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Starting first job out of college, but no benefits.

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Ulcerative Colitis
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Posted 11/30/2009 3:21 AM (GMT 0)
So I will be starting my first job coming out of college in January, however the job does not offer any benefits. I am currently on my mom's health insurance (she was laid off but still has coverage through COBRA). What is the best way to get covered as an individual with mild colitis. I currently take Lialda and Canasa. Will it even be possible?
Posted 11/30/2009 5:07 AM (GMT 0)
How long does your mom have COBRA? Maybe you could see if you're eligible for Medicaid? But they have really strict guidelines. And you should see if the makers of Lialda and Canasa have discount programs.

You're so lucky you found a job! I'm graduating soon and have had no luck.
Posted 11/30/2009 5:18 AM (GMT 0)
I am self employed. Now that I have UC I flat out to not qualify for private coverage. I think most people on here can say the same thing. Do whatever you can to hold on to COBRA if the benefits are good.

I was paying 700 a month for canasa until I recently got on a patient assistance program magically.
Posted 11/30/2009 6:48 AM (GMT 0)

sgtpepper

I too am self employed and have purchased excellent full coverage through the BCBS group plan which is offered once per year... I am in FL and I'm not sure if it's available in every state but it's worth a try. The plan is Blue Options PPO, the coverage is excellent albeit expensive

Posted 11/30/2009 2:08 PM (GMT 0)
You need to get a job with health insurance. Your first job out of college might not be your dream job but you need the coverage if your insurance on your mom's plan expires.

Sue
Posted 11/30/2009 2:37 PM (GMT 0)
I'm going to be flat out honest with you.
At your age you MIGHT get ok coverage at a lower rate, but they very well may deny you coverage because of your condition. You will probably have to pay out of your pocket. Try to avoid going to the doctor as much as possible. Find out if you can be put on a much cheaper drug like sulfasalazine. Forget getting scopes done you can't afford to pay the cost for that. The one I had done was like $4000 and at the time I did have insurance that covered it.

If you are from the USA you are going to struggle because of the lack of affordable health care in the country, unless you can find a job with insurance coverage.
Posted 11/30/2009 3:19 PM (GMT 0)
Sue: speaking from experience, the economy is still terrible right now, and anyone is lucky to find a job coming out of college whether or not it pays insurance. I personally graduated in May and have yet to find a job that pays more than ten dollars an hour, or has benefits, and I graduated with a 3.4 and a biological sciences major, with research experience.
Posted 11/30/2009 3:26 PM (GMT 0)
I have no idea how it works for you but check out your state laws on the COBRA coverage. If you have had continual coverage you may be able to get by the pre-existing thing. If your mom has no problems or pre-existing conditions she may want to just keep you on the COBRA for the 18 months, and she can elect to go with an individual cheaper policy. When we got put in that situation last year, my wife was the one employed with the great group health plan. She got laid off, and we decided to keep me on the plan and they went with something else. I have 9 more months left! You'll have to dig around and call for the information, but it could possibly make a huge difference in your insurance benefits.

I would also start getting together the paperwork and phone numbers for the patient assistant programs for the meds you need. I took advantage of those all through my 8 years of school, lol. I made it ok without insurance for a little over ten years so it is doable.
Posted 11/30/2009 4:30 PM (GMT 0)
When I graduated from college the economy was bad too and jobs were scarce. I took a sucky minimum wage job knowing that it would be temporary but in the meanwhile it would provide me with health insurance. It's one thing to be a healthy young person with no chronic illness than to be a young person who has UC and no health insurance. I'm sorry but in my opinion this person should delay the career and opt for a job with insurance.

sue
Posted 11/30/2009 4:35 PM (GMT 0)
If you can get reasonably affordable coverage through a private policy, I honestly think it's better for you to go ahead with the job that doesn't offer insurance if it's in your field. The longer you goes post-graduation without working in your field, the harder it's going to be for you to eventually get a job in your field. Also, there just aren't many sucky minimum-wage jobs that offer insurance any more.

However, I would encourage you to not let geography limit your job search! I understand the desire to stay close to family and friends, but with the economy like it is, you have to make sacrifices of some sort! When I finished my PhD, my husband and I moved from Michigan to Washington state for my job (he also found one out here). All of our family is in the midwest. Now that we have a child, we're looking to move back closer, but if it doesn't happen, it doesn't happen.
Posted Yesterday 1:01 AM (GMT 0)

Just google "patients assitance programs" for your medication.  P & G make Lialda, I believe.  You may qualify even with a job! 

ElaineNY

Posted Yesterday 1:24 AM (GMT 0)
"I took a sucky minimum wage job knowing that it would be temporary but in the meanwhile it would provide me with health insurance."

That's the thing, though. You really can't get a sucky minimum wage job that provides you with insurance. I've yet to find one. The closest I've come are temp agencies.
Posted Yesterday 1:48 AM (GMT 0)
As suggested above, you might consider less costly medications. And there's no shame in getting a job, any job, for medical coverage.

In my state, BCBS is an insurer of last resort and must accept everyone. The premiums are high, but I'll guess they compare reasonably to COBRA which I've been told is pretty expensive.

You might also do some serious number crunching to see if you can temporarily forego medical coverage. When I review my records, it's clear that the premiums can easily be more costly than the treatment, even in years when usage is pretty high. The catch for an uninsured person, though, is that you'll have to find doctors who will give you the same negotiated rate they give insurance companies. This is time consuming. But, for comparison's sake, one year might be four trips to the doctor ($260), four blood tests (~$400), one GI visit ($500!), and one colonoscopy ($1700) for a total of $2860 in medical services. Even $3600 for a year's worth of Asacol (my only comparison), and it would still be cheaper than the roughly $800 a month BCBS quoted me for a single person in otherwise good health with ulcerative colitis.

At that time I was self-employed and opted for a catastrophic plan that served me well. I later moved to group coverage through an employer, though I opted out for awhile, because the numbers worked in that favor.
Posted Yesterday 2:30 AM (GMT 0)
You won't be elligible for PA programs if you make significant income. Not sure what you wil be making but mostlikely, even a low pay job would put you above the income requirements.

Not to be negative but I wouldn't take a job that doesn't offer insurance benefits (unless it is a 3 month trial and there is a specific date where I will be put on their package). It is wrong for companies to put their employees in the position of not having benefits. Once you're locked into a job, it's so much harder to look for work. I am so sick of companies thinking it is acceptable to not offer a benefits package. I would get on them about it. Tell them you're not happy and inquire as to when you will be a valid fulltime employee. You will not get paid time off or 401k without benefits, it's just unfair overall. People should not stand for it. By accepting a job like this, you allow employers to continue treating people this way. Precisely why I work for myself. If I am not getting a decent benefits package, I can make enough money to survive without working my life away.

Posted Yesterday 4:29 AM (GMT 0)

notsosicklygirl said...
You won't be elligible for PA programs if you make significant income. Not sure what you wil be making but mostlikely, even a low pay job would put you above the income requirements.


Not to be negative but I wouldn't take a job that doesn't offer insurance benefits (unless it is a 3 month trial and there is a specific date where I will be put on their package). It is wrong for companies to put their employees in the position of not having benefits. Once you're locked into a job, it's so much harder to look for work. I am so sick of companies thinking it is acceptable to not offer a benefits package. I would get on them about it. Tell them you're not happy and inquire as to when you will be a valid fulltime employee. You will not get paid time off or 401k without benefits, it's just unfair overall. People should not stand for it. By accepting a job like this, you allow employers to continue treating people this way. Precisely why I work for myself. If I am not getting a decent benefits package, I can make enough money to survive without working my life away.

It just depends on the business. Alot of your small businesses are not going to do that. They can't.
Posted Yesterday 4:55 AM (GMT 0)
I will be facing this dilemma soon. My nonprofit job does not offer benefits but I had it through hubby's work. He got laid off in June. Right now, the COBRA for me is quite affordable at about $110 a month with vision and dental (such as they are) along with Rx. After 9 months, the amount may more than double. One thing Obama did right was get affordable COBRA for at least a few months for people losing their jobs. I am currently shopping for individual insurance as hubby is going to the VA and my kids are covered through a kid's state insurance plan.

P.S. Shire, the maker of Lialda does have a Rx program. I am on it and have been getting my meds at no cost.
Posted Yesterday 4:13 PM (GMT 0)
Does your school's alumni association offer discounted health insurance? I know mine does, but I moved out of state to NY and it only worked in-state (CA). There might be some type of state funding thing for discounted health insurance. Right now I'm paying out of pocket for insurance, but it's through Healthy NY, a program where you can choose your insurance carrier at a discounted rate.

But since you do have UC, make sure you always have insurance of some kind so you don't get knocked for the "pre-existing condition" nonsense insurance companies pull on people. I think you can only be without coverage for 30-60 days...?
Posted Yesterday 4:31 PM (GMT 0)

I just heard on the news that those unemployed receiving COBRA - the program has run out of money.  Unless the Government acts fast - no more COBRA for some.  DARN!  Sorry for you who are uninsured - hope they get the new health plan going FAST!  My husband gets everything from VA as 100% disabled and I get Medicare and Tricare for Life - we are VERY lucky!

ElaineNY

Posted Yesterday 4:45 PM (GMT 0)
You mean the subsidy they were giving people to afford the COBRA benefit. That will really suck for people just starting. I'll continue to pay my overinflated cost for another 9 months.
Posted Yesterday 4:50 PM (GMT 0)

Link to the article...

http://www.news-medical.net/news/20091201/Unemployed-who-are-losing-COBRA-subsidy-face-dramatically-higher-insurance-payments.aspx

Posted Yesterday 5:42 PM (GMT 0)
I'm actually kind of glad I'm slated for a temp job that provides insurance, then. Even if said insurance is crappy.
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