Health Insurance- I want to poke my eyeball out

[Gussie]

In a nutshell, DH resigned from his job on Nov. 1 2021. His contract has a ridiculous 2 year non-compete clause. 2 years with no job!!!! And regardless of what anyone says, it is enforceable. It is even in the contract that he will be responsible for any legal/court costs if he tries to break the contract. His ex-boss is a vindictive billionaire with deep pockets. So we sit for 2 years.

That's bad enough as DH is driving me stark-raving mad after a year and a half! But I am now navigating the rough rough waters of health insurance since COBRA coverage ends after 18 months. So 24 unemployable months and only 18 months eligibility for COBRA. I want to scream and/or hit something!!! This seems so unfair. I know, I know fair is a county event with quilts and jam - the rest is life.

Ugh, just venting here. I need to get in gratitude ASAP before I poke my eyeballs out.

 

[monarch64]

Get separate residences, tout de suite.

I jest...mostly.

 

[Tonks]

In a nutshell, DH resigned from his job on Nov. 1 2021. His contract has a ridiculous 2 year non-compete clause. 2 years with no job!!!! And regardless of what anyone says, it is enforceable. It is even in the contract that he will be responsible for any legal/court costs if he tries to break the contract. His ex-boss is a vindictive billionaire with deep pockets. So we sit for 2 years.

That's bad enough as DH is driving me stark-raving mad after a year and a half! But I am now navigating the rough rough waters of health insurance since COBRA coverage ends after 18 months. So 24 unemployable months and only 18 months eligibility for COBRA. I want to scream and/or hit something!!! This seems so unfair. I know, I know fair is a county event with quilts and jam - the rest is life.

Ugh, just venting here. I need to get in gratitude ASAP before I poke my eyeballs out.

If it were me, I would consult with an attorney in your jurisdiction (you’d have to pay the fee for that), not to sue, but to find out what his options are for continuing to work. Could he work remotely? Could he work in a different industry? Could he work a few cities away? It has been a good while since I practiced law (so please don’t take this as legal advice), but I do remember that noncompetes are supposed to be reasonable. I wouldn’t think preventing someone from working entirely for a period of two years counts as reasonable.

As for health insurance, that sucks and I am so very sorry. It’s bad enough to have to pay COBRA prices for 18 months, but for that to not be long enough—ugh. What a mess.

 

[Elizabeth35]

I sympathize regarding health insurance. I left my corporate job at 59 and what we paid for health insurance until I turned 65 was obscene. My husband is self-employed.
The year he had knee surgery our cost for monthly premiums and out-of-pocket was over $50K.
Any chance you could find employment with insurance for the short-term?
I know people who have taken ridiculous jobs just for the health insurance--as in advanced degrees working at Home Depot.

 

[Gussie]

Thanks for your replies yall. To clarify, DH can take a job outside his field. He is executive level in a relatively small field (HFT). Financially, we are fine. It makes more sense for him to wait until November and stay in his field. Currently be spends his time developing trading systems for HFT. He already has two offers from other companies when the non-compete is over.

COBRA is ridiculously expensive. But the plans I have seen in the marketplace are just as expensive for lesser plans. Good thing we are all pretty healthy!

I really am just venting. I need a lot of time alone. It certainly hasn't been easy to go from being by myself during the work day to him being here ALL THE TIME.

I guess I just lost it this morning after looking af crappy insurance plans. Ugh, counting down the days until November!

 

[MissGotRocks]

Thanks for your replies yall. To clarify, DH can take a job outside his field. He is executive level in a relatively small field (HFT). Financially, we are fine. It makes more sense for him to wait until November and stay in his field. Currently be spends his time developing trading systems for HFT. He already has two offers from other companies when the non-compete is over.

COBRA is ridiculously expensive. But the plans I have seen in the marketplace are just as expensive for lesser plans. Good thing we are all pretty healthy!

I really am just venting. I need a lot of time alone. It certainly hasn't been easy to go from being by myself during the work day to him being here ALL THE TIME.

I guess I just lost it this morning after looking af crappy insurance plans. Ugh, counting down the days until November!

It really is a terrible quandary to be in! I had a friend that needed health insurance - I kept encouraging her to take a job with McDonald’s or Walmart! Big companies that still offer health insurance whether you like the job or not.

You have a ways to go - hang in there! Hope the time passes quickly and that everyone has many activities to keep them busy and out of the house. Alone time can never be overrated!

 

[rungirl]

Are you eligible to purchase insurance through the ACA exchange? There are special enrollment periods for certain life events, and I think losing your existing health insurance is one. Depending on your current income, you might be eligible for subsides. Here is a little more info:

How to get insurance through the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace | USAGov

Find health insurance options through the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) Health Insurance Marketplace, and learn how to enroll.

www.usa.gov

 

[DAF]

My COBRA coverage ends at the end of the month. I was let go for not meeting sales quota for my office in the middle of a pandemic. My patient base is middle age to elderly for the most part. No one was going out. We even offered Lyft to and from. No takers. COBRA coverage cost me over $21,000.00 for single coverage. Here's the kicker, since I have no income, I CANNOT buy coverage, whether it's private pay or subsidized. I only qualify for NJ Family Care, which is Medicaid. The insurance is horrible.

 

[missy]

@Gussie I am so sorry you are in this situation.
@DAF and also so sorry for your ordeal.
For everyone dealing with this I am very sorry.
I have a lot to say but I will hold my tongue. Because I don't have the energy to go on a rant.
But yeah totally not OK and health insurance should be affordable for ALL.

 

[yssie]

Sometimes I’m so proud to be an American. And sometimes I just marvel at this country’s commitment to corporate economy and religious zealotry, even if at the expense of basic human empathy. The latter more and more these days.

Gussie, DAF. I’m so sorry. That’s just totally f’d up.

 

[canuk-gal]

HI:

Don't poke anything, mostly your eyeballs. They'd be expensive to fix!

Hang in there!

cheers--Sharon

 

[Gussie]

My COBRA coverage ends at the end of the month. I was let go for not meeting sales quota for my office in the middle of a pandemic. My patient base is middle age to elderly for the most part. No one was going out. We even offered Lyft to and from. No takers. COBRA coverage cost me over $21,000.00 for single coverage. Here's the kicker, since I have no income, I CANNOT buy coverage, whether it's private pay or subsidized. I only qualify for NJ Family Care, which is Medicaid. The insurance is horrible.

Oh I am so sorry. That sounds terrible. I really hate this racket called health insurance.

 

[LilAlex]

Currently be spends his time developing trading systems for HFT

Your situation sucks. You are also the victim of a system in which he is a voracious predator who adds nothing (oh wait, I forgot "liquidity") and steals a little from every one of us. This kind of parasitic monetization of even routine transactions is why we have the unforgiving financial ecosystem that we do. And, sadly, healthcare is forced to be part of that in the US. But I do feel for your lack of access to cheap health insurance even though you can afford to COBRA and can afford it on the exchange.

I think this is just part of the working-for-a-vindictive-billionaire deal. All the behaviors track.

Imagine how I feel when every time I go to buy or sell a security, somebody is quietly undermining my profit or magnifying my losses a few nanoseconds ahead of me.

 

[qubitasaurus]

Why not dispatch him to work with a friend in a related field without renumeration for a little bit? I would assume he has contacts still in related fields, surely their is a closely connected industry (data science, AI etc) he is interested in? Or he can go to some conferences in his field-- just to keep him busy and out of your hair for the next 6-9 months. I would totally ship my husband off to work on one of his hobbies, if he ever ended up unemployed. Otherwise he would likely drive everyone in the house crazy

 

[Gussie]

Your situation sucks. You are also the victim of a system in which he is a voracious predator who adds nothing (oh wait, I forgot "liquidity") and steals a little from every one of us. This kind of parasitic monetization of even routine transactions is why we have the unforgiving financial ecosystem that we do. And, sadly, healthcare is forced to be part of that in the US. But I do feel for your lack of access to cheap health insurance even though you can afford to COBRA and can afford it on the exchange.

I think this is just part of the working-for-a-vindictive-billionaire deal. All the behaviors track.

Imagine how I feel when every time I go to buy or sell a security, somebody is quietly undermining my profit or magnifying my losses a few nanoseconds ahead of me.

So the entire world is now algorithmic yet security trading is to supposed to stand still - a bunch of guys in suits reading ticker tape? That would be laughable if it weren't so horribly offensive.

 

[kgizo]

Your situation sucks. You are also the victim of a system in which he is a voracious predator who adds nothing (oh wait, I forgot "liquidity") and steals a little from every one of us. This kind of parasitic monetization of even routine transactions is why we have the unforgiving financial ecosystem that we do. And, sadly, healthcare is forced to be part of that in the US. But I do feel for your lack of access to cheap health insurance even though you can afford to COBRA and can afford it on the exchange.

I think this is just part of the working-for-a-vindictive-billionaire deal. All the behaviors track.

Imagine how I feel when every time I go to buy or sell a security, somebody is quietly undermining my profit or magnifying my losses a few nanoseconds ahead of me.

This post is cruel, unhelpful and unnecessary.

 

[Un_Petit_Rayon_de_Soleil]

I am so sorry. It has to be beyond frustrating. The gap between COBRA and the non-compete is something I have had relatives struggle with. I am sure you are counting down the days!

 

[LilAlex]

This post is cruel, unhelpful and unnecessary.

And yet much of the post is about the evil health care sector, of all things!

The irony is inescapable -- and absent that irony, I would not have said anything. Paraphrasing, "My spouse, who is a professional enabler of a vicious billionaire who produces nothing, is being outfoxed (i.e., the evil non-compete) by this vicious billionaire because he does not want my husband to help his competitors get rich producing nothing."

This is one of the few instances where I totally understand the need for the non-compete -- the entire revenue stream is based on the proprietary algorithm.

To defend this "job" because the alternative is "ticker tape" means that somebody does not understand where their money comes from. (There is a difference between "computerized" trading and HFT.) HFT outfits that make billions of dollars -- even though they produce nothing -- "earn" their money by inserting themselves between the buyer and seller in every transaction.

She (?) could have said "he works in the financial services industry" and I would have appreciated the irony but at nowhere near this level. Or she could have said "my husband's boss" and I would have assumed nothing.

I did not say that the OP is evil or that her spouse is evil. Just that he is an enabler of an evil billionaire and she is (now) an apologist for an evil billionaire. OP and spouse may be brilliant and kind.

No one came to the defense of the health care or health insurance sector on this post, did they?

 

[Gussie]

Bless your heart @LilAlex. It must be hard to balance on such a high horse with an enormous chip on your shoulder.

 

[kenny]

Everyone in a society needs roads to drive on, fire and police departments, and infrastructure.
How are those paid for?
Taxes.

Like roads et al. everyone needs health care too
Then why isn't it paid for the same way?
Wise countries do it this way.

Billions, maybe Trillions, of dollars are being flushed down the toilet by the very existence the health insurance industry.
We don't need it.

When you call 911 for a fire or crime does the operator put you on hold to verify you've paid this months fire and police insurance bill?
Of course not.

So why are we allowing this 100% unnecessary industry stand between us and our doctors while vampireing away b/tr-illions of dollars, which adds no value to us and raises the price of access to health care?

It's frigging stupid.

 

[marymm]

OP, from your posts in this thread, it appears you are able to absorb his resignation, absorb his choice not to work in a different field for 2 years, absorb the costs of Cobra -- since you are getting a headache from researching health insurance options, perhaps your DH would take the reigns of finding appropriate health insurance -- luckily you'll only need it for 6 months since you say he already has multiple job offers -- it seems very likely you'll find an acceptable health insurance policy that will address the short gap period.

 

[diamondringlover]

my son just turned 26 and is being kicked off my insurance and he is self employed so we went the Affordable Care Act route...I ended up finding an insurance type broker who is doing all the work for him....I actually work in the health insurance industry and the ACA intimated the heck out of me, the broker route made it much easier to navigate....good luck

 

[missy]

So why are we allowing this 100% unnecessary industry stand between us and our doctors while vampireing away b/tr-illions of dollars, which adds no value to us and raises the price of access to health care?

Agree. The health insurance companies are corrupt and the only people who should make a decision about the treatment and care a patient needs should be between the physician and the patient. Period.

No one came to the defense of the health care or health insurance sector on this post, did they?

And why would we? Their behavior and actions are reprehensible. Their protocol is deny deny deny in the hopes that we will give up. If one is healthy our healthcare system is great. It's only when one needs healthcare and treatment that one finds out how corrupt and horrible the health insurance companies truly are. Of course if one has money this becomes less critical for that person. But for those who cannot afford to fight or to pay out of pocket for the care they need this becomes a matter of life and death in many cases

Sorry @Gussie for the threadjack

 

[LilAlex]

And why would we? Their behavior and actions are reprehensible. Their protocol is deny deny deny in the hopes that we will give up. If one is healthy our healthcare system is great

It's important to not confuse health care and health insurance.

There are excellent insurers out there. Kaiser and the VA are objectively two of the best (by trackable outcome metrics). But they get lots of bad press because patients don't always know what good health care looks like. Many think it is a shiny waiting room and slick-talking staff who will do whatever you want.

No country has free health care. Some have nationalized health insurance that users pay for in some invisible way. This does not cover "everything"; all have gatekeepers to ensure that standards are met. This is similar to Medicare. There are lots of things that Medicare will not pay for. There are lots of docs in this country who will not accept Medicare because they pay too little or do not prioritize a certain type of service. Medicare has its own tricks to "keep costs down." Every few years, they raise the documentation bar so your physician must write 1000 words (no lie) to "prove" that their dying patient in the ICU with multi-organ failure is actually "complex." Forget to mention if they were a smoker? Too bad -- automatically not a complex patient no matter how many hours they've spent.

Others, like United Healthcare, are simply a horror show and are run by the "high-frequency trader" and hedge-fund equivalents of the health care universe. Profit (wait, I mean "shareholder value") is the only metric that matters. They may care about quality but perhaps only enough so that they are dead last by a narrow as opposed to a wide margin.

And you have it completely backwards. The US health care system is the best there is for the truly sick. (Most if us never see those people in our day-to-day lives.) You can show up penniless in any top hospital and get the best care in the world for free. You can not be turned away. Where we suck is in health care for the not-yet-sick -- they are courted by phony "health insurance" that offers gym memberships and vitamin discounts to "maintain your wellness" but are staffed with naturopaths and NPs and provide terrible coverage. Many young people are tricked into that silly path by Gwyneth Paltrow-y plan names and marketing.

And for those of you who think no one needs health insurance, complex medical care is expensive. A doctor visit is cheap (most bill less per hour than our Mazda service shop). But drugs are expensive -- and many of the new targeted therapies are hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. And, worse, a liver transplant, bypass surgery, or complex injury are catastrophically expensive; few can afford them without being part of a distributed risk pool. We give the house its edge in this gambling math in exchange for the safety net in the event we need the windfall. That's insurance.

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

The US health care system is the best there is for the truly sick. (Most if us never see those people in our day-to-day lives.) You can show up penniless in any top hospital and get the best care in the world for free. You can not be turned away.

Mmmh, no, only for those rich enough to afford it or the truly indigent.
No one else gets care for free. We have the highest medical bankruptcy in the world. It's almost unheard of in every other developed country. A million people per year.
According to some studies- 60% of ALL bankruptcies are medical in nature.
Millions have everything taken from them, if they dare to pursue care at all.
Otherwise, you're free to die or leave ruinous debt for surviving family they never get out from under.

 

[LilAlex]

Mmmh, no, only for those rich enough to afford it or the truly indigent.
No one else gets care for free. We have the highest medical bankruptcy in the world. It's almost unheard of in every other developed country. A million people per year.
According to some studies- 60% of ALL bankruptcies are medical in nature.

Yes, I am talking about the truly indigent (hence "penniless"). They receive superb care while they are inpatients.

If you are uninsured and middle class and have received high-cost care, then you are correct that you are in trouble because you have assets and an address and can not run from your creditors and are expected to pay your bills -- just like for your house and car and utilities. And, as an individual, you have lost the benefit of a negotiated group rate for care. Most of these folks simply don't pay -- the hospital will not repossess your coronary stent, for example, or break your legs. And you can just show up in the same ER the very next day and get good care. I suspect the savvier ones declare bankruptcy; most just don't pay.

Our silliness is having health insurance tied to employment. The ACA was a baby step away from that -- and you see how widely that was embraced. It will never be fixed.

 

[missy]

It's important to not confuse health care and health insurance.

There are excellent insurers out there. Kaiser and the VA are objectively two of the best (by trackable outcome metrics). But they get lots of bad press because patients don't always know what good health care looks like. Many think it is a shiny waiting room and slick-talking staff who will do whatever you want.

No country has free health care. Some have nationalized health insurance that users pay for in some invisible way. This does not cover "everything"; all have gatekeepers to ensure that standards are met. This is similar to Medicare. There are lots of things that Medicare will not pay for. There are lots of docs in this country who will not accept Medicare because they pay too little or do not prioritize a certain type of service. Medicare has its own tricks to "keep costs down." Every few years, they raise the documentation bar so your physician must write 1000 words (no lie) to "prove" that their dying patient in the ICU with multi-organ failure is actually "complex." Forget to mention if they were a smoker? Too bad -- automatically not a complex patient no matter how many hours they've spent.

Others, like United Healthcare, are simply a horror show and are run by the "high-frequency trader" and hedge-fund equivalents of the health care universe. Profit (wait, I mean "shareholder value") is the only metric that matters. They may care about quality but perhaps only enough so that they are dead last by a narrow as opposed to a wide margin.

And you have it completely backwards. The US health care system is the best there is for the truly sick. (Most if us never see those people in our day-to-day lives.) You can show up penniless in any top hospital and get the best care in the world for free. You can not be turned away. Where we suck is in health care for the not-yet-sick -- they are courted by phony "health insurance" that offers gym memberships and vitamin discounts to "maintain your wellness" but are staffed with naturopaths and NPs and provide terrible coverage. Many young people are tricked into that silly path by Gwyneth Paltrow-y plan names and marketing.

And for those of you who think no one needs health insurance, complex medical care is expensive. A doctor visit is cheap (most bill less per hour than our Mazda service shop). But drugs are expensive -- and many of the new targeted therapies are hundreds of thousands of dollars per year. And, worse, a liver transplant, bypass surgery, or complex injury are catastrophically expensive; few can afford them without being part of a distributed risk pool. We give the house its edge in this gambling math in exchange for the safety net in the event we need the windfall. That's insurance.

I am not confusing the two. Being a healthcare professional I know the difference but everyone here also knows the difference. And no, I do not have it backwards but thanks for sharing your thoughts Alex. And Kaiser and the VA system suc*...I know too many instances where others were denied the proper care and given poor choices instead. Because that was the cheaper choice. I don't know about you but personally I want the best treatment. Not the cheapest treatment.

If you are sick in this country with something run of the mill and have insurance or not maybe you will be OK. If you are sick with something unusual or out of the proverbial box who knows. If the treatment is expensive and if your insurance company fights you on the best treatment and you do not have deep pockets you might be out of luck. The very poor and very rich might be able to get the care they need. It certainly will depend on various factors and it is not that simple. I have seen too many cases fall through the cracks in our system. It is broken.

I am certainly not saying there is a better country to go for healthcare wise because in other countries you might have long waiting lists for procedures and appointments. I do not believe the grass is greener. But I also no longer believe our healthcare system is the best in the world. It is not. And our healthcare insurance system leaves a LOT to be desired.

Health insurance in this country is a game. And we have to outlast and out smart the insurance companies to get what we need in many cases. And not everyone can do that. And not everyone can pay out of pocket for critical treatment and care. Whether you believe this or not the insurance companies are playing a game with our lives in many cases. Denying the best care/treatment hoping you will give up.

I repeat- healthcare should be between the physician and the patient and NO ONE else.
Being a woman I might have a different perspective from a man whose right to bodily autonomy was never threatened.

 

[Lula]

Flash Boys (2014) by Michael Lewis provides a great overview of HFT for those who'd like to learn more about the industry.

I sympathize with @Gussie and anyone else navigating the post-COBRA cliff. There are many industries in the U.S. that prioritize corporations over consumers. Health insurance is certainly one of them.

 

[stracci2000]

This thread makes be appreciate the health insurance that my job provides.
It's not the greatest insurance, and it's not the greatest job, but it's there should I need it.

 

[Gussie]

Flash Boys (2014) by Michael Lewis provides a great overview of HFT for those who'd like to learn more about the industry.

I sympathize with @Gussie and anyone else navigating the post-COBRA cliff. There are many industries in the U.S. that prioritize corporations over consumers. Health insurance is certainly one of them.

I urge anyone who reads Flash Boys to take it with a huge grain of salt. Are there unethical practices within HFT? I'm sure there are just as in any field.

Flash Boys - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

The sections "Critical Responses and "Aftermath" contest that the book is a work of fiction. Investigations into the industry found nothing illegal or unethical. The markets are not rigged.

I could go into it further but I doubt I would change anyone who has their mind made up. When people get ahead in the financial industry there will always be critics that label them as unethical or worse.

I have an afternoon date with my voracious predator husband so I will bow out of this thread now.