After having Cobra for 3 months, and not even knowing it, I have finally figured it all out. I was so confused about the whole situation and couldn’t get a clear answer for a while. I called Ceridian Benefits, who runs the Cobra program to get some answers. Here are the questions that I wanted answers to:
- When does my coverage start?
- Am I up to date on my payments?
- Am I covered now?
- Why does my invoice show a payment for December when it’s not February?
- What card do I use, what is my member ID?
- How do I get my diabetes supplies?
Well, let’s go into each of these questions, and if you ever had questions about Cobra, I hope this post helps you out.
When does my coverage start?
Well this one was a pretty simple answer, it never ended. I did not know that from the day that I was fired, and the insurance rep called me and I told him that I was going to opt in for Cobra that he continued my service as is. He did this to make sure that there was no break in coverage and that I had the continuing of coverage within the 63 days.
Am I up to date on my payments?
I sent in a check to pay for December, January, and February, but I haven’t seen the check cleared yet so I was a little worried that it wasn’t paid. When I spoke to the customer service rep, she assured me that the system showed paid and she gave me a confirmation number of the payment, so I guess it’s time to figure that out with the bank.
Am I covered now?
This is was somewhat of a repetitive question, but I had to double check. Yes my coverage has been active since December, which I would have known that when I went to the clinic for the clogged Eustachian Tube.
What card do I use, what is my member ID?
This is the one that I was the most confused with because I wasn’t sure how it worked. I was waiting for a card to get sent to me that is why I didn’t think that my coverage had started yet. The reason that I didn’t get a card sent to me is because you are supposed to use the same exact card and member ID number that you had with the insurance company. So, since I had insurance through Aetna, I will continue to use that card for coverage.
How do I get my diabetes supplies?
This is just like the last question. I still get my supplies from the same way that I would get them previously through Aetna. This is great for my insulin, and for testing strips because each of those is just a $90 co-pay for 90 day supply. The insulin pump supplies are where it gets tricky and pretty much sucks. Since pump supplies are considered durable medical equipment, I have to meet a $1,000 deductible first. After that $1,000 is up then Aetna will cover it, but only up to a $2,000 maximum! $2,000 maximum for pump supplies, are you serious? That’s like a one month supply with the way that the supply companies charge the insurance companies (trust me I know from being on the inside of the supply company).
Well this customer service rep that I spoke to was a lot of help. Other insurance companies should take notes on customer service because these people are great. I spoke to about 3 different people in my calls to them and they have each been excellent. I hope this had helped any of you that have had questions about Cobra and continuing insurance coverage previously.