[awolf]

This post gives terrible advice for those in the Ongoing Medical Conditions category. For most pre-existing conditions there's very little chance of getting approved for any of the plans they recommend. A bit surprising coming from a company that should apparently know what they're talking about.

As an independent software developer with Type 1 Diabetes, COBRA from my previous employer is my only option. Fortunately, California extends the national 18 month maximum duration to 36 months. Unfortunately, my COBRA will run out 4 months before 2014, so I'll need to figure something out before then.

[Stratoscope]

Under current California law, when your COBRA runs out, you are entitled to a HIPAA guaranteed issue plan. Insurers can't turn you down for this plan as long as you've had insurance for 18 months and have exhausted your COBRA options.

For example, when you apply for a Blue Shield individual plan, you have three options:

1) Answer all the medical questions and apply for underwritten coverage.

2) Skip all the medical questions and apply for a guaranteed issue plan only (if you meet the 18 month and COBRA requirements).

3) Apply for both simultaneously: answer the medical questions and hope to get underwritten coverage, but also request automatic guaranteed issue if they decline the underwritten plan. This is the option I'd recommend of course. (Even with a pre-existing condition, it's possible that they may still offer an underwritten plan in a higher rate tier, which would still be less than the guaranteed issue plan.)

More information from the California Department of Managed Health Care:

http://www.hmohelp.ca.gov/dmhc_consumer/hp/hp_cobra.aspx

http://www.hmohelp.ca.gov/dmhc_consumer/hp/hp_hipaacp.aspx

[zach]

Be sure to double-check on whether you can get California's extended COBRA if you were working for a large company.

I was lazy about getting my company's own insurance and contacted my former employer (Activision Blizzard) about how to get Cal-COBRA coverage.

Turns out I wasn't eligible, since their health plan is self-insured. Whoops, I didn't know that — who would?

I managed to line up coverage to avoid a gap, but I imagine a lot of people are caught by surprise by this exclusion. Details here:

http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0100-consumers/0060-information-...