lately with our budget and extra money - money is really tight. My husband started looking for a new job with "higher commission potential" smack dead in the middle of me going through the pre-op clearences - I had my second support group last night and my physch evaluation is scheduled for next Tuesday. This is the last thing I need to do before everything is submitted to insurance.

He is going in for a second round of interviews this week and has no idea of what the insurance is or when benefits are effective for new hires! The last time we spoke about this, and I mentioned the surgery – and how him changing jobs would directly effect me not being able to get the surgery on time or not being able to get the surgery period!

He just says, I can still get it but with the new insurance. Well I don't know what the new carrier will be!!!! I already talked to my current insurance company (United Healthcare, Choice Plus) and they cover the surgery 100%, since my <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:stockticker>BMI</st1:stockticker> is over 40. I guess I am just ranting but I get so angry knowing that this may push everything back or call everything off all together – because of the new job! :)

Is it selfish of me to think like this? Any ideas of how I can approach him about this without causing a HUGE blow-up, I do not have the patience! I am this *!* close to forbidding him to take the new job until after my surgery – OR ELSE! :angry

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Hi brownbeauty :wave:

Do you know how much longer you have until submitting to insurance and surgery date? Can he hold the new potential employer off until after your surgery?

There's always the chance he won't get this job too, right?

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Can he not give them a start date after the surgery or does this job need him asap? Could he talk to the new employer and explain that his wife is going thru a medical procedure and he will need the ins coverage until you are able to have it. Could he extend his current ins coverage thru cobra until you have it done? Could he ask his employer if there is an option to start new coverage right away- my hubby's employer had an option to start coverage immediately but we would have to pay the employers portion as well as our portion until 6months were up. I think you husband should explain to the new employer that you have a need for a medical procedure asap and see what options are that they provide. If they want him bad enough they may be willing to work with him on start date, or immidiate coverage. Also if not, could all the files be transfered to the new ins so you won't have to start from the beginning? Have him ask those questions to the potiential employer, and have him find out what ins they provide and get a phone # for them and call and talk to them to see if the files can be transfered. You never know they may be glad not to have to pay for the previous pre-op routien.

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It seems kinda ignorant on your hubby's part by not knowing what kind of ins he will be putting his family into. I mean what if it is minimal coverage and you end up having to pay out the ass for everything. In my opinion one of the first things he should have done was find out what kind of ins coverage he will be subjecting his family to, I mean if he was single and only worrying about himself it might be fine, but as far a him having a family the insurance care for family should be a #1 priority on his list. I mean better money is always good, but if the ins is crappy the extra money will be spent on medical.

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You can always get COBRA I think you keep your insurance and only have to pay so much a month to keep that insurance for however long you need it. It is kinda expensive like 500 a month but it is an option.

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brownbeauty I know what you are going through. It is hard to have this added stress about insurance on you while going through all of the pre op appointments. I went through almost the same thing. My husband wasn't looking for a new job. He promised me that he wouldn't until I had my surgery. The company that he works for was up for sale. Twice before I had the surgery we were told that it was sold. We didn't know when the take over date would be, what insurance we would have, or if he would even still have a job. I just kept believing that it would work out. I kept going to my appointments. If the dates seemed to far away I called to see if there were any cancellations so I could get in sooner. That usually worked. I stayed on top of everyone to make sure my doctors office had all of the results as quickly as possible to submit to the insurance. I'm sure they all thought I was a big pain in the butt. Everything did work out.

I don't know what I would have done if my husband wasn't supportive through the whole thing. Does your husband know how much this means to you? I don't really have any advise for you on how to get him to wait until after your surgery other then to tell him how much this really means to you. I hope that it works out and that you don't have to put off your surgery. Do you think that your husband will at least agree to only take the job if they offer insurance that will cover your surgery?

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If your husband asks for information on the benefits package, they'll give it to him. We almost hired someone here who needed to know what the benefits were because his wife sees very specific specialists and he needed to know if they were in the plan. We were more than happy to provide him the information, and his asking for that had nothing to do with why he was not hired.

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Keep in mind even if your husband switches job you can carry your current insurance under COBRA for up to 18 months. Also keep in mind that the new insurance might not kick in for a long time. Again it does cost more but you would be able to get your coverage. I have the same insurance that you have and if you have everything in line you should get approval in less than 30 days. I was approved in less than 14 days.

Chris

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I am kinda going though the same thing my company is change from UHC choice plus to Aetna who has a lot of requirements so I already have a date just waiting to be approve so I can get it done this year:whoo:

can u schedule the surgery so when u get approve u want have to wait for a surgery date. he have to put in a 2 week anyway for the old job that's a little more time. :embarassed:

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Some insurance companys will allow you to keep current policies after you change or quit/get fired from a job. I would be calling them and finding out. Just to be sure.

You would have to pay the policy yourself for a few months. but it can save you a ton in the long run. And possibly save you from having to put off the band for 6months or a year.

Allot of times when you start a new job its 6 months to a year before you can get insurance coverage depending on what company the new employer uses. My other half's was a year for BCBS.

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How long is your husband insurance in effect after he leaves the company. You then have 60 days to elect COBRA. I suggest that you talk to the doctors office and medical facility and see what there policy is. Everyone is differant on how they handle things. I have heard that some people had to pay it all up front and then get money back from the insurance company.

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