Hey Jane,
Man that sucks. Yes I know exactly how you feel and what you are going throuogh. I'm sorry you are going through it too.
COBRA is the biggest joke I have ever ran across, basically all a COBRA admisistrator does is collect 2-5% of the cost of your insurance premium to mail your premium on to your original insurance company. Even with the rise in Postage rates it would still be cheaper for you to send the payment to your insurance company yourself, but that would mean a government backed insurance program would no longer be in business...What a Shame!!
Once you get your paperwork for COBRA filled out FAX it to them, and mail them a back up copy as well, keep a copy for your file, and then call the COBRA administrator to verify that they received it, and explain the situation to them. They will tell you on the COBRA Application that it will take approx 60-90 days for the policy to take effect. I was able to push mine through in 1 week. Stay right after it, and follow the paper trial, because once your COBRA application is processed they send it back to your EMPLOYER for verification and then it is forwarded to their agent to add his 2 cents worth to it. This is the part you have to push on. And this is where my last denial happened. The insurance company said that my insurance had lapsed 2 days before my sheduled surgery, and I knew the COBRA Administrator had done as he said he would and pushed my paperwork through in a week, however when it hit my employer's office it laid there for 3 weeks because they didn't know what to do with it, and rather than call someone, they let it lay there and allowed My insurance to lapse. That cost me another 2 months worth of pay checks, the 3 weeks it laid there, and then another 4-5 weeks to get everyone involved in the surgery onto the same schedule and get an OR booked again. I went through pre admission testing twice because of this mess. Also, if you were approved for the implant prior to your insurance lapsing, DO NOT let your insurance company tell you that you have to start all over again. That approval can and should roll right over because COBRA doesn't change a thing insurance wise. It is just a way for some politcal croanies to make some money for doing nothing. You will have the same insurance, with the same policy and group numbers as before. So really stay on top of things.
The big thing to remember is NEVER trust anyone at this point. Start keeping a file from Day 1. Ask for and demand written conformations all along the way. Keep a written record of phone calls, who you talked to and what was promised, and be sure to cross every "T" and dot every "I". It is a huge game of Cover Your AS* from here on out.
If you have any questions, or just need to scream at someone, please feel free to IM me. The wife and I have become fairly experienced during this ordeal with how you can get screwed over by insurance companies, employers, and government assistance agencies without getting kissed.
Hang in there Jane, its just a big bump in the road. You can amke it work out. Now is when you need to get strong.
Keep Kickin'AS
Chris
