Desperate Times

Apparently health insurance carriers are feeling the pinch of the tightening economy.

Get this. A person wasn't sure whether she could get on her husband's insurance after she went on leave at work, so she applied for Cal-COBRA. Well, she finally found out that she could late in the month and so over 30 days had passed when she contacted the carrier of her Cal-COBRA that she didn't need it after all, thank you very much.

She was being a conscientious consumer.

Well, this insurance company is saying that if she doesn't pay for the month, that they'll send her to collections.

Knowing that Federal COBRA means that you have 60 days to elect, then from the date of election, you have 45 days to pay and if you do not pay, you simply don't have coverage instead of owing money, I asked what would've happened to the woman had she NOT informed them of her choice, and simply didn't pay. The answer? Nothing.

She is being punished for being conscientious, and had she just been a slacker and just didn't bother to inform nor to pay, there'd be no repercussions.

Think health insurance carriers are getting so desperate they have to get this poor woman to pay premiums for double coverage. The system is collapsing in on itself as the economy worsens.