Your rights to health insurance

BY PATRICIA ANSTETT • FREE PRESS MEDICAL WRITER • March 10, 2008

Your rights to health insurance:

• State law requires Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan year-round,
and HMOS during a 30-day open enrollment period each year, to sell you
insurance. Check with HMOS about when enrollment is open.

• COBRA, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA),
is a federal law that gives you the right to continue temporary
coverage under your health plan if you left a company that had
workplace coverage for 20 or more workers. COBRA does not apply to
plans sponsored by the federal government and some church-related
organizations.

Here's how COBRA works: You pay the full premium plus up to 2% for
administrative expenses. Coverage usually ends after 18 months,
although it can last as long as 36 months in some circumstances. Check
out options and compare COBRA to any plan you can buy on your own.
COBRA coverage may be more expensive.

• If you had workplace coverage considered credible, you are eligible
for a group conversion policy. The health plan cannot turn you down
because you had a prior health problem.

For more information about COBRA, contact the U.S. Department of
Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, at 866-444-3272 or
www.dol.gov/ebsa.

Source: Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Growth, Office of
Financial and Insurance Services