Keep COBRA one more month to pay surgery?

I am currently between jobs and my previously employer is covering my COBRA premiums until the end of this month (August) as part of my severance package.

My current health insurance, sponsored by my previous employer, is an HDHP policy. I have exhausted both the deductible and the maximum out-of-pocket spend for the year.

I start my new job next week. My plan was to let the current policy lapse as I get new coverage from the new employer. However, I will need to undergo an unexpected surgery in late September. I tried to make it happen this month but the surgeon and his team did not have any availability, sadly.

Thus, I see two main options:

I pay the $3,000 COBRA premium for September myself to keep my current policy one extra month. This way, I cap the money I pay for the surgery, because I have already exhausted both the deductible and the maximum out-of-pocket spend for the year on this HDHP policy. I go through with my original plan. The new policy will be a PPO policy with a $600 copay per admission for inpatient hospital care and a $10,000 maximum out-of-pocket per year.

The math seems to tell me to stick with the original plan and go with 2). However, I have never had a PPO policy and do not have the fine print on my hands right now. In fact, I will only have access to the fine print after I go through with the benefits enrollment process at the new company, which will be after the September COBRA premium for my current policy is due. If these PPO policies are typically riddled with extra fees beyond the copay in the brochure, betting on 2) may turn out to be an expensive $10,000 gamble.

What do you all think?

submitted by /u/trivialyyy
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