If you've lost health insurance coverage as a result of a qualifying life event, you might have opted for COBRA coverage. The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act lets you keep your group health insurance for a limited time in cases of death, divorce, job loss, changing jobs or a reduction in the number of hours worked. Even if you are able to afford paying the high premiums associated with COBRA, however, you eventually will need new health insurance after COBRA is depleted.
Step 1
Find new employment offering health care benefits. If you elected COBRA coverage because you were laid off or lost health insurance through a former spouse, you should search for employment that offers health care benefits. Try to get a new job at least 90 days before your COBRA is to expire. Many employers do not offer health insurance to employees until they complete a probationary period.
Step 2
Consider purchasing individual or family health insurance if you are unable to obtain coverage through an employer. This is one option if you are self-employed or are a college student. Buying health insurance on your own can be expensive. Also, if you have a pre-existing health condition, you might have difficulty being approved for health insurance.
Step 3
Contact the insurance board in your state to determine whether you live in an area that offers guaranteed health insurance coverage to individuals regardless of pre-existing conditions. Some states have one or more health care providers that must extend coverage to individuals or families even if they have prior health problems. However, even if your state offers this type of coverage, the premiums might be too expensive.
Step 4
Go to your local office of public assistance to apply for Medicaid benefits. If you have a low income, you might qualify for medical assistance. You will be required to complete an application to determine whether or not you are eligible. You also might apply for the Children's Health Insurance Plan (CHIP) in your state--this offers health insurance for uninsured children not eligible for other forms of publicly funded health care. In many cases, a family's income is too high to qualify children for a state Medicaid program, yet too low to afford health insurance. According to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, enrollment data collected by the states shows that in 2008 nearly 7.5 million of the nation's children were enrolled in CHIP sometime during the year, an increase from the previous year.
Step 5
Talk to a caseworker at your county public welfare office for other options if your income is too high to receive medical assistance. Some states offer other coverage for people who do not qualify for Medicaid, but who still do not earn enough to get insurance coverage on their own. Apply for any options available to you, even if you are uncertain whether you will qualify.
Tips and Warnings
- If you are applying for individual or family health insurance coverage on your own, contact the health-insurance provider to determine if you are covered by HIPAA. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act makes it impossible for an insurance company to deny you for pre-existing coverage under certain circumstances.
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