Today she got an offer for a purchasing manager position. Pays $65K/year, with excellent benefits, and she will be supervising 12 people. As an added bonus, it's a bit closer to home - maybe 10-15 minutes instead of 15-20 minutes (depending on traffic). Sweet! Good for her! It's a big upgrade from her current admin assistant job - which has even better benefits than this new job, but only pays about $35K/year.

Now, as it turns out, this new job is at a bank. Some of you will know why this is somewhat ironic, and even a bit funny (:

Cheers!
AKDiver

Good luck with the new job!!!

Great news AK now I hope my wife can find something soon.

I remember why this is somewhat ironic.

Good news though. Hope we don't see an INTERPOL alert any time soon!

(:

Good luck with the new job! I know Ira can't wait to get out there into the workforce. She's gets some serious cabin fever when I'm working all day.

Fantastic news!

Z

There are probably several volunteer opportunities in your area and free ESL classes as well. If she's too bored, check that stuff out.

Yeah, that's what my wife did before she got her work permit - she volunteered at the library for 25 hours per week or so. It was good because it gave her a local reference when she was applying for her first job here. I highly recommend this approach.

So, she got the employee handbook for the new job today. Health insurance is better and maybe a tiny bit cheaper than what we have now - but it does not start until 1 November (90 days after employment, starting the first of the following month) - and I have no health insurance through my own job (self employed). So now we are trying to decide whether we should continue the benefits under her current employer via COBRA. That will cost about $900/month, or $2700 for the period of time we're talking about. As we see it, the alternatives are:

1). Spend the $2700 and have health insurance from 1 August - 1 November
2). Keep the $2700 and have no health insurance from 1 August - 1 November
3). Try to find some private and affordable "catastrophic health insurance" for this time period, just in case something serious happens.

We're inclined to go with option #2.

Option #3 could be tempting, but I doubt we will find any policy that lets us just have coverage for 3 months, rather than a whole year or something.

Anyone have any recommendations for policies under option 3, or any other ideas for options?

THanks!
AKDiver

I am with you on option 2. I think even if you found a policy for option 3, you would still be paying nearly the same as option 1. Just be carefull for a couple of months.

Well, a quick search reveals some interesting things.

I found some policies that are for a specific period of time, that let you make one-time payment of premium (seems easier than monthly billing), that have reasonable deductibles. Some examples:

Assurant Health 93 days, $545.59 $500 deductible, 20% coinsurance. You pay 20% after deductible.
Assurant Health, 93 days, $483.58 $1000 deductible, 0% coinsurance. You pay 0% after deductible.
Assurant Health 93 days, $365.96 $1000 deductible, 20% coinsurance. You pay 20% after deductible.

Plan Highlights:
-freedom to choose own doctor and hospitals
-prescription drug coverage
-in-hospital and out-patient benefits
-does not cover pre-existing conditions (anything diagnosed or treated in the last 5 years)

Kinda seems too good to be true - and never heard of Assurant Health before. I wonder if places will accept that insurance.

They have other options with higher deductibles - but I figure that if I were going to go that route, then I might as well stick with COBRA. For the $70 price difference, the first option seems like a good way to go - but the 0% coinsurance on the second option looks pretty good too.

Any thoughts?

Cheers!
AKDiver

Option 2 is definitely the way to go.

However, if you're really worried about having no insurance at all, there is cheap "accidental coverage" available over the 'Net. Just google "cheap insurance" or something like that and there are several options.

I wouldn't worry about it. You're not likely to break anything in the next three months and something like an auto collision will be covered by your auto insurance. Worst case scenario, you have to pay cash for going to the ER to set a broken limb. (Usually still cheaper than paying for insurance.)

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Go with option 2 way above, no insurance at all.

As for the "accidental coverage" you're going to end up paying more for that than you would if you had to pay cash for something. Take the money you would be paying for insurance over the next couple months, put it in an account, and if something happens, pay cash. If not, then take a trip! Just don't forget the travel insurance!