General Discussion

Liberty Belle

(9,706 posts)

116. The "life event" has a huge loophole

Sat Sep 26, 2015, 10:26 PM

Sep 2015

He had 2 months severance pay. and they look at the past year's income, which was high; mine was more than too. Trust me we have argued with Covered CA people til we are blue in the face - I tried, my hubby tried and our insurance agent tried. We couldn't believe it either, seemed like a Kafkaesque nightmare.

We have appealed all the way up the line and even had our Assemblywoman's office fight for us, to no avail.

My only remaining hope is our Congressional rep, and her office is trying to look into this at the federal level and see if possibly there is some sort of executive action that they could ask the Obama office to take to protect people in our situation.

My suggestion to her is if you are laid off and your COBRA is more than 9.5% of your household income as the ACA says you should not have to pay more than that for healthcare, then you should be eligible for subsidized ACA plans immediately, with no waiting until open enrollment. I think she is going to suggest that, just heard from her aide late today.

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My hellacious health care nightmare -- Obamacare has ruined me [View all] Liberty Belle Sep 2015 OP

Why isn't the trucker paying your expenses? He or his company should have insurance. Frustratedlady Sep 2015 #1

Eventually he probably wlil have to pay Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #5

Settlement is for pain and suffering REP Sep 2015 #12

Well I'm definitely racking up pain and suffering.... Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #17

File a pip claim artislife Sep 2015 #71

What is a pip claim? Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #109

personal insurance protection artislife Sep 2015 #137

Thanks. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #206

Talk to your claims adjuster artislife Sep 2015 #218

It will help you get the medical attention you need. artislife Sep 2015 #219

Thanks, finally a positive suggestion here--I will try that. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #227

Great, you will be using his/her insurance then artislife Sep 2015 #237

Which provision of Obamacare ruined your life? CreekDog Sep 2015 #192

Paying 75% of our income for healthcare premiums the next several months, Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #205

Obamacare doesn't require you to pay 75% of income in healthcare premiums CreekDog Sep 2015 #214

There is a CA provision that conflicts with the ACA 9.5% limit on what you're supposed to pay Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #228

The hospital doesn't care forthemiddle Sep 2015 #51

An obtuse reply KentuckyWoman Sep 2015 #2

Yes I have always supported single payer - Howard Dean had that right. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #9

I'm mad at the Dems for that too. PatrickforO Sep 2015 #22

Joe Lieberman single handedly stopped lowering the Medicare eligibility age Warpy Sep 2015 #33

If it wasn't him it would have been someone else Fumesucker Sep 2015 #186

Probably, and Congress was full of DLC dead wood at the time Warpy Sep 2015 #193

Um, Ms. Yertle Sep 2015 #48

Howard Dean was not for single payer in 2004 karynnj Sep 2015 #50

The insurance of the driver who hit you covers your expenses, not your insurance REP Sep 2015 #3

Sometimes your car insurance covers and then goes after the other driver's insurance. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #10

I had them bill the other driver's carrier REP Sep 2015 #14

First thing I would do VMA131Marine Sep 2015 #4

I may have to eventually Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #18

I don't know your entire situation but you may qualify truedelphi Sep 2015 #26

That's awful, sending women home a half day after masectomies. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #245

The other insurer will want to settle. So if you involve a lawyer NOW pnwmom Sep 2015 #32

Not "eventually". Do it now Starboard Tack Sep 2015 #35

Please pay attention to this carefully.... GO TO A LAWYER RIGHT NOW! Do not wait, do not pass go, underahedgerow Sep 2015 #38

The other side will not make a reasonable offer I can assure you vankuria Sep 2015 #108

You should already have a lawyer . They will work with your insurance company Person 2713 Sep 2015 #177

Right. Get a lawyer, and do it NOW. Midnight Writer Sep 2015 #23

This is probably the best advice here. n/t pnwmom Sep 2015 #31

All well and good but I also have to get a CAR first before I can do anything Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #110

The bills will start coming in soon.... Lars39 Sep 2015 #178

You can call lawyers on the phone . Crying ACA known imperfections may make you feel happy Person 2713 Sep 2015 #179

But you're forgetting we were hurting BEFORE the accident Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #204

I have a lawyer in the family. But when the other driver has lousy insurance Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #229

Absolutely! Wrongful injury lawyers love this stuff. YOHABLO Sep 2015 #27

The truck drivers insurance will cover this riderinthestorm Sep 2015 #6

Hopefully Captain Stern Sep 2015 #165

... alcibiades_mystery Sep 2015 #7

Thanks for the laugh.... Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #16

Auto insurance? kaycee22 Sep 2015 #8

Once the cost goes over $5,000 I have to pay up front and wait to get a settlement someday Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #13

Universal healthcare is still what we need. WDIM Sep 2015 #11

Amen, universal healthcare is the answer. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #15

If "dire straits" means you are now poor then go to the local jwirr Sep 2015 #77

We are $100 a month over the Medicaid or Medical limits. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #207

I did get an out of network doctor covered fully by Anthem ACA flamingdem Sep 2015 #19

Maybe I should try again, but I already did ask for a Supervisor, Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #226

You don't have to get an out of network referral flamingdem Sep 2015 #256

I'm so sorry this is happening to you. pugetres Sep 2015 #20

Yep - it was all for the insurance companies FreakinDJ Sep 2015 #21

The answer is single payer with low deductibles and low co-pays and everything JDPriestly Sep 2015 #24

we need to tightly control pharmaceutical companies reddread Sep 2015 #41

The health care system in the EU is deteriorating rapidly CountAllVotes Sep 2015 #176

I have a family member who lost his job in CA and was LibDemAlways Sep 2015 #25

I don't understand how he was "forced" into COBRA. In my state, you can choose pnwmom Sep 2015 #30

Nobody is forced to sign up for COBRA. Even before the ACA, that was the case, so I am not sure still_one Sep 2015 #34

The ACA was not yet in effect when he lost his job. LibDemAlways Sep 2015 #63

Thank you for spelling out the in's and out's of what truedelphi Sep 2015 #106

The OP was paying $700 a month for her individual policy in 2012 -- MORE pnwmom Sep 2015 #115

you cannot just go and get on an exchange - truedelphi Sep 2015 #184

LOL. I'm not a physician. But I helped my son pick a plan on the exchange, pnwmom Sep 2015 #185

you can't if you have severance pay. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #240

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^n/t truedelphi Sep 2015 #258

My premium went way down after that old post 3 years ago. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #236

He could not do the exchange because he had 2 months severance pay, Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #111

He had 2 months severance pay so couldn't get into the exchange Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #242

you need to be more clear. tammywammy Sep 2015 #250

I'm paying $891. monthly... Contrary1 Sep 2015 #28

What does that mean? Is that for just you or your family. What kind of plan is it? With Medicare still_one Sep 2015 #42

I think she meant Medicaid, not Medicare. forthemiddle Sep 2015 #54

I agree. I was trying to find out more details. I used the cost of Medicare as an example that two still_one Sep 2015 #59

Silver. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #231

That's a lot of money. I hope things get better still_one Sep 2015 #239

I did, you're correct. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #244

That's just for me... Contrary1 Sep 2015 #62

That is expensive, no question about it, and you are not alone. When I got laid off, I didn't still_one Sep 2015 #70

When you are truly poor THEN it is Medicaid. jwirr Sep 2015 #78

So you understand. Nobody should have to pay that much for healthcare. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #216

There's a lot here that's hard to understand. I'm afraid you might be getting bad advice. pnwmom Sep 2015 #29

There are a lot of details missing in these stories. Medicare doesn't have an income limit, but still_one Sep 2015 #37

The "life event" has a huge loophole Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #116

That is terrible news. I have a question. If someone signs up for COBRA, couldn't they sign up for still_one Sep 2015 #153

Yes, they can sign up during the next open enrollment period. n/t tammywammy Sep 2015 #156

Thanks, that is what I assumed still_one Sep 2015 #158

Thank you for understanding. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #223

What I omitted in my original post Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #243

No, he had 2 months severance pay so they counted that as income. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #113

Wow what a mess Jesus Malverde Sep 2015 #36

Truth! 'Obamacare does not provide healthcare. YabaDabaNoDinoNo Sep 2015 #40

and exactly where would they have gotten the votes for single payer? The blue dogs had made it very still_one Sep 2015 #43

I understand very well how gov works and I also know the blue dogs, conserver a dem YabaDabaNoDinoNo Sep 2015 #46

All I was pointing out is the argument has been put many times that we had a chance for single payer still_one Sep 2015 #60

Wouldn't it have been helpful nationalize the fed Sep 2015 #47

No argument, Baucus was not the best person for what we call the ACA. However, regardless, when the still_one Sep 2015 #61

Baucus's idea was statewide insurance co-ops Recursion Sep 2015 #72

I don't buy the argument that the ACA is a complete disaster, it has helped a lot of folks still_one Sep 2015 #79

Oh it's definitely done a lot of good Recursion Sep 2015 #80

That is essentially what they do with Medicare. Problem is in some states like Texas, a lot of still_one Sep 2015 #84

That was just noise from the Hill; maybe Roll Call ran the story? Recursion Sep 2015 #90

Yes, one thing I'm upset with is Obama Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #238

I buy some of my medications from Canada which is a huge savings even over Medicare part D Jim Beard Sep 2015 #39

The only thing one needs to do is insure the Canadian pharmacy is an accredited one, and reliable. still_one Sep 2015 #44

I love my Obamacare. I have medicare now and my Obamacare was underthematrix Sep 2015 #45

Good suggestion, thank you. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #235

Job loss qualifies your husband for covered ca without waiting for the new enrollment period. displacedtexan Sep 2015 #49

I hope she reads your excellent advice. pnwmom Sep 2015 #56

You are correct, no one is forced to stay with Cobra, but if someone loses their job, California or still_one Sep 2015 #64

No it doesn't. No energy to retype over and over. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #114

Thank you for again clarifying the COBRA problem. LibDemAlways Sep 2015 #134

One more opinion and good wishes for Liberty Belle Joanie Baloney Sep 2015 #159

We did, and so did our agent. They were very uncooperative. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #212

Thank you for confirming that your relative had the same problems. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #234

We have called covered ca many times. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #233

Your Anger Should Be Toward The DLC Third Way That Would Not Allow A Single Payer Discussion cantbeserious Sep 2015 #52

Get a Lawyer and call your car insurance company. The trucks insurance will pay, a Lawyer and your Sunlei Sep 2015 #53

Oh, yes, the Republicans who killed a chance for healthcare in the 90s valerief Sep 2015 #55

I'm sorry... pinebox Sep 2015 #57

There was no other policy to choose! Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #112

I'm glad you were helped. I hope they keep whatever worked for you, and fix Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #247

Sure! pinebox Sep 2015 #252

You also once claimed electricity was "leaking" Codeine Sep 2015 #58

+1 n/t tammywammy Sep 2015 #75

And that SmartMeters cause illness REP Sep 2015 #163

They do. California's PUC got thousands of complaints from people Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #225

That's the worst kind of bogus nonsense. Codeine Sep 2015 #251

Post removed Post removed Sep 2015 #213

Why does this sound like SheilaT Sep 2015 #65

Not true Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #118

There are more than a few mean and nasty people on DU Fumesucker Sep 2015 #187

Needed that, thanks! Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #209

because someone has an opinion that differs with yours? Facility Inspector Sep 2015 #249

Mandatory health coverage and unemployment are a disasterous result. Rex Sep 2015 #66

Post removed Post removed Sep 2015 #68

Oh I thought she says she is unemployed. Rex Sep 2015 #69

I read this as an auto insurance beef, not an ACA issue Brother Buzz Sep 2015 #73

Have not watched that show yet, I should because I loved Rex Sep 2015 #74

I'm cable challenged Brother Buzz Sep 2015 #83

Excuse me? The ACA is a HUGE problem. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #121

so you think paying 75% of our income for health premiums through the ACA is okay? Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #215

Nonprofit, no income, volunteering to run the magazine Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #119

You've posted that your the editor yourself on here, including your name tammywammy Sep 2015 #124

I'm confused. zappaman Sep 2015 #129

And that's not the only time she's mentioned being editor of East County Magazine. tammywammy Sep 2015 #135

Oh, stop your silly threats. Codeine Sep 2015 #150

I asked the moderator to hide the post above Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #136

It violates no laws to mention something you've mentioned time and time again here yourself herding cats Sep 2015 #140

It doesn't violate shit. Codeine Sep 2015 #145

moderator remove the post above - it violates HiPPA privacy by outing my identity and is false Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #117

You've said here before that is who you are. herding cats Sep 2015 #138

Bogus hide tammywammy Sep 2015 #144

Thank you! herding cats Sep 2015 #146

Omg Nadine works for her Egnever Sep 2015 #255

I'd like to make one thing clear. herding cats Sep 2015 #257

Since when is posting to a message board Codeine Sep 2015 #151

Wow. zappaman Sep 2015 #152

Not a disaster under the ACA. She lives in a state with subsidies, as the ACA was intended to have. pnwmom Sep 2015 #85

You are so right, after a job loss one can apply to ACA right then flamingdem Sep 2015 #92

Right. I think the system is probably too complicated for many people. pnwmom Sep 2015 #93

But the enrollment period exceptions are clearly there top of the home page so I'm calling bullshit. bettyellen Sep 2015 #94

Speaking from experience - my very intelligent friend was laid off flamingdem Sep 2015 #96

If the claim wasn't "couldn't get" it, I'd not be suspicious either.... bettyellen Sep 2015 #97

I see what you mean flamingdem Sep 2015 #104

There are a lot of trade-offs to consider, and so it is a complicated decision pnwmom Sep 2015 #100

I've found it to be top notch so far flamingdem Sep 2015 #103

My son has also been pleased with his plan. pnwmom Sep 2015 #105

We DID try that. We reported our change in circumstances. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #224

N O HE COULD NOT!!!! HE HAD 2 MONTHS SEVERANCE PAY. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #120

our 2 elected representatives are trying to get us some help. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #221

Goodluck! Rex Sep 2015 #254

I am so sorry to hear your story. threethirteen Sep 2015 #67

I was self-employed, can't get disability. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #246

Who's your attorney on the vehicle crash? MineralMan Sep 2015 #76

Why couldn't your husband get onto Covered CA LuvLoogie Sep 2015 #81

There's a lot of bs here. Codeine Sep 2015 #82

Does not pass the smell test one bit.... bettyellen Sep 2015 #87

This post survived an alert. X_Digger Sep 2015 #141

My thanks to the jurors. nt Codeine Sep 2015 #149

Aww, they think they are a special snowflake! Marrah_G Sep 2015 #188

To the person here who questioned n my alert effort on this post Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #142

I did not out you, champ. Codeine Sep 2015 #148

Maybe you outed income made in the past year Person 2713 Sep 2015 #180

She's posted her income on here before tammywammy Sep 2015 #181

That's what I mean that although small, perhaps the income now needs to be stated as none Person 2713 Sep 2015 #182

Aren't you special? Marrah_G Sep 2015 #189

We are in our 50s, too young for Medicare and not poor enough, just barely. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #222

The ACA was never intended to be a perfect solution. It was all that was possible at the totodeinhere Sep 2015 #86

I agree on Sanders Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #133

Baloney - anyone eligible for Cobra is eligible for ACAor exchanges. Fix your OP or let the lie bettyellen Sep 2015 #88

Here's the Covered California webpage about COBRA tammywammy Sep 2015 #89

WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #122

You should really just add "DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM?" to every post. Marrah_G Sep 2015 #190

Are you aware at all that California is a state with 37 million truedelphi Sep 2015 #101

So true. Back when employers provided healthcare it was so much better. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #139

You are poorly informed. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #143

yup, that is correct, and it isn't just California still_one Sep 2015 #155

Nope -he could "get onto Covered CA " instead of COBRA and it's right there on page one... bettyellen Sep 2015 #166

You don't know what you are talking about. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #232

The ACA was an option- not something they "couldn't get". Subsidies? Not enough info.... bettyellen Sep 2015 #253

Actually that is not accurate. The way it is now, once you sign up for COBRA you cannot sign up for still_one Sep 2015 #154

yes but they could have signed up- and in that way, the OP is blaming Obama for THEIR CHOICE. bettyellen Sep 2015 #167

I think the OP is expressing short comings with the ACA which have adversely still_one Sep 2015 #168

you say vibrato, I say willfully inaccurate. a long winded "thanks Obama!" from someone who at the bettyellen Sep 2015 #169

Vibrato, Tomato... (sorry about that). It is an unfair rant from the OP for sure, and of course the still_one Sep 2015 #171

I'm sorry this is happening to you Liberty. I almost died from lack of health insurance and not Dont call me Shirley Sep 2015 #91

Under the ACA you get a policy and the amount you pay for it treestar Sep 2015 #95

We are $100 a month over the Medicaid or Medical limit a month Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #126

Then you can get an ACA policy for a premium of far less treestar Sep 2015 #147

The law is HIPAA and reposting info that you provided about yourself here is not Gormy Cuss Sep 2015 #175

Medicare is means-tested now? nt geek tragedy Sep 2015 #98

I meant Medi-Cal, the CA version of Medicare, sorry, misspoke on that. n/t Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #128

Glorious, etc., etc. tabasco Sep 2015 #99

According to a 2012 post, you used to pay $700 monthly before Obamacare. MORE than now. pnwmom Sep 2015 #102

That was for a couple months when I had cancer and then it went down. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #123

The real problem I think isn't the ACA -- it's California's lack of price controls. pnwmom Sep 2015 #125

you're right about the need for price controls on insurance rate hikes. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #127

I am sorry for all your troubles. phylny Sep 2015 #107

On your last point, the need for single-payer, I hope we can ALL agree. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #130

I don't think anyone would disagree with that on DU. The problem is in the current Congressional still_one Sep 2015 #157

Consider yourself lucky, my daughter died under your Conservative selfishness Stargazer99 Sep 2015 #131

I am very sorry for your loss but I am not a conservative. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #132

Still waiting to hear which provision of Obamacare ruined your life CreekDog Sep 2015 #200

Nothing is worse than what you have been through, and I am so sorry for your loss. However, I think the still_one Sep 2015 #160

You might learn to ignore medical bill collectors and how to live with a low credit rating. hunter Sep 2015 #161

People forget that: we are a very rich developing nation Recursion Sep 2015 #162

That is the sad reality for so many people. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #208

Sorry for your troubles... onpatrol98 Sep 2015 #164

any hospital care thru emergency room should be coverered dembotoz Sep 2015 #170

Clarification jjct2012 Sep 2015 #172

The OP has said repeatedly....... WillowTree Sep 2015 #173

That's all correct and sadly Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #241

You're in a rotten situation, Liberty. WillowTree Sep 2015 #248

It's not a violation of HIPAA SheilaT Sep 2015 #174

A lot of wrong information in this OP. stopbush Sep 2015 #183

We did claim a life changing event with the job loss. See my explanations in the other threads. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #230

The ACA saved my life. n/t Marrah_G Sep 2015 #191

a) It's only been two days. "Ruined" might be an overstatement. lumberjack_jeff Sep 2015 #194

my thought also. Liberal_in_LA Sep 2015 #195

To summarize the op lumberjack_jeff Sep 2015 #197

I don't read that she canceled her insurance tammywammy Sep 2015 #198

You're right. I read it wrong - I thought the issue was that she's uninsured. lumberjack_jeff Sep 2015 #202

Ehh, I drive 25 miles one way to work. tammywammy Sep 2015 #203

interesting thought... Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #217

I didn't know contracted specialists were far away. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #211

you're confused, I didn't drop Obamacare, I still have it but we are paying 75% of our income for it Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #220

Sounds like your beef is with managed care, not the ACA KamaAina Sep 2015 #196

Aetna pulled out of the individual market in California. tammywammy Sep 2015 #199

Yep I had Aetna before. Liberty Belle Sep 2015 #210

I thought they merged with another company SoCalDem Sep 2015 #260

With your and your spouses income I'm sure Med-Cal can help demosincebirth Sep 2015 #201

Profit over People ReactFlux Sep 2015 #259