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Medical Insurance through Costco

August 25th, 2016 at 06:28 am

Did you know you can get medical insurance through Costco? I mean, it's not Costco insurance, but they offer plans through major medical insurers that actually seem quite reasonable, or at least in comparison to our COBRA, and it is much easier to navigate than the ACA Exchanges.

We are looking at a plan through Regence. Unfortunately the soonest we can get on it is October 1st, which would mean going September with no insurance. Or paying COBRA for September. And I'm not sure if we can start the COBRA and then switch in October. Being laid off is an event that qualifies you to purchase medical at a non-enrollment time. Quitting a COBRA is not a qualifying event, though running out of COBRA is.

The open enrollment period is November 1st, but I don't know if that means it starts November 1st. I am just afraid we will have to pay COBRA for a couple of months before we can buy the less expensive but far better insurance. That will diminish our Emergency Fund fast.

DH is going to have to get some more questions answered. I just wish we could start on September 1st, but apparently to do that, you need to have enrolled on August 15th. Ugh. We haven't even gotten the paperwork we need to get either the COBRA or the insurance at a non-open enrollment time, either. September is going to be a frustrating month. I may have to reschedule an appointment of mine until October.

We have been pushing hard to get everything done that we can. We've all been to the dentist this month and my son goes in for an eye exam tomorrow to see if he needs new glasses. But we may wait to get them until we are on the Regence insurance because it looks like they cover kids' glasses 100%.

I am going to try to get an eye exam in as well at Lenscrafters. I won't buy glasses there, but I do see the doctor there, because you can get in fast. I won't be able to get glasses as I got them a year ago, but I want to see whether or not my prescription has changed. I'm having some issues with night vision while driving (so I've stopped driving at night as much as possible).

I had my labs done and so did my daughter so we are good on those for a year. We're going to get as many prescriptions renewed as possible before the end of the month. I've been working on getting a stash of high blood pressure and high cholesterol drugs, because they will let me renew those every three weeks, so I've got a two month supply and if I can get one more in this month then I shouldn't have to get those until the insurance situation is all sorted out.

This is complicated. I know we'll come through it and out the other side, but I wish it didn't have to be so hard, or so expensive.

6 Responses to “Medical Insurance through Costco”

  1. Joanie Says:
    1472107289

    fyi : my open enrollment starts Nov 1st but the insurance starts Jan 1st

  2. starfishy Says:
    1472137086

    ugh...i hope you figure out a workable solution for your family.

  3. Joan.of.the.Arch Says:
    1472140232

    You certainly have my sympathy. It's hard!

  4. Kiki Says:
    1472148701

    The cobra paperwork will take a little while to come in. Then you will have 60 days to make the payment for the first month because they always seem to run behind so you may not have to make a payment for cobra for September unless one of you has to use insurance.

    Sign up for the Costco insurance for October. The open enrollment period will allow you to make changes necessary to begin in January but if you are just joining there shouldn't be any changes to make.

    I would ask though if there is a change in cost come January as that is when the new insurance prices are released for the next year.

    Glad you were able to find something cheaper than cobra.

  5. scfr Says:
    1472156776

    When we lived in Washington and were both self-employed, we had Costco medical insurance. We were happy with it, but we also did not incur any major expenses. In other words, we never really put it to a major test. I hope it works out for you.

    Do you report self-employment income? If so, you may want to investigate whether a portion of the insurance would be deductible for you.

    I hope you can get everything worked out. I'm reading your posts about this with empathy. I think (knock wood) that we have insurance through my employer locked for 2017 but I fully expect to lose it in 2018 so we'll be looking at the same options you are.

  6. LivingAlmostLarge Says:
    1472490027

    I had no idea. I wish I had known.

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