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Unus pro omnibus, omnes pro uno -- One for all, all for one

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(Formerly Known As "The Intel Eliminati" - TIE)

Medical

Coverage Termination

Coverage ends on the last day of the month you were employed. For example, if your last day was in April but you were paid until May then your coverage ended May 31. If you will be leaving in June, then June 30 will be your last day of coverage.

COBRA

You must choose to enroll in COBRA by the deadlines Intel sets. If you do, then your coverage is effective the first day of the next month. So if you left in April and enroll in COBRA, your coverage  begins June 1, 2016 (And July 1, 2016 if you depart in June.). In effect, coverage is retroactive so it is continuous.

If you are curious, extended health care coverage continuation was enacted by the Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act of 1985 by Congress. This is where the name COBRA comes from.

Check this FAQ page for many more details of the COBRA program, on the U.S. Department Of Labor web site:
FAQs about COBRA Continuation Health Coverage

Continuous Coverage Cautions

Just because you have or can sign up for continuous coverage does not mean nothing has changed. If you have a doctor's appointment or need to fill a prescription in the gap between leaving Intel and having signed up for COBRA coverage, you may need to pay out-of-pocket for services. You can then request reimbursement for the services once the paperwork is processed. This has caused some problems for a few employees.

To smooth things along, you can call your provider and sign up on the telephone for COBRA. This can shave one to two weeks off the processing time. If you can shift prescription refills or appointments so they happen before you leave or one month after you leave, you can avoid falling into this pitfall.

You should avoid medical appointments and prescription refills for the first two to three weeks after leaving Intel. This will be enough time for you to sign up for COBRA coverage and for the providers to be updated. If you cannot shift then be prepared to pay out of pocked. Note that if you use your HSA to pay you will not be able to return the monies to that account. You need to use another source of funds.

Intel Health Benefits Number

If you need to contact Intel about health benefits, call 877-466-9236

After COBRA

As of March 2017, when COBRA ends and you still have not found a job with health benefits, then you have the option of joining the Healthcare.gov exchanges.

Sign up at least 3 months before your COBRA coverage ends, and try to have at least 1-month of overlap with your new Health Plan.   The sign up process can take a couple of weeks, so you want to check things out early.

With current subsidies, some Eliminati are reporting that for 1-person coverage they are paying less than $90 a month for health coverage.   These are high-deductible plans, but still provide good coverage.   


Last updated: 2017-03-13

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