COBRA for spouse only?

[Moazzam]

TX!

Hi

I MAY get laid off. And I will probably go with COBRA. But I was wondering, can I get COBRA only for my wife and not for me? I dont really need it but she's pregnant and we need it for her.

I could get some secondary small inexpensive insurance for myself like Unicare.

Also, does COBRA then cover the baby when he/she is born?

thanks a bunch

Moazzam

 

[cbg]

Yes, the SOLE instance when you can have your wife covered on your employer's insurance without being covered yourself is through COBRA, and yes, you can add the baby when it is born AS LONG AS you notify your employer or the COBRA adminstrator within 30 days of the birth AND, within that same 30 days (i.e., don't wait till day 29 to call them) complete and return any paperwork that may be necessary (what, if any, paperwork this may be will vary with both your employer and the insurance carrier).

You might want to keep in mind that if you obtain an individual policy on yourself, that not all of them count as "creditable coverage" when it comes to assessing pre-existing conditions, and that in many parts of the country it is next to impossible to get any kind of comparable coverage cheaper than COBRA.

 

[Moazzam]

Fabulous, thanks!

thats great help!