(Untitled)

[redcat9]

Just as soon as I decide I maybe don't have to hate my country so much, I have to hate my seemingly safe state. Way to fuck yourselves in the ass people of Massachusetts, but I hear the person you elected doesn't think you should be doing that. By the way, when you lose your health insurance, you have a state option to protect you. But I guess

Comments

[awfief]

The state option isn't available to everyone, only those under a certain household income (depending on how many are in your household). So no, not everyone has the state option

[redcat9]

Not my point. Commonwealth Care subsidized insurance is available based on income levels, it's true. One presumes that if I lost my job my income level would drop precipitously over the following few months. More important to me is that the state has compiled/coerced insurance companies into offering residents affordable individual plans regardless of income levels. I have spent quite a bit of time looking into this potentially planning to be a full-time actor, and Mass is a way better place to quit your job and try to be an artist than most other states.

[awfief]

True, but if I lost my job I wouldn't be eligible for a few months, until I could prove I didn't have income. Which means I'd likely be required to take unemployment insurance even if I did not want to. And in between that time, I wouldn't have coverage.

In addition -- many people are making over the minimums and still can't afford their employer's health care plans, and are stuck. That was the case I was referring to. "Uninsured" != "jobless".

[kvarko]

I know it's not your point, but wouldn't you be eligible for COBRA coverage during those few months?

[redcat9]

Yes (presuming my company still existed as a legal entity, so for example, not after my last company went under). But Cobra would probably be in the neighborhood of $600/month, whereas there are Mass plans for ~$200. Additionally complicated is that my company is one of those that went with a cheaper plan with a high deductible but reimburses 90% of that deductible. I could still Cobra into the plan, but not into the 90% reimbursement.

So it's nice that if I decided to quit my job there is a cheap option.

[awfief]

Assuming I actually took advantage of my company's health insurance program, yes, I'd be eligible. Whether or not I could pay for it is another story.