How To Understand Your COBRA Rights

COBRA, or Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, gives you the right to continued group insurance under most circumstances for a limited time. COBRA benefits are usually more expensive than the group rates you paid while employed as your former employer is no longer footing part of the bill, but in many cases is less expensive than independent insurance. For some situations, it might be the only method to keep insurance for situations like ongoing treatment and pregnancy.

What is COBRA?

The Untied States Government passed the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act in 1986 to extend health care coverage that might otherwise be terminated. It gives you options when it comes to healthcare.

Who Qualifies?

There are many situations that qualify you, your spouse or your dependents for COBRA benefits. In most cases, unless you were fired for gross misconduct, you, your spouse and dependents all qualify. Other circumstances also allow for benefits including death, divorce, qualification for Medicare, reduction in working hours and if a child outgrows dependent status.

Why COBRA?

If you were laid off or chose to leave a job, but don’t have another one with benefits already lined up, COBRA might be a nice way to bridge the gap without having to find other insurance. Benefits can last for one to three years and once you are approved, you can continue with the same methods of treatment you’ve been using up to that point. This is especially important for those with ongoing treatments for long term diseases, conditions and pregnancy where finding other insurance with the same coverage might be almost impossible.

COBRA benefits are often a bit less expensive than a similar plan through independent insurance.

What Do I Do?

When you leave a position or come into another situation which entitles you to COBRA benefits, you will receive a letter from your former employer within 14 days. You then can apply for benefits and your specific situation determines approval. Generally you have up to 60 days to apply, and coverage begins on the first day you would normally have had coverage – even if you elect the plan 60 days after that time.

For additional information, the United States Government has a list of FAQ available here.

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How To Get Insurance with Current Medical Condition

For years it was almost impossible to find insurance that adequately covered preexisting conditions. This is no longer the case in the United States following the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) which passed in 1997. Getting insurance with a current medical condition maybe easier than you think – in the United States at least.

Current Medical Conditions

According to HIPAA, a preexisting, or current, medical condition is anything that has been treated in the last six months. This does not include pregnancy or new babies. Those are not considered preexisting conditions at all and can not be subjected to wait periods. The only limitation an insurance agency can put on you (and your preexisting condition) is a twelve month waiting period before coverage for that treatment begins.

The Waiting Game

HIPPA also allows for your prior health insurance to be credited toward the twelve month waiting period provided you didn’t lapse in insurance for more than 62 days. This means that if you were diagnosed with an illness one year ago, but remained insured for that year, you no longer qualify for a waiting period and can begin new coverage immediately. An insurance company can not make you wait for treatment or deny you coverage based on that condition. This is true when going from one group plan to another, but things do become more complicated when a large insurance plan is not involved.

COBRA

If you are leaving a job for any reason but being fired, you can use your COBRA rights to continue your current benefits until you find a new job, preferably one with group coverage. COBRA will offer you the same insurance you had at your prior position, even if you are laid off, so your treatments should be covered for up to three years. During that time, you can find a new position or with the conclusion of treatments, lose your preexisting condition status.

No Coverage

If you are entering a group policy without insurance for the prior 62 days, you may be put on a twelve month waiting period – at least for the specific condition. This may also be true if you are seeking independent insurance not bound by group policies or limitations. If this is your case, consider taking the following steps to find coverage:

• Get a clause in an insurance plan excluding the specific medical condition, but allowing for coverage of any other sort.
• See what plans your state offers for those who can not get medical insurance.
• Look into plans and treatment options at county or state run facilities.
• Find a group of other independents to join that have a medical plan. (i.e. Realtors, artists, etc…)
• Get a catastrophic plan which doesn’t cover doctor’s visits, but does cover emergency care and hospital bills.
• Speak with a Health Benefits Counselor about your best options.
• Appeal the refusal – especially if there are additional state laws protecting citizens with poor health, obesity, etc…
• Wait it out. Find a way to make ends meet until the waiting period is up, and then never let your insurance lapse more than 62 days.

For additional information on insurance outside the United States, visit:

http://www.global-health-insurance.com/pre_existing_conditions.php

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How To Install a Sports Seat

When a car enthusiast is looking to upgrade their car one of the first things that comes to mind is replacing the factory seat in their car with a sport’s seat. When you are looking to find a sport’s seat to install in your car you want to check out automotive magazine or even the internet to find out more about popular sport’s seat brands such as Cobra and Flofit and determine which type of seat is going to best suit your car.

Select Your Sport’s Seat

Once you have chosen the sport’s seat that you would like to put into your car then you should contact the manufacturer to find out where a local retailer is located. After you have chosen your sport’s seat, you are ready to get it home and install it.

Installing a sport’s seat into your car is a fairly easy task to complete although some may find tightening some of the screws on the sport’s seat a bit difficult. To begin this project you are going to need the following tools: a battery powered drill with a screwdriver bit, a regular screwdriver and a pair of good quality pliers. Having the proper tools to perform this job will make the work got much more smoothly.

Before Installing You New Seat

Before you start working with the seats take the time to sit down and go over the installation manual for the seats so that you are completely familiar with the installation procedure. After you have done that go over the adapter kit that you have purchased to make sure you have each and every piece needed to correctly install your new sport’s seat. This way you will not be half way through your installation and find that you are missing a piece or two.

Now you can begin to unbolt the original seat from your car while paying close attention to how the seat fastens into your car. Once the original seat has been unbolted then lift the seat and remove it from your car.

Get Rid of Your Old Car Seat

After the original seat has been removed, you can then begin installing your sport’s seat. You can bolt the new sport’s seat into place using the pieces of your adapter kit as necessary. By paying attention to how the original seat was bolted in it should be no problem to place the sport’s seat into your car and attach it correctly.

Now that your sport’s seat has been successfully installed you will want to move the seat into different positions to make sure that it fits properly and that the sport’s seat does not cause any type of obstruction. If the sport’s seat doesn’t move as it should you need to unbolt it and remove it from your car and go over how the seat is to be bolted in one more time while also determining the need for more or less adapter pieces.

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