Health insurance options for recently unemployed

Losing your job often means losing your health insurance, a scary truth in the middle of a health crisis.

Here's what you can do to stay insured.

DEATH.THE SHUT DOWN OF NON-ESSENTIALBUSINESSES IN FLORIDA HAS LEFTTHOUSANDS UNEMPLOYED... ANDWITHOUT HEALTH INSURANCE.AN ALARMING SITUATION IN THEMIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC...BUT WHAT OPTIONS DO PEOPLE HAVEWHO WERE INSURED THROUGH THEIREMPLOYERS?FOX 4 SANDRA RODRIGUEZ SPOKEWITH INSURANCE EXPERTS ON WHATOPTIONS PEOPLE HAVE..(0:12 - 0:19)(1:02 - 1:18)LL INTRO:WELL, PEOPLE THAT HAVE RECENTLYLOST THEIR JOB HAVE A SPECIALENROLLMENT PERIOD TO APPLY FORINSURANCE THROUGH THE AFFORDABLECARE ACT OR ACA MARKETPLACE━BUT THEY NEED TO ACT QUICKLYSOT(Steve Isidor, Insurance Agent,Insurance Summit USA):"Built into the Affordable CareAct, whenever you’re losingcoverage you have a 60-daywindow to actually get insurancethrough the exchange."AS TENS OF THOUSANDS OFFLORIDIANS COPE WITH JOB LOSSES━ MANY ARE ALSO LEFT WITHOUTHEALTHCARE COVERAGE DURING THISGLOBAL PANDEMICBUT THERE ARE OPTIONS━INCLUDING INSURANCE COVERAGETHROUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’SAFFORDABLE CARE ACT OR ACAMARKETPLACE2:14:49SOT(Steve Isidor, Insurance Agent,Insurance Summit USA):"If you are approved for specialenrollment period they willforward the tax credit to theinsurance company and then theinsurance company will providethe insurance for you."ISIDOR SAYS THE INFORMATION YOUPROVIDE WHEN APPLYING HAS TOMATCH WHEN YOU FILE TAXES NEXTYEAR SO YOU WANT TO BE ASTRANSPARENT AS POSSIBLE3:56:00SOT(Steve Isidor, Insurance Agent,Insurance Summit USA):"If you say you’re going to make20,000 dollars but in reality,you make 30,000, the governmentis going to ask you back for theaccess tax credit they gaveyou."ANOTHER OPTION IS COBRACOVERAGESOT(Tom Smythe, Professor ofFinance, FGCU):"Which allows former employeesto purchase the same healthinsurance plan that they hadfrom their employer prior tothem leaving."BUTTE}1:43:16SOT(Tom Smythe, Professor ofFinance, FGCU):"Cobra for most people is likelyto be pretty expensive, but itis an option especially withcontinuity of care."WITH COBRA COVERAGE YOU HAVE TOPAY THE FULL PREMIUM YOURSELF2:34:22SOT(Steve Isidor, Insurance Agent,Insurance Summit USA):"When you’re on your employer’sgroup plan, your employerusually picks up the tab for50-percent and you pay the other50-percent for yourself, and formost group plans the employerdoesn’t pay for your familymembers, the employee pays forthe family members that are onthere."ISIDOR SAYS PREMIUMS THROUGH THEACA MARKETPLACE ARE USUALLYFAIRLY REASONABLE IN PROPORTIONTO SOMEONE’S INCOME...BUT PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE HIGHEND OF THE INCOME BRACKET WOULDBENEFIT MORE FROM COBRACOVERAGE...WITH BOTH OPTIONS━ A PERSONWOULD HAVE HAD TO BEEN COVEREDTHROUGH THEIR EMPLOYER3:25:50SOT(Tom Smythe, Professor ofFinance, FGCU):If you did not have insurancethrough your previous employerand were not currently oninsurance associated with theAffordable Care Act, getting