Does Cobra medical work when moving to a new job in another state?

Question

I am 7.5 months pregnant and live in California. My husband is interviewing for jobs in the Atlanta, GA metro area. We are not sure when he would get a new job or when he would be expected to start. If I give birth while we are still here in CA he would still be employed by his current company and covered by his Blue Shield insurance. But if we move before then, we would need insurance to cover medical care for myself and the baby. Will we be able to get Cobra to cover us for the birth or will we need to look into other options for insurance? It could be a case where we are asked to move within 30 days, and that would mean 2 weeks notice at his company, plus moving and being covered continously.

We know this isn't the best time to relocate but it is happening and we are working with it. Any advice? Should we look into Cobra if the job arises before birth or something else? And will it cover us anywhere in the country?

Answer 1

COBRA "Consolidate Omnibus Reconciliation Act" of 1965 says that you have the right to continue your major medical coverage for 18-36 months after you leave your current job. It also allows you to keep the major medical coverage until such time that you are able to obtain another major medical policy, hence eliminating any pre-existing conditions clause. In your case, you got pregnant before the coverage ended, so the company is obligated to pay your expenses for child birth as well as any extenuating costs for the newborn child. You should check into this with his major medical carrier. You will not qualify for maternity benefits with a new carrier at this time. The shortest waiting period that I know of in existence for maternity coverage is ninety days, meaning that you would not be covered for any pregnancies which occur within ninety days of obtaining the policy.  Most companies will make you wait anywhere from ninety days to one year. In short terms, the insurance company is obligated to pay for the birth, even if you don't make any cobra payments to the plan. If you do make cobra payments to the plan, then you and your husband will be covered until he gets his new major medical insurance with the company. If I were you, I would look at a short term medical that would exclude the pregnancy. It would be the cheaper way to go and still have major medical coverage. Let the old company pay for the pregnancy, and pick up short term for you and your husband until the new company's policy kicks in.

Answer 2

You will need to check with the insurance company. COBRA plans don't necessarily transfer across state lines. If you have an HMO you need to see a doctor in the network. BCBS is different in each state - they are individually owned and are not the same company - and the BCBS network in GA does not have to honor BCBS of CA policy holders.

Unfortunately, you don't have any other options with insurance unless you can get on a group plan immediately (group plans must cover maternity with no waiting period and no exclusions). No individual insurance company is going to accept anyone that's pregnant and most won't accept the husband or children, either. Short term policies do not cover maternity nor will they accept anyone pregnant.

Answer 3

Yes Cobra will cover regardless of what state you are in.  You need to transfer to BCBS of Georgia as soon as you are able to do that.  Call the company in California and tell them your plans to move and ask what forms need to be completed to transfer.  You can find many answers to health insurance questions at sites like http://www.lvhealthins.com

Answer 4

Yes.  Cobra should cover you even if you move out of state.  However, the bad news.  You pay full premium for the cost of the health coverage.  Which can be 4 times what you where paying through work.  A bud of mine went through a similiar occurance, where he moved from California to Arizona.  His cobra payment for medical and dental insurance for himself, and a daughter is over $800 a month.