When exactly does COBRA coverage end?

I was laid off in July and received COBRA credits for three months (it’s paid through end of October). Yesterday, I got a job offer to start on Sept 18th and the new benefits start on day 1. My wife has a major surgery scheduled for Sept 22nd and she’s already met our deductible and OoP on our old plan. The new plan is a high deductible/HSA style plan that would require us to pay out $4000.

I called the COBRA service provider and the person in the call center assured me that coverage for the old health insurance would end at the end of the month or whenever I select on the online form to indicate that I’m canceling.

Everything I see in the COBRA documentation indications that I MUST notify them when I get new coverage and that “coverage MAY terminate […] when beneficiaries are covered by a new plan.”

Both plans will be through Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan. Will BCBSM deny claims on the old insurance when they see that I’m covered on a new policy and demand the deductible amount? Should I ask to push back my start date to Oct 2? I can’t afford to pay our deductible again but I can’t afford to lose this job offer.

submitted by /u/davenport651
[comments]