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Comment on Ask HN: Self-employed healthcare options?

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Here is what I'd do if I were you. You should look at how much your current premium would cost if you were to switch to COBRA (when you leave your job, your current employer is required by law to maintain your health coverage for up to 18 months). Though, you would have to pay the full premium because your employer would not participate anymore. Right now it's all accounted in your paychecks and it's invisible to you.

So ask your HR how much it would cost per month to maintain your current coverage under COBRA. If you can handle the payment, then I'd suggest to do that for a few months and to not worry too much. You'd maintain your current doctors, insurance card, coverage, etc. Settle down in your new position, look at your monthly spendings, do some research, then eventually switch to a cheaper coverage.

I've never seen cobra be worth a damn, always insanely overpriced and now ACA exchange plans are usually better option.

It depends what you're looking for. In the tech industry, a lot of employers offer top-notch health benefits. If you want to match that on the market, prices are comparable.

If you're looking for a standard health plan then I'd say yeah... why would you maintain an expensive health plan if you feel like you don't really need it? Cobra is just a term used to maintain your employer's coverage, usually when you lost your job on a short notice it protects you from any health issues. That's why it's always good to request all the details from your HR in order to get the exact premium cost under Cobra. Some people just want to keep a similar coverage, in this case Cobra makes it easier.

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