The numbers are staggering. Hundreds of thousands of employees laid off all over the country. One thing that the newly-unemployed should think about is health insurance. Getting a private insurance from a company like Blue Cross NC can get very expensive. Going without some kind of health insurance should be a last resort. Good thing that there is COBRA. It stands for Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985. It requires most employers with group health plans to offer employees the opportunity to continue temporarily their group health care coverage under their employer's plan if their coverage otherwise would cease due to termination, layoff, or other change in employment status. We all know about this but do you also know that if you get divorced or your spouse dies and you are depending on his health insurance, you can also avail of COBRA. I did not know that. It will also cover a dependent child if that child loses coverage under his parent. You can read more information at the COBRA website.
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Fitness Tip of the Day
The problem isn't just with those who have lost their jobs. It's also with those who do have jobs and what is called insurance. My company provides my insurance but my deductible is a total of $4,500 per year. That means I pay for any preventive testing myself until I make my deductible. With times as they are it's almost impossible to come up with $1,000 - $2,000 for tests. And it's not just my company. The only test my insurance pays for is a mammogram and while having this done I talked to the tech. Her insurance is the same as mine. She can't even afford testings either. The whole system is getting bad and it scares the heck out of me. Maybe this is a way to kill some of us off before SS age.
Martha