How about this?

[jodiwitz]

I just found out today that we are uninsured.  We have no health, dental, vision or life insurance.  Everything stopped the day Chuck died.  But the company sent me information on continuing coverage under Cobra for $900 a month.  I'm estimating that my income will be $3000 a month.

 

This just makes me sick.  There should be a grace period  :-\

 

I'm looking at my options - obamacare, CHIP for the kids, ahhhhhhh!

 

And the best part - my 22 year old, married & pregnant daughter was on our ins plan since her husband wasn't full time yet.

[Wheelerswife]

I had to pay for continued coverage after my husband died as well, and I ended up having medical problems, major surgery and a cancer diagnosis within weeks of his death.  If you can swing it, pay the COBRA month-to-month until you can look into other options. 

 

Hugs...I'm so sorry you are facing these challenges!

 

Maureen

[Guest Lost35]

This is terrible.  Does the company actually know you were told this?  Sometimes the left hand and the right hand are disconnected.  Perhaps you could talk to his boss?  Surely they would work something out?  It just seems so incredibly heartless to cut you off like this.  I was given two years of medical coverage, as a courtesy.  I hope you are able to find the same...

 

-L.

 

 

[SoVerySad]

I'm so sorry. It is a terrible burden on top of the devastating loss. I paid $1700 a month for COBRA for a year + until I could get other coverage through Obamacare (as it wasn't yet available when my husband first died). Take a deep breath and start making some calls. I found that when I tried to continue my policy directly with the insurance company we were with in lieu of COBRA it was going to cost me a little more than the COBRA. If you check into the Obamacare through the healthcare.gov website, they should be able to help get your kids hooked up with CHIP if they qualify.

 

Like Wheelerswife, I also had a major health issue come up and needed the coverage, so it was good that I continued with the COBRA as my medical bills were quite high (in excess of $100K).

 

Again, I really do sympathize with you as I know how overwhelmed I felt having to deal with finding new insurance. One tip is to take good notes when you are checking into things as widow brain makes it hard to remember things.

 

Sending you a tight hug...

 

[Trying]

I ran into this as well, my DH passed away on Sept 20th and Oct 1st we were uninsured.  I had to pay the Cobra fee because I have a son with serious medical issues and his meds alone cost thousands per month if no prescription plan.  It is horrible that there is no grace period and being faced which such decisions so early on when we aren't functioning seems impossible.

 

If you have a friend or family member who can help you when you go,online and make phone calls I would suggest it.  I found even though I wrote everything down, I just wasn't capable of keeping it all straight those first few months.

[Virgo]

I'm sorry you are dealing with this. I went through the same thing and it was awful. I was told that my daughters and I would have insurance for 30 days after my husbands death. What a shock! I thought I would at least have 6 months. I started making wellness appointments for all of us before our insurance was cancelled. Then I started making phone calls. First I was told my monthly payment through Cobra would be around $325/mo. The police department said they would make the payments for me for the first year. I felt relieved. Then after more communications I was told the Cobra payment would be closer to $1200/mo. No way I could afford that, and the police department wouldn't be able to help me with that monthly amount either. I kept going back and forth with the insurance company. Finally they said, "oh you're covered under death benefits" Same coverage, FREE, for 5 years. I'm convinced that they were just waiting for me to pay for Cobra so they wouldn't have to cover me. So aggravating! My advice is to keep calling. Make sure you're not covered under death benefits.

[Catnip]

My husband died suddenly and the next day his work called me to inform me that our family health insurance terminated at midnight the day he died. That was his plan thru his work. 

 

Luckily I have a job so I just called my HR department and they immediately covered me and our 3 kids.

So not only did I loose his salary, mine went down because I was now taking out family health insurance.

 

It all sucks.

 

Good luck to you and that new grandbaby on the way!