Insurance And Unemployment

By Chad Petri Reporter

The end of employment doesn’t necessarily mean the end of health coverage, if you can afford it. Insurance And Unemployment

Published: Wed, November 26, 2008 - 4:10 pm Last Updated: Wed, November 26, 2008 - 4:16 pm

Chad Petri

Former dental assistant Nikki Jones-Thompson has been coming to the Alabama Career Center looking for work.

“Everyday, I come here everyday, and it's an ongoing thing,” says Jones-Thompson. If you have the means, some people recommend Cobra coverage as your best option. This is where you keep your present benefits but pay what your boss used to.

“So it's actually the full cost of the coverage as well as a small administrative fee,” says Human Resources consultant and co-founder of the Mobile Technical Institute Mary White. In some cases that can be health coverage which costs more than twice what you're paying now. The upside is that your coverage doesn't change. Mary white with the mobile technical institute says you may have the option to enroll in your spouse's coverage if they're still employed.

“That may me written in as a qualifying event that would allow that person to join the other group plan,” says White. Despite the seemingly high cost of some health insurance plans having some insurance after you're unemployed is preferable to having none at all.