How To Get Medical Insurance While Unemployed

Filing For Bankruptcy To Pay Off Medical Debt

The Gallup poll cited at the beginning of this article shows 50% of those with unpaid medical debt fear theyll have to file for bankruptcy. But the poll also shows that only 3% go that route.

Filing for bankruptcy is expensive, including the cost of retaining a bankruptcy attorney. The chance of success is greatly reduced without one, because the process is complicated. According to the National Bankruptcy Forum, the average cost of a Chapter 7 bankruptcy is $1,250.

Those who file Chapter 7 bankruptcy, the most common kind, have a good chance of success. Debts were discharged for 94.6% of those filing Chapter 7 in 2019.

How Do I Get Health Insurance If I Work For Myself

If you are self-employed and have no employees, getting an individual plan through Healthcare.gov may be your best option unless you qualify for income-restricted Medicaid coverage.

“You would only qualify for a group plan option if you have at least one full-time W-2 employee enrolled in the plan as well,” says Neat. “Also, some trade associations and chambers of commerce offer plan options to small business owners. Or you may speak with a licensed health insurance agent specializing in individual health insurance policies.”

Affordability Exemption For Employer And Individual Coverage

The rule is that employer plans must cost 9.6 percent of the employees household income or less. Individual coverage that costs more than 8 percent of household income is not affordable. Applicants who cannot find coverage that is affordable under the ACA standards are exempt from the mandate and penalty.

An affordable employer-sponsored plan must not exceed 9.5 percent of household income, after the employers contribution. If the lowest-cost coverage costs more than eight percent of household income for self-only coverage, then such persons exempt from the health insurance mandate.

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How Does Health Insurance For The Unemployed Differ

Unlike with employer-sponsored health insurance, youre responsible for covering the premiums entire cost when you’re unemployed. This applies whether you purchase your unemployment health insurance through COBRA, the governments Marketplace, or a private provider.

The additional financial burden of paying for this health insurance with a reduced income further emphasizes the importance of shopping around and comparing plans to find the most economical option.

Can I Get Health Insurance Without A Job

BY Anna Porretta Updated on August 02, 2021

If you lose your employment for any reason, one of the biggest concerns is how to ensure your potential medical needs are covered. The good news is you can get health insurance without a job. While group health insurance is not an option for those without an employer, you can still qualify for individual or family plans. Individual health insurance offers all the same coverage options as you may find from employer-sponsored plans.

If you are unemployed, your employer doesnt offer health insurance, or you do not qualify for benefits offered at your job, you still have a few health insurance coverage options:

• COBRA
• Affordable Care Act insurance
• Individual or family health insurance

Most Americans do get their health insurance through their employer. According to a 2017 survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation about half of Americans get employee sponsored health insurance.Even if youre in the minority, you can still find unemployed health insurance thats right for you, your situation, and your budget. At eHealth, our licensed brokers have the expertise and experience to help you find the best individual or family health insurance plan for your needs and budget.

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Best For Telehealth: Cigna

All Cigna individual health insurance plans include free access to two of the largest virtual care networks in the United States, making Cigna our choice as best for telehealth.

• All individual plans include $0 virtual care

• Partners with two major telehealth networks

• $25 monthly copay limit on insulin

• Offers 24/7 customer service

• Dental coverage starts at $19 per month

• Individual plans only available in 10 states

• Policies must begin on the first day of the month

• Higher-than-average premiums

Access to telehealth services can be a lifesaver for anyone dealing with unemployment. Not only does virtual care save you the time and cost of getting to a doctors office, but you can also even get remote treatment for some minor ailments without having to pay for an in-person visit. Cigna includes $0 telehealth visits with all of its individual plans through partnerships with MDLive and Amwell, two of the largest telemedicine providers in the United States.

Virtual health visits arent the only advantage to purchasing health insurance from Cigna. In-house customer service is available 24 hours a day to answer questions and provide assistance. The company also places a $25 monthly out-of-pocket cost limit on insulin regardless of your coverage level.

Is There Lost Job Health Insurance

While theres no specific lost job health insurance, two main coverage options are available for you if youre unemployed:

• A COBRA plan allows you to extend the health care plan from your previous employer for up to 18 months after you leave a job. The disadvantage to this is COBRA is expensive and you have to pay for it yourself.
• You can buy a plan yourself through the Health Insurance Marketplace. For up to 60 days after you lose coverage through your job, you qualify for the Special Enrollment Period. During this time you can buy and enroll in a new plan. When applying, youll also find out if you qualify for federal financial assistance, such as tax premium credits or cost sharing reductions.

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How To Get Cobra

Group health plans must give covered employees and their families a notice explaining their COBRA rights. Plans must have rules for how COBRA coverage is offered, how beneficiaries may choose to get it and when they can stop coverage. For more COBRA information, see COBRA Premium Subsidy. The page links to information about COBRA including:

• 3 Ways the American Rescue Plan Helps People Who Lost Jobs Afford Health Coverage]

Check To See If You Qualify For Medicaid

Depending on your income and state, you may qualify for Medicaid, the national health insurance program for low-income individuals and families that’s jointly funded by federal and state governments. Medicaid enrollment takes place year-round and is based on monthly income, not annual income, and it’s essentially free for people who are eligible. You’re more likely to qualify if you live in one of the 37 states and D.C. that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that nearly 6 million adults right now qualify for Medicaid but aren’t enrolled.

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The 7 Best Health Insurance For Unemployed Of 2021

• Best Catastrophic Coverage: BlueCross BlueShield
• Best for Telehealth: Cigna

Sidecar Healths low-cost, no-commitment health insurance is flexible and affordable, making it the best overall for unemployed individuals.

• Enroll and cancel at any time

• Exclusions such as maternity vary by state

• Complicated claim process

• Fourteen-day waiting period from enrollment

• Available only in Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Texas

Sidecar Health, founded in 2018, is bringing innovation to health insurance with a totally reinvented approach to getting coverage. Instead of showing an insurance card at your doctors office, Sidecar Health sends you a payment card that is used to pay for your visit in cash. Since youre effectively paying out of pocket using the plan benefits, you can visit any doctor without being limited to a provider network. Unlike traditional insurance, you can sign up for coverage at any time there are no open enrollment periods to worry about.

Cobra Health Insurance: Key Points To Know

Pay attention to COBRA dates

• COBRA is not your only option, and its almost always your most expensive option.
• If the COBRA plan has multiple people on it, they can choose to enroll individually, even if that wasnt normally an option on your plan. This means that a child or spouse can enroll without the employee enrolling.
• You have 60 days to elect COBRA coverage.
• When you elect COBRA coverage, you are retroactively covered back to the day after you lost your coverage.
• After you elect coverage, you have another 45 days to pay your first premiums.

What this means is that you can pay nothing and go without insurance for 60 days. If something happens and you need expensive medical care during that time, you can elect COBRA, pay your premiums, and get your medical bills paid.

You can have up to 145 days to pay the initial premiums. If you get health insurance another way during this time , you can avoid paying anything for COBRA, while still being covered in the case of a major medical need. If youre using this method, just be very careful not to miss your window and end up without coverage.

For us, COBRA coverage was over $2,000/month for our family of 4. That was just not a feasible option while living on a low income.

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How Do You Get Health Insurance If You Are Unemployed

• Eligibility for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act depends on household income
• Unemployment compensation counts as income for Obamacare eligibility
• Persons with too little income for Obamacare may qualify for coverage through Medicaid
• Children and minors can get coverage through the Childrens Health Insurance Program
• Applicants that cannot find affordable health insurance may qualify for an exemption from the Individual Mandate and penalty
• Loss of insurance by loss of employment can create a special enrollment period for obtaining coverage after the open enrollment

Unemployed people can get health insurance coverage through Obamacare. When determining income for the Affordable Care Act, one must consider incomes for the entire family unit.

Income also includes various kinds of money payments including unemployment insurance payments, alimony, support payments, interest income, dividends, and capital gains from investments or real estate.

Even if youre unemployed, its not a bad idea to compare private health insurance plans and get an idea of what your options are as your situation improves. Enter your zip on our site to get free, personalized quotes!

Where To Get Help

You can call 211 and ask for help to be connected with local health insurance experts.

Experts called navigators help people sign up for health insurance and find the best plans that fit their needs.

Covering Wisconsin, a program based out of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, has navigators on staff to help people through the process. Their services are free. People wanting help can call 608-261-1455 or 414-400-9489 to set up an appointment.

A range of other organizations also have people who offer help often for free with enrolling in health coverage. That includes community health centers, such as:

“There’s many, many different resources out there to help them. They don’t have to navigate this process through the HealthCare.gov website because it can be complicated and kind of confusing for folks,” said Isabell, of Milwaukee Health Services.

Find more organizations that can help and their contact information at coveringwi.org/enroll.

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What Information Do I Need To Apply

To complete the online EI application, you will need the following personal information:

• your Social Insurance Number âif your SIN begins with a 9, you will need to provide proof of your immigration status and work permit
• your mother’s maiden name
• your mailing and residential addresses, including the postal codesâif you do not have a usual place of residence, you must apply in person at your local Service Canada Centre and
• your complete banking information, including the financial institution name and number, the branch number, and your account number, if you want to sign up for direct deposit.

When you apply for sickness benefits, you must also obtain a medical certificate signed by your doctor which indicates the expected period of incapacity. Be sure to keep this certificate in a safe place, since we may ask you to provide it to us later. We will let you know if we need you to submit your medical certificate when you complete your online application.

You will also need the following employment information if you are or were an employee:

If you are a self-employed person who has registered to access EI Special Benefits for Self-Employed People, you will also need to provide your medical certificate as well as your net self-employment earnings for the previous tax year .

What Does The Application Process Involve

During the Medi-Cal application process, you can apply online, by phone or in person. The application requires information about you and your family members that helps your local agency determine your eligibility. You will need to provide these details about each person your household:

• Age
• Identification
• Citizenship

The information required for each family member depends on their age, disability status and other factors. As you apply for Medi-Cal, you will need the following documents:

• Social Security numbers: Every applicant who has a Social Security number needs to provide it to make the application process faster. Social Security numbers help your county social services office verify your information.
• Immigration documents: Anyone on your application who doesnt have American citizenship can submit immigration documents to determine their eligibility for other services. Undocumented adults cannot get Medi-Cal, but undocumented children can qualify.
• Income and employment information: Adults who receive income need to provide information about their unemployment benefits or employment. The required documents can vary and could include proof of unemployment benefits or pay stubs.
• Federal tax information: The head of the household and their dependents need to provide their federal tax information. You could still become eligible for Medi-Cal even if you dont file taxes.

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Getting Health Insurance While Unemployed Is Possible And Necessary

Acquiring health insurance while unemployed may seem like a hard task. The truth is though, private and public groups have a plethora of options available to individuals. The trick is to dive into all of your options and come to a conclusion on which is best for you. We hope our list of possibilities has served as an excellent jumping-off point for your search.

Would you like additional information on finding coverage? If you would, we welcome you to browse related content in our digital publication.

Options For Health Insurance While Unemployed

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How Do I Get Medi

You can get Medi-Cal through Covered California and your county social services office. You will soon also have the option to apply through Health for California. These services offer multiple ways to apply so you can choose an option that works for your schedule and preferences. Your county office and insurance plan will contact you when you become enrolled so you can get started.

Selecting The Best Fit For Unemployed Applicants

Costs and budgeting may be a high priority for unemployed persons. It is important to update application figures to reflect unemployment and future earnings. Comparison shopping is an ideal method for assessing the features of plans that matter most. These might be facilities, in-network services, or locations.

For those seeking to lower costs, the degree of out-of-pocket expenses may be the most important factor. Comparison shopping is a tool for the consumer to get the best plan for their individual or family situation.

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What Are Your Health Insurance Options If Youre Unemployed

11 Minute Read | September 10, 2021

Life happens. We get that.If you lost your job, we know youre not just worried about when your next paycheck will arrive, theres also that other nagging thought in the back of your mind: What about my health insurance?

If youre no longer covered by your employers group health insurance, you might be assuming that your health care options are limited. And now it may feel like all you can think about is how to get health insurance between jobs.

But dont lose hope. Take a deep breath. There are options out there to protect your health care until youre back on your feet!

The Subsidies Apply To Both Premiums And Out

The unemployment-based subsidies are two-fold:

• They provide full premium subsidies, which means they fully cover the cost of the benchmark plan in your area.
• They provide the most robust level of cost-sharing reductions, which means theyll boost the benefits of any Silver-level plan so that its better than a Platinum plan.

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