8 mos pregnant, job terminated and health insurance cancelled

My wife is due March 28th with our first baby. The company she has worked at for 6 1/2 years is expanding their store next month and in doing so they are closing for 8 weeks. They are terminating all employees and offering a severance package they are billing "An economic bridge." All employees must reapply upon reopen in April. They said a package will arrive in the mail any day, and that it must be signed and returned to get a check for $2900. They are telling my wife the store will close February 20th, and that effective February 28th our insurance will be cancelled. They are canceling our insurance one month before our baby girl is to be born.

This is a national store that has been doing business since before Lincoln was president. We were expecting to get Maternity leave, but I guess that won't happen. I don't know if they can legally do this to us, but if they can my options for obtaining insurance at this point are far and few between.

Anyone have advice on what to do or where to turn for help?


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They should offer cobra or a similar higher dollar insurance upon severance

 

cobra might be the only way to go insurance wise...

sucks man

 

Yes they offered Cobra at $1200 a month. So with a $2900 offer over 8 weeks after insurance premiums we net $500. Speechless

 

Just be sure to watch those policy effective dates and allow +/- 3 wks around her due date. I was in same boat 5 yr ago. With COBRA you at least keep same plan so shouldn't have to change info hospital likely already has on file.

 

Sorry to hear about the job. There should be a state or federal site for you to sign up for insurance. My wife was fired a couple weeks ago and her coverage alone through government is $180 a month.

 

Welcome to hypocrisy United States of America 101. That's a shit hand they just gave you man. Last company I worked for docked my salary by 4k, instead of having to let me go and pay me jobless monies. Your only two options are cobra or Universal, you'll get on cobra faster but they both suck ass for insurance. However, you are going to need it one way or another for your unborn kids sake.

That's pretty cheap

 

Where do you live, OP?

 

If you work, I assume this counts as an event that would allow you to add her your employers policy but like I said before, watch out for effective coverage dates.

 

We are in Delaware.

I've requested an application from my employer for insurance coverage. He is going to set up an appointment with them for me to discuss options.

It's just hard to go from knowing your child's birth is insured to not knowing if you can get coverage. It's too late in the game for us to be dealing with this.


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