Getting fired from work and COBRA

after my diagnosis last year i decided to take a voluntary lay off from work to try and recoup. the owner of the company knew everything thing i was going through and decided to pay for my insurance for 6 months. now that the insurance is running out (last day this month actually EPP!) i did file for free care which here is called mass health, i live in massachusetts. still waiting to hear back. i believe it is the same in all states that they are required to offer COBRA within 30 days of termination/lay off. not sure if it's the same where you are but COBRA would have cost me around $350 for a single plan. basicallly you have to pay your own premium. i believe COBRA is offered up to a year. i would see if you resigned if you would be able to get unemployment. i am pretty sure seeking disability takes a few tries and possibly will need a lawyer. you could always try and stick it out with job and see if you can start the disability process. sorry to hear you are having such a difficult time, good luck with everything!

does your work offer STD and LTD?

if so, then absolutely DO NOT quit. Talk to your doc and go on STD.

you can keep cobra for 18 months unless you have another qualifying event. I would suggest you try not to get on cobra unless you have to because it is very expensive. (basically you pay the company cost of your benefits) Info on Cobra: For more information about your rights under ERISA, including COBRA, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and other laws affecting group health plans, contact the U.S. Department of Labor's Employee Benefits Security Administration (EBSA) in your area or visit the EBSA website at www.dol.gov/ebsa.

Usually you are eligible for COBRA unless you are fired for gross misconduct and even then our attorney recommends that we offer everyone COBRA to cover our butts. You are eligible for 18 months unless you have another qualifying event. If your company offers STD and LTD, then don't quit. Go back out on STD for 12 weeks and work towards going on LTD after the 12 weeks of STD is up. It is likely that you will have to pay for your health insurance while on LTD, through COBRA. You should talk to your HR rep and find out how much single coverage is for medical/prescription coverage. I took 3 different STD leaves last year. All of varying lengths, but in total they added up to over 12 weeks. They treat each claim as a separate incident.

if you use cobra and have insurance with no gaps you do not get a preexisting clause. that is a federal law. so if you are out of a job take the cobra until you find a new one and get new insurance. Cobra means you are on your old companies insurance benefits for up to 18 months so as long as there are no gaps in insurance coverage you won't have a preexisting condition clause. STD is probably a company policy, I am in HR and our company allows up to 26 weeks of STD then you would apply for LTD (long term disability) after that. The 12 weeks is a FMLA thing and yes you get 12 weeks per year for that one. so if you used your 12 weeks you would be on company policy. Ask someone in HR about STD rules... they are there to help you. your company policy may differ from all of ours. karen

Timmysang,

I was out of work for 2 extended periods during 2006 and 2007. This totaled 7 months. I was covered with my STD during the first 6 months, then I got a letter saying I'd used up all my benefits for the year. So, in my case there was a limit to the amount of disability time I could use during a 12 month period. I don't know whether that is specific to my employer and its benefits or not. I'd check this out with your HR office if you need to go out on disability again.

Have you explored other employment options? Since you say that you hate your job it might help to get something that might be less stressful and more fulfilling to you. I know that looking for work in and of itself is stressful, but it might be worth checking out.

Are you seeing a therapist? It seems like crohns isn't your number one concern. Maybe therapy could help you deal with the anxiety and stress issues you are having so that you can remain gainfully employed. Your diseases are not conducive to no insurance and no income as you very well know.

Both me and my wife got diagnosed with Crohn's Disease a couple years after we got married which was about 2.5 years ago. We have been through nightmares with insurance companies and our employers. You need to read your company's policies and have them in writing. You cannot ever trust what someone tells you over the phone without getting it backed up in writing. You will have to become the expert on this, HR only knows what they have experienced in the past and are not necessarily knowlegable about this.

For our company, we get 100% of our pay for up to 26 weeks of STD, but all companies have their own policy. We have to return to work for a full 90 without an absence related to the STD to qualify again. They can't even tell me if this is calendar or business days in my HR and disability department. After 6 months you can qualify for LTD. If you pay for this insurance after tax, then it is not taxable income. I recommend that you find a new company with excellent benefits. I get unlimited sick leave, 100% of my pay for STD, and then LTD. A vacation and a new job may keep you more upbeat for a while, but you need more than that. Depression is highly correlated with instestinal problems.

You might try reading "The Maker's Diet," by Jordin Rubin. You also need to pick up a copy of the book "The Secret," by Rhonda Byrne. These two books have changed my life. You also need to find some friends to lean on in times of need. Share your feelings and get things off your chest, but you also need to learn to be a positive person. No one wants to hang around a drag all the time. I had to learn that about myself. You will attract people who are like you, so make a point to help other people and meet their needs. You will feel better about yourself and attract people who will inadvertantly help you. I wish you the best.