I know it takes a while for Cobra to activate and I know that it’s retroactive. But how do I pay for appointments and drugs when it says I have no coverage? Do I pay for it out of pocket and then submit for reimbursement? Do I tell the doctor’s office that I’m just waiting for Cobra?
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You can let your doctor’s office know you’re waiting for COBRA, but it’s up to them whether they wait or ask for some payment.
Once COBRA is active, notify your providers about the coverage and ask them to reprocess the claims. Any overpayments can be refunded once the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) is available in your insurance portal.
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I paid my doctor appointment copay and informed them about switching to COBRA. In the past, for prescriptions, they refused to reimburse the difference, saying it was already applied to my deductible. Since I’m a contractor and go on COBRA every two years during my contract break, I’ve started refilling everything early to avoid the hassle.
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Unfortunately, we’re at the company’s mercy waiting for them to send the paperwork. There’s no way to get a jump on it. Thanks for your reply.
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If there’s a chance you might lose coverage, think about sending your prescriptions to CostPlus or a similar service. I had prescriptions where my 30-day refill co-insurance cost more than getting a 90-day refill express shipped from CostPlus. Setting up an account was super easy and didn’t require extra work from my doctor’s office. Just keep in mind, it mainly works for older generic drugs, not name-brand medications.
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Thank you, I’ll check that out.
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Prescriptions can be tricky. If your coverage isn’t active when you pick up your medication, the pharmacy will charge you the cash price. If the cash price is higher than the insurance rate, you might have to fight the insurance company to get reimbursed for the difference. I suggest contacting your insurance plan to ask about this.
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Thank you, unfortunately it’s damn near impossible to find someone to talk to about it.
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Hi…You might want to find a free clinic in your area. Some have in-house pharmacies.