How Long Do You Have Health Insurance After Leaving A Job?

Health insurance

The following article explains in details how long do you have health insurance after leaving a job, if you have any question after reading this article, feel free to ask using the comment box below.

How Long Do You Have Health Insurance After Leaving A Job?

On your last day, you can lose your health insurance. Regardless of whether you are laid off or quit, your company may let you to retain it for the weekend, the rest of the month, or even longer.

There is no rule requiring employers to keep former employees covered for a set amount of time. It is entirely up to the employer to decide.

To find out when your coverage ended, contact your ex-benefits employer’s administrator.

You may be qualified for COBRA health insurance coverage after quitting a job. You have the option of continuing your former employer’s group plan for up to 18 months at your own expense under COBRA continuation coverage. Depending on the circumstances, beneficiaries may be eligible to keep COBRA coverage for even longer.

When you leave your work, your ex-benefits employer’s administrator will contact your health insurer. A package outlining how to enroll in COBRA insurance coverage should be sent to you. If you don’t want to wait for that, talk to your benefits administrator about it. You have 60 days after the end of your employer-provided health care to decide whether to enroll in a COBRA health plan.

COBRA allows you to keep the same health insurance that you had while working. The only difference (and it’s a big one) is that in a COBRA plan, you have to pay for everything. Your employer no longer contributes to the cost of a plan. The average yearly cost of an employer-sponsored family plan is more than $20,000. Employers cover well over half of these expenses for their employees. However, in a COBRA plan, the former employer is responsible for all of these expenses.

You can shop the health insurance marketplace if COBRA coverage is too expensive for you. A qualifying event is losing your job-based health care coverage, which qualifies you for a special enrollment period that lasts up to 60 days after the triggering event (like quitting your job). Individual and family health plans similar to employer-sponsored health plans are available on the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Because you won’t have an employer to help pay your premiums, ACA marketplace plans are likely to be more expensive than group health plans.

However, depending on your household income, the ACA marketplace offers subsidies to help offset some of those expenses. The marketplace website will provide premium estimates for each plan that contains those subsidies when you apply for an ACA plan.

Join Your Spouse’s Health Insurance Plan


You may be able to enroll in your spouse’s employer-sponsored health insurance if you’re married. You must have been covered by a different plan when you initially denied coverage under your spouse’s plan to be eligible. Alternatively, you’ll have to wait until your spouse’s employer’s open enrollment period.

Let’s imagine you were already working at your current employment when you and your spouse married. You both had work-provided health insurance and declined to join each other’s plans. You should be eligible to enroll in your spouse’s plan during a special enrollment period now that you’re quitting your work and losing your health insurance.

Health Insurance Short Term Plans


Short-term health insurance policies are designed to cover you in the case of a catastrophic incident when you don’t have other insurance. These plans are not the same as group or individual coverage, and they can only cover you for three months.

Short-term plans are less expensive than other types of health insurance since they don’t provide comprehensive coverage. If you need interim protection against catastrophic situations like broken bones or abrupt illness, a short-term plan may be a smart solution. Before joining, read the policy thoroughly and take notice of any limits or exclusions.

Plan Before Quitting Your Job


Examine all of your health-insurance choices before quitting your job. Keep in mind that everyone’s medical and financial circumstances are unique. You may be able to keep your coverage via COBRA, or you may prefer to enroll in an individual plan through the marketplace.

When your employer-sponsored insurance ends, follow these steps to ensure you’re covered:

Before you resign, talk to your HR representative about how your employer’s insurance plan operates and when you’ll lose coverage.
If your firm allows you to keep coverage until the end of the month, consider resigning earlier in the month. This may allow you to obtain new coverage—for example, from a new employer—without having to pay for COBRA.
Gather all of the documentation you’ll need to enroll in your new health-care plan

About Robert James

Robert James is a knowledgeable, detail-oriented, and cerebral leader & writter, to name a few qualities. Robert has established himself as a force and an inventive leader and counselor in the fast-paced financial world, with nearly two decades of expertise.

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