[tptacek]

Tangent: COBRA is a really bad idea too. First, COBRA is probably more expensive than health care you acquire yourself, because most employers acquire highest-common-denominator coverage and hide the expense in payroll and benefits accounting. Second, COBRA has a ticking time limit on it, which is exactly what you don't want with health insurance (and why you never want month-to-month or temporary coverage). You might as well not insure yourself if any catastrophic event is as likely to bankrupt you with insurance as without it, which is what happens when something bad happens in the latter part of your COBRA term.

[LogicHoleFlaw]

COBRA is a ticking time bomb. But it does have the nice property that it keeps your "continuous coverage" which is very important in the face of any pre-existing conditions. That can be a very big deal.

[tptacek]

We had COBRA coverage when we started Matasano. Continuous coverage or not, insurance company beaurocrats refused coverge for us. I'm not sure what continuous coverage does for you once you obtain coverage, but in Illinois it doesn't do a thing to help you get it in the first place.