Completely lost when it comes to switching from ten months unemployed and on PA Medicaid to Short-Term Insurance in order to fill any potential 90 day periods most full-time jobs have before their insurance kicks in. How do I fill the gap without becoming unable to work?
It's been a hell of a year but I now need a full-time job with a dependable and livable income. I'm having enough difficulty as it is for a variety of reasons, but one of the biggest concerns I have is losing insurance. I have a number of health concerns, most of which have been mental and Medicaid has been the only reason I have been able to afford getting as much help as I have for such a long-neglected issue. Therapy, partial program, psych meds, you name it. Unfortunately, I've also developed some pretty severe physical problems with my dominant wrist that has been spreading to my hand and arm. I'm waiting for my ortho appointment in two weeks for an official diagnosis, but who knows what is ahead of me there?
With any insurance other than Medicaid, I will already have to worry about budgeting time and money for scheduling around jobs and affording copays; especially with the hand, as I accumulate copays for OT/PT and ortho being specialists. One job I'm waiting to hear back from has their insurance start the first of the month following hire. I asked the public assistance office, and they said that because UPMC gets paid by the state the first of the month, I'd be covered for that month; so in cases like this I'd have no gap in health insurance. Unfortunately, they also limit PT and OT combined to 33 sessions a year, but that's another issue.
But just about every other full-time job lists benefits as coming after a three-month period. What am I supposed to do during that time? I checked the sticky and Pennsylvania isn't listed for any of the short-term insurance issues, but when I looked them up for my state, I saw a PA Gov website mention:
If you are buying short-term health insurance, you need to pay very close attention to what is covered because these plans do not have to meet the minimum requirements for comprehensive coverage under the Affordable Care Act
Then you have UPMC, the major provider of healthcare in my city that provides most of the services here, saying:
With short-term plans:
– You can be denied coverage if you have a pre-existing condition. This is a health problem you had before you secured health insurance.
– You’ll have a new plan each time you renew your coverage. Medical conditions that arose under your initial short-term plan may not be covered under your new plan.
– There may be no limit on out-of-pocket costs.
– There could be annual and lifetime benefit caps.
– There is no requirement to provide essential health benefits.
Here are some of the services (essential health benefits) that short-term plans may not offer that you can count on with UPMC Health Plan coverage:
– Maternity and newborn care
– Mental health treatment, including for substance use disorders
– Routine office visits
– Prescription drug coverage
– Preventive care
And all that really worries me. Not being able to afford treatment will only ensure that I can neither mentally nor physically do my job. I don't see short-term insurance options on our marketplace, Pennie, so the only other place I saw was eHealth. The only options listed in my area are United Healthcare, which I know nothing about nor their coverage of local UPMC and Allegheny Health providers, and the shortest plans listed are 6 months.
Would I then not be able to have my employer's health insurance after the three month period? Would I have to pay for both until the short-term plan runs out? One job agency told me I'd have to decide within 30 days if I wanted their benefits, whether or not they placed me somewhere by then Would I not be able to switch to a different job's insurance after short-term because of this? How do I deal with any of this??
submitted by /u/FireHeartSmokeBurp
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