Two COBRA plans okay, but drop one soon

I currently have two active COBRA plans with different health insurance providers. The first is with Anthem Blue Cross and I have it until January 2014 before it expires. I got a job in January 2013 with another company but kept the previous COBRA active as I had 30-day waiting period before their health plan kicked in. Two weeks after I was eligible and enrolled on their plan, I was laid off. I took COBRA in March 2013 with them. So basically, I now am paying for two COBRA health plans. Also I just moved to New Hampshire from Florida. Am I allowed to have two healthcare plans via COBRA…or at all for that matter? Does the fact that I moved change my plans with either of them? How should I proceed?

COBRA Queen

Dear COBRA Queen,

You are allowed to have two COBRA plans.  You just may not want both of them!

Moving from Florida to New Hampshire may mean that one or both of these plans are no good for your needs.  It’s also possible that the COBRA plans are more expensive than buying your own.

Get some help from an insurance agent or a financial advisor to sort out which of the two plans best suits your needs in New Hampshire.  If you don’t have expert help, you can call the Member Services phone and simply ask what services and benefits are available to you in your new state.  The answer may be very simple: one plan may have no out-of-network benefits, in which case that’s the plan you drop (even if it’s the one that would give you more months of COBRA.)

While you are comparing the two plans, do some research on what is available in New Hampshire.  My favorite site for option shopping is healthcare.gov.  Click on your state and answer a few questions about yourself and voila, a list with links appears.

Linda Riddell

About Linda Riddell

A published author and health policy analyst with 25 years’ experience, Linda Riddell's goal is to alleviate the widespread ailment of not knowing what your health plan can do for you.