Insurance coverage after RNY (long)

I need some info and just not hearsay about the true facts of a person being or not being covered for medical insurance after they are PO RNY until they are 5 years out. I am 2 coming up on 3 years PO from open RNY. I have come to the realization that it is time to move on in my career. I have been with my local police department for 26+ years as a civilian. I do not want to move on but because of personality frictions (I have bent over backwards to get along but I am still the "bad guy" and do not know anything about anything, long story, it is just with a few people that I am having a problems with. But, those few people I work in close contact with) and plain burnout. I am not eligible to collect my pension until I am 55 which is a little over 2 years from now. I do have an option to take out medical insurance with my pension provider but do not know much about any of it or if they would even cover me because of the RNY. I am basically stuck between a rock and a hard place at the moment, but keep getting whispers from the Holy Spirit to start asking questions about insurance. Sorry, I am a religious person and I do not mean to offend anyone with my last sentence, I truely believe in God being in control of every aspect of my life. I am also wondering if I did go to another full time job with medical benefits if I would be covered for medical insurance with them or would I have an exclusion automatically built in from the beginning relating to anything with my RNY? I basically need to be employed to help with expenses so therefore another full time job would need to be in order. I have considered going Cobra with my current employer to carry me 'til my pension kicks in also. I do not know if I can make it another 2 years at my current job. I know that I have marketable skills but it is scary (lack of self esteem kicking in here) to think of going into the job market now after 26+ years and go through job interviews. If anyone has any info could you please pass it my way or pass on my question to someone else that may be able to give me some insight? Thanks so much, Chris

Hi Chris Not to worry. Due to the HIPPA laws that went into effect in 2003 (if I remember right) you would be covered immeditately by your new company as you can prove continuous coverage of 12 months or more at your current employer. Regards and hugs, Ronna

Ronna, thank you for the input, it is very encouraging to read. How are you doing? I totally was not able to get to see you after your surgery at ABMC. I was in the middle of packing for a cruise and we left for TX a couple days after you were out of surgery. I will read your profile and catch up on news about you. Chris

That is all I had to do is prove that I have had coverage for 12 months. My old insurance company wrote a letter for me

I was 6 months out when I went full time at my company and I had no problems with my insurance company, my husband just added me to his also.. Good Luck Debby

Debby, thanks for responding, you also have given me some info that is encouraging to read. I already am covered on my husband's policy but with his retirement from Lucent it is so shakey with whether the company will continue to provide insurance to retirees let alone the spouses. We will have to make the decision somewhere down the line on whether I should stay full time and maybe me go part time somewhere and I take out the insurance under Cobra for a short while. Oh, decisions, decisions. Chris

The main thing is that you continue to be covered to if you have to definately take the COBRA. If you have a 60 day break in coverage then they can deny coverage for up to 12 months. Good luck on the job hunt. Regards and hugs, Ronna Former HR Diva

Chris, Isn't it clear that insurance companies want to be general manager of the universe?? I can tell you from experience with my husband's insurance, that it will probably be ok. My daughter has chronic kidney infections, and when we switched the kids to his insurance in January 2005, his insurance Co considered this a preexisting condition and said they would not pay on any related charges until we had been paying individuals for one year. However, once we talked further, the insurance company asked for a letter of certifiable coverage from our previous insurance company. That cleared it all up. So from your current insurance with the police department request a certificate of coverage to state that you were covered under their plan for whatever dates, and then you can fax/send thatin to the new insurance company. You may want to try this before going COBRA...it is so expensive!! Good luck to you. Nicole

Nicole, thank you for your time to answer my question. Just this week end with me posting the question have I learned about this certificate. This will be something that I will be asking for. Even when I do change jobs I am going to probably go Cobra for a short while because I want that cushion for the "what ifs". A lot of companies you go with now a days have a waiting period before insurance benefits kick in. It is just one of those necessary evils that come to you in life. I am going to think that that medical expense would be tax deductable the following year at tax time.

They did something like this to my little brother. He was born missing part of his left arm. They said that they would cover him, just not his left arm! Of course, we fought it, and they changed their mind when they had a snotty little 3 year old to put them in their place. He toook of his prosthetic arm and handed it to them. They were so shocked that they changed their minds right away!