With coronavirus cases spiking across the country and the U.S. officially in a recession, it’s more important now than ever to make sure you have health insurance to protect yourself and your loved ones. Unfortunately, with millions of Americans left unemployed due to COVID-19-related closures and with many others struggling financially, far too many people could find themselves without coverage.
If you’re one of the uninsured, you have a few different options for getting covered that you need to look into ASAP.
Opt for COBRA coverage
If you’re without coverage due to a recent job loss, you may be entitled to remain on your employer’s plan thanks to the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA). Workers who leave their job for any reason must be given at least 60 days to elect COBRA and keep their coverage.
The big benefit of opting to keep your employer’s policy is that your coverage won’t change and you can keep seeing your doctors. The downside, however, is that you will likely have to pick up the full cost of the premiums once you’ve been let go. If your employer was subsidizing the cost before, your policy could become much more expensive and you could be in for a major financial shock.