Changing health insurance mid-pregnancy

[lemondrop]

Has anyone in the US done this? I'm looking for a new job because mine is... toxic, to say the least. But H and I are on my insurance (he's in the midst of starting a company), and I don't know how it would work. Apply for the ACA coverage during open enrollment and decline any future work coverage? My current OB (and future OB) both accept basically every form of coverage, so that wouldn't be a problem, but I don't know if a future job's insurance would accept me.

[pambee]

Sorry I don't have experience, but I thought a big thing now was that you couldn't be denied on pre-existing things like pregnancy? I know if you apply through the ACA they ask if you are currently and it usually gives you more credits.

Basically I'm no real help but I hope you can sort it out and get a new job asap, being in a bad work situation can be so draining!

[lemondrop]

Oct 15, 2018 12:06:42 GMT -6 pambee said:

Sorry I don't have experience, but I thought a big thing now was that you couldn't be denied on pre-existing things like pregnancy? I know if you apply through the ACA they ask if you are currently and it usually gives you more credits.

Basically I'm no real help but I hope you can sort it out and get a new job asap, being in a bad work situation can be so draining!

Ha, it's OK. From what I understand, private health insurance can still deny you*. But the ACA/public health insurance will not. 

*if I'm wrong, I will literally do a backflip, bc health insurance is literally the only thing keeping me from quitting this job lol.

[grover]

I switched health insurance last pregnancy. H basically started a new job the day before we found out we were pregnant. We had just switched to my company's BCBS, which had a spousal exclusion, so as soon as his insurance kicked in at the 90 day mark, we switched to his, which was a HMO. I just made sure my OB took it, and I had to be diligent with keeping bills and receipts. Also it sucked because we then had met three deductibles.

[lemondrop]

Oct 15, 2018 16:13:14 GMT -6 grover said:

I switched health insurance last pregnancy. H basically started a new job the day before we found out we were pregnant. We had just switched to my company's BCBS, which had a spousal exclusion, so as soon as his insurance kicked in at the 90 day mark, we switched to his, which was a HMO. I just made sure my OB took it, and I had to be diligent with keeping bills and receipts. Also it sucked because we then had met three deductibles.

This is a huge consideration as well. I have a $3k deductible right now before insurance kicks in (I’ll hit that in December), and it restarts in Jan - so another $3k deductible due before I give birth/ for the birth of I stick with this job and insurance.

[snickerdoodle]

I switched heath insurance companies last pregnancy. It wasn’t through work but was individual private insurance not through market place. I didn’t have any issues but it was in January so I would have started a new deductible anyways. I switched from BCBS to a smaller local health insurance due to premium costs.

[Eames]

lemondrop, the ACA requires that insurance companies cover you, even with pre existing conditions like pregnancy. I know there are rare exceptions that are still being grandfathered in, but the coverage generally applies to all insurance, not just those in the marketplace. It's law.

www.healthcare.gov/health-care-law-protections/

Since Republicans were not able to repeal the ACA (yet), these protections are still in place. One good thing is that pre existing conditions coverage is extremely popular, so I'd think Republicans would try to keep that in any new potential bill.

Even if they did repeal, you'd typically be covered as long as your coverage was continuous.

I would go ahead and interview if you want to, and if you get an offer, they will generally include health care benenfits (when coverage starts, etc). You could then call the new insurance company to confirm any questions before accepting an offer.