Below, you can find a set of links that will take you to information about medical assistance programs for each state (Medicaid, S-CHIP, or other programs).
Most states, unfortunately, do not offer traditional Medicaid coverage for able-bodied, working-aged adults without children. However, several states do offer other types of medical assistance for working-aged adults, so you should be careful to explore all programs in your state before concluding that you can't qualify for anything.
If you are pregnant or have children, it is far more likely that you will be able to find state coverage. Medicaid eligibility is far less stringent for pregnant women or children under 18, so even if you or a partner don't qualify for benefits on your own, your children (born or unborn) will very likely qualify for coverage if you don't make much money. In fact, graduate student couples in many states have been able to cover their children on state Medicaid programs, because their family income (via graduate stipends) is so low.
So if you're leaving academia with kids and don't have a new job lined up, you should definitely explore whether your kids (at least) may qualify for state coverage.
For each state, I tried to pull a link that provides a gateway to all of the Medicaid eligibility information (and applications) for each state. However, each state offers multiple assistance programs and has complex eligibility requirements for each, so be sure to spend some time looking around your specific site – there may be more information/programs out there than are covered on the linked pages.
Alabama: http://www.medicaid.alabama.gov/CONTENT/3.0_Apply/3.2_Qualifying_for_Medicaid.aspx
Alaska: http://dhss.alaska.gov/dpa/Pages/medicaid/default.aspx
Arizona: http://www.azahcccs.gov/applicants/default.aspx
Arkansas: https://www.medicaid.state.ar.us/InternetSolution/consumer/who.aspx
California: http://www.dhcs.ca.gov/services/medi-cal/Pages/ApplyforMedi-Cal.aspx
Colorado: http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/HCPF/HCPF/1251573247952
Connecticut: http://www.ct.gov/dss/cwp/view.asp?a=2353&q=305218
Delaware: https://assist.dhss.delaware.gov/
District of Columbia: http://dhcf.dc.gov/services
Florida: http://goo.gl/e7VKX
Georgia: http://dch.georgia.gov/medicaid
Hawaii: http://www.med-quest.us/eligibility/EligPrograms.html
Idaho: http://www.healthandwelfare.idaho.gov/Default.aspx?TabId=123
Illinois: http://www.dhs.state.il.us/page.aspx?item=30359
Indiana: http://member.indianamedicaid.com/
Iowa: http://www.ime.state.ia.us/Members/index.html
Kansas: http://www.kdheks.gov/hcf/healthwave/default.htm
Kentucky: http://chfs.ky.gov/dms/eligibility.htm
Louisiana: http://dhh.louisiana.gov/index.cfm/subhome/1/n/331
Maine: http://www.maine.gov/dhhs/oms/member/index.shtml
Maryland: http://mmcp.dhmh.maryland.gov/SitePages/About%20Our%20Programs.aspx
Massachusetts: http://www.massresources.org/masshealth.html
Michigan: http://www.michigan.gov/mdch/0,4612,7-132-2943_4860---,00.html
Minnesota: http://goo.gl/mw8MV
Mississippi: http://www.medicaid.ms.gov/Eligibility.aspx
Missouri: http://dss.mo.gov/pr_health.htm
Montana: http://www.dphhs.mt.gov/programsservices/medicaid.shtml
Nebraska: https://dhhs-access-neb-menu.ne.gov/start/?tl=en
Nevada: https://dhcfp.nv.gov/index.htm
New Hampshire: http://www.dhhs.nh.gov/ombp/medicaid/index.htm
New Jersey: http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dmahs/clients/medicaid/
New Mexico: http://www.hsd.state.nm.us/mad/CMedAssisPrograms.html
New York: http://www.health.ny.gov/health_care/index.htm
North Carolina: http://www.ncdhhs.gov/dma/medicaid/
North Dakota: http://www.nd.gov/dhs/services/medicalserv/index.html
Ohio: http://jfs.ohio.gov/OHP/consumer.stm
Oklahoma: http://www.okhca.org/individuals.aspx?id=52&menu=40&parts=11601_7453
Oregon: http://www.oregon.gov/oha/healthplan/Pages/app_benefits/main.aspx
Pennsylvania: https://www.humanservices.state.pa.us/compass.web/CMHOM.aspx
Rhode Island: http://www.dhs.ri.gov/DefaultPermissions/HealthCare/tabid/945/Default.aspx
South Carolina: https://www.scdhhs.gov/how-to-apply
South Dakota: http://dss.sd.gov/medicaleligibility/
Tennessee: http://www.tn.gov/tenncare/members.shtml
Texas: http://www.hhsc.state.tx.us/medicaid/med_info.html
Utah: http://health.utah.gov/umb/
Vermont: http://www.greenmountaincare.org/vermont-health-insurance-plans/medicaid
Virginia: http://www.dmas.virginia.gov/
Washington: http://hrsa.dshs.wa.gov/client.htm
West Virginia: http://www.dhhr.wv.gov/bms/Pages/EligibleForMedicaid.aspx
Wisconsin: http://www.dhs.wisconsin.gov/medicaid/
Wyoming: http://www.health.wyo.gov/healthcarefin/medicaideligibility/index.html
Showing posts with label Insurance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Insurance. Show all posts
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Finding Health Insurance as a PostAcademic: The Basics
Soooooo ... health insurance. The thing that few people understand, everyone hates, and no one wants to have to buy. Let's talk about it!! :)
When you leave academia, you will unfortunately be leaving your university-provided health insurance behind. And unless you're one of the lucky people who lands a job with health benefits before you officially separate from your university, you will probably be facing a period of time where you won't have any health insurance coverage ... unless, of course, you take the time to find and buy some on your own.
You could always try to just take your chances by remaining uninsured ... but I really don't recommend it. Even a crappy insurance plan will save you money compared to what someone without insurance would pay if you developed a significant medical problem.
Now, finding and buying health insurance can be super-scary and intimidating ... but it's manageable. You are smart and accomplished, and you can tackle this problem like any other that you've faced in your academic life. In fact, what you need to do is to do some research about what kind of health insurance coverage is available to you. And you DO know how to do research, don't you???? :)
If you're planning to leave academia, you'll want to start doing this research as soon as possible. Even if you don't need to buy a policy for a few months or more, it will make things easier if you find out ahead of time (1) what you can qualify for and (2) how much it is likely to cost you. Then, when it's time to actually pull the trigger and buy some, you will be prepared.
So here's a starter guide to finding health insurance after you leave academia. As you read, please feel free to leave a comment or email me at leavingacademia(at)gmail(dot)com if anything is unclear or if you have any questions.
First things first - once you know you are officially leaving, you should check with your university to see if you will be able to keep your current coverage for a set period of time under the federally-mandated COBRA provisions.
The COBRA legislation allows people who are losing their group health insurance (which is what you have through a university) to keep their coverage for a set period of time if they pay their premiums on their own. When I initially left my graduate program in 2011, I was able to keep my health insurance for six months under COBRA before I had to buy an individual health plan.
On one hand, your university benefits are quite possibly better than anything you will be able to buy on your own ... so you might want to take the opportunity to keep them a little longer. On the other hand, though, the premiums may be too expensive for you. But you won't know unless you check, so contact your insurance company or someone in the university benefits office to check.
Once your COBRA benefits run out - or if you decide not to take advantage of them - it's time to find brand new health insurance, unrelated to what you had in academia.
This is where things can get a little rough. This may very well be the first time you've had to seek out and buy a plan on your own, rather than having one provided for you by your parents or the university. So let's talk about how health insurance works and how you can go about finding yourself a plan.
In the U.S. today, there are four primary ways that you can get health insurance coverage if you are not eligible for Medicare. You can (a) get group coverage through your or a family member’s employer, (b) purchase a regular individual health plan for yourself or your family, (c) purchase one of the “preexisting condition health plans” that are now offered under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act (or “Obamacare), or (d) see if you or your family qualifies for Medicaid coverage.
If you fall into the first category described above – (a) people who have access to a group health plan through a new job or a partner's or (if you’re under age 26) parent’s employer, then great! Chances are good that whatever coverage you will be able to get this way will be better (and possibly cheaper) than anything you will get through the other three categories. You should immediately touch base with HR and figure out when and how to enroll yourself on the plan.
Unfortunately, however, many of you who will be leaving academia will not have immediate access to a new group health plan and will need to find other coverage. That’s where the other three categories of coverage come in.
If you don’t have access to a group health plan but you’re reasonably healthy and have enough money to pay a premium every month, you can try (b) applying for individual health coverage in your state. In this post (ed. Note: linked post forthcoming), you can find a list of the 2-3 largest providers of individual health coverage in your state, with links to the application pages for each.
If you apply for individual health coverage, you will need to answer a lengthy questionnaire about your recent health history, doctors that you’ve seen, medications you take, etc. It can feel invasive and stressful, but unfortunately, it’s what you need to do to buy individual coverage.
Once you fill out the application, you will hear back from the insurance company in about a week or so with a response to your application. They will either offer you coverage (invariably for a higher premium than what you are originally quoted on the website), or deny you coverage if they deem that you have a preexisting condition.*
If they offer you coverage, you can either accept their offer or call to speak with someone about other plan options that they might be willing to sell you, which might be more affordable (for example, you may be able to find a plan with a cheaper premium but higher deductible). But it’s important to understand that once they offer you coverage, it is not in effect until you pay your first premium. You can always decline the coverage they offer, or change to a different plan, or look elsewhere. But don’t be scared to fill out the application – you’re not buying anything at that point.
If you’re going this route, I would recommend filling out applications for more than one insurance company. The plans and premiums will vary between companies, and it certainly can’t hurt to check out a few different options from different companies.
Now, if you do find that you’re declined coverage because of a preexisting health condition, you do have options. Under the Affordable Care Act, each state must now offer (c) coverage to people with preexisting conditions under either a state or federal plan. You (the policyholder) will pay the premium, but they cannot deny you coverage for health reasons.
In my experience researching these plans, both the premiums and coverages are pretty solid. If you can qualify for these policies, don’t hesitate to apply.
The one important catch with these plans, however – and it’s a big one - is that you must be uninsured for six months before you can buy into them.
Is this ideal? No, of course not. But if you have health problems, this may be your only option for coverage … so make sure to have your application and premium check ready to go after six months. A state-by-state list of where to go to apply for the state preexisting condition plans can be found in this post.
And finally … if none of these options work for you or your family, you can go here to find a state-by-state list of (d) eligibility requirements for Medicaid. Medicaid is government-run health coverage, funded primarily at the state level, which provides coverage for low-income Americans.
It is far easier for people under age 18 and pregnant women to qualify for coverage than healthy adults, but the eligibility requirements vary by state. So if you think you might qualify, spend a few minutes checking out the eligibility requirements.
And if you have children under 18 who don’t otherwise have coverage, make sure to check out the eligibility requirements for kids. Like I said above - it's far easier to get coverage for children than adults. Even if you can't find coverage for yourself, you can probably find some for your minor children.
So, start here to look for coverage. You may also want to look into whether you might have access to health care discounts through groups or organizations that you belong to. Some discipline-specific academic organizations offer discounts on health coverage to their members without institutional affiliations, and people with military or union connections can sometimes have access to health insurance coverage through those groups.
But if all else fails, this post will give you a place to start to find some health insurance coverage.
Now that you know what kind of coverage you can qualify for and where to go to apply, you’re done with Step 1 in this process. Step 2 will involve figuring out what the best policy you can afford will be, in terms of the benefits that each plan offers.
Stay tuned … we’ll have a post up soon that will help with that.
-------------------------------------------------------------
(*Preexisting condition denials should be rendered obsolete in 2014 through the Affordable Care Act. However, right now they can still occur, so you should be prepared for the possibility that they'll be an issue for you.)
When you leave academia, you will unfortunately be leaving your university-provided health insurance behind. And unless you're one of the lucky people who lands a job with health benefits before you officially separate from your university, you will probably be facing a period of time where you won't have any health insurance coverage ... unless, of course, you take the time to find and buy some on your own.
You could always try to just take your chances by remaining uninsured ... but I really don't recommend it. Even a crappy insurance plan will save you money compared to what someone without insurance would pay if you developed a significant medical problem.
Now, finding and buying health insurance can be super-scary and intimidating ... but it's manageable. You are smart and accomplished, and you can tackle this problem like any other that you've faced in your academic life. In fact, what you need to do is to do some research about what kind of health insurance coverage is available to you. And you DO know how to do research, don't you???? :)
If you're planning to leave academia, you'll want to start doing this research as soon as possible. Even if you don't need to buy a policy for a few months or more, it will make things easier if you find out ahead of time (1) what you can qualify for and (2) how much it is likely to cost you. Then, when it's time to actually pull the trigger and buy some, you will be prepared.
So here's a starter guide to finding health insurance after you leave academia. As you read, please feel free to leave a comment or email me at leavingacademia(at)gmail(dot)com if anything is unclear or if you have any questions.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
First things first - once you know you are officially leaving, you should check with your university to see if you will be able to keep your current coverage for a set period of time under the federally-mandated COBRA provisions.
The COBRA legislation allows people who are losing their group health insurance (which is what you have through a university) to keep their coverage for a set period of time if they pay their premiums on their own. When I initially left my graduate program in 2011, I was able to keep my health insurance for six months under COBRA before I had to buy an individual health plan.
On one hand, your university benefits are quite possibly better than anything you will be able to buy on your own ... so you might want to take the opportunity to keep them a little longer. On the other hand, though, the premiums may be too expensive for you. But you won't know unless you check, so contact your insurance company or someone in the university benefits office to check.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Once your COBRA benefits run out - or if you decide not to take advantage of them - it's time to find brand new health insurance, unrelated to what you had in academia.
This is where things can get a little rough. This may very well be the first time you've had to seek out and buy a plan on your own, rather than having one provided for you by your parents or the university. So let's talk about how health insurance works and how you can go about finding yourself a plan.
In the U.S. today, there are four primary ways that you can get health insurance coverage if you are not eligible for Medicare. You can (a) get group coverage through your or a family member’s employer, (b) purchase a regular individual health plan for yourself or your family, (c) purchase one of the “preexisting condition health plans” that are now offered under the provisions of the Affordable Care Act (or “Obamacare), or (d) see if you or your family qualifies for Medicaid coverage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you fall into the first category described above – (a) people who have access to a group health plan through a new job or a partner's or (if you’re under age 26) parent’s employer, then great! Chances are good that whatever coverage you will be able to get this way will be better (and possibly cheaper) than anything you will get through the other three categories. You should immediately touch base with HR and figure out when and how to enroll yourself on the plan.
Unfortunately, however, many of you who will be leaving academia will not have immediate access to a new group health plan and will need to find other coverage. That’s where the other three categories of coverage come in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
If you don’t have access to a group health plan but you’re reasonably healthy and have enough money to pay a premium every month, you can try (b) applying for individual health coverage in your state. In this post (ed. Note: linked post forthcoming), you can find a list of the 2-3 largest providers of individual health coverage in your state, with links to the application pages for each.
If you apply for individual health coverage, you will need to answer a lengthy questionnaire about your recent health history, doctors that you’ve seen, medications you take, etc. It can feel invasive and stressful, but unfortunately, it’s what you need to do to buy individual coverage.
Once you fill out the application, you will hear back from the insurance company in about a week or so with a response to your application. They will either offer you coverage (invariably for a higher premium than what you are originally quoted on the website), or deny you coverage if they deem that you have a preexisting condition.*
If they offer you coverage, you can either accept their offer or call to speak with someone about other plan options that they might be willing to sell you, which might be more affordable (for example, you may be able to find a plan with a cheaper premium but higher deductible). But it’s important to understand that once they offer you coverage, it is not in effect until you pay your first premium. You can always decline the coverage they offer, or change to a different plan, or look elsewhere. But don’t be scared to fill out the application – you’re not buying anything at that point.
If you’re going this route, I would recommend filling out applications for more than one insurance company. The plans and premiums will vary between companies, and it certainly can’t hurt to check out a few different options from different companies.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now, if you do find that you’re declined coverage because of a preexisting health condition, you do have options. Under the Affordable Care Act, each state must now offer (c) coverage to people with preexisting conditions under either a state or federal plan. You (the policyholder) will pay the premium, but they cannot deny you coverage for health reasons.
In my experience researching these plans, both the premiums and coverages are pretty solid. If you can qualify for these policies, don’t hesitate to apply.
The one important catch with these plans, however – and it’s a big one - is that you must be uninsured for six months before you can buy into them.
Is this ideal? No, of course not. But if you have health problems, this may be your only option for coverage … so make sure to have your application and premium check ready to go after six months. A state-by-state list of where to go to apply for the state preexisting condition plans can be found in this post.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
And finally … if none of these options work for you or your family, you can go here to find a state-by-state list of (d) eligibility requirements for Medicaid. Medicaid is government-run health coverage, funded primarily at the state level, which provides coverage for low-income Americans.
It is far easier for people under age 18 and pregnant women to qualify for coverage than healthy adults, but the eligibility requirements vary by state. So if you think you might qualify, spend a few minutes checking out the eligibility requirements.
And if you have children under 18 who don’t otherwise have coverage, make sure to check out the eligibility requirements for kids. Like I said above - it's far easier to get coverage for children than adults. Even if you can't find coverage for yourself, you can probably find some for your minor children.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, start here to look for coverage. You may also want to look into whether you might have access to health care discounts through groups or organizations that you belong to. Some discipline-specific academic organizations offer discounts on health coverage to their members without institutional affiliations, and people with military or union connections can sometimes have access to health insurance coverage through those groups.
But if all else fails, this post will give you a place to start to find some health insurance coverage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now that you know what kind of coverage you can qualify for and where to go to apply, you’re done with Step 1 in this process. Step 2 will involve figuring out what the best policy you can afford will be, in terms of the benefits that each plan offers.
Stay tuned … we’ll have a post up soon that will help with that.
-------------------------------------------------------------
(*Preexisting condition denials should be rendered obsolete in 2014 through the Affordable Care Act. However, right now they can still occur, so you should be prepared for the possibility that they'll be an issue for you.)
Monday, December 31, 2012
Applying for Unemployment After Academia: How You Can Do It and How It Might Feel
Depending on the circumstances under which you are leaving academia, you may qualify for unemployment benefits. Maybe tenure wasn't renewed; maybe you were on a contract that is ending; whatever your circumstances, it's probably worth looking into whether or not you qualify for unemployment in your state. A mantra you'll hear again and again on these pages is ask for help, and accept help when offered. If you qualify for unemployment and it would help you during this transition, you should take advantage of it.
Each state has its own rules and procedures. The link above takes you to a clickable map that will help you find the right department to contact in your state.
And take a deep breath. If you think you're the first, or last, post-academic to seek government assistance, you're wrong. There's absolutely no shame in putting food on your table. There's absolutely no shame in admitting you need help. But it can feel humiliating to consider the disparity between the fantasies that drove us to pursue academia and the reality of our post-academic existence. I certainly didn't dream of living in a small apartment with a filthy carpet filling out paperwork for dependent care assistance when I sipped wine and talked theory in the wood-paneled dining room of a professor's bungalow at the first departmental party I attended as a graduate student.
The new reality can suck, but don't let that deter you from seeking help.
Post-academic in NYC writes about this in "The Crushing Shame of Applying for Unemployment:"
Jessica Burke, an adjunct, also writes about her experience with an unemployment hearing here. Burke writes about a fairly intimidating and humiliating bureaucratic experience trying to get unemployment, but New Faculty Majority offered her a lot of support. New Faculty Majority has a lot of fantastic information for adjuncts applying for unemployment that you should definitely check out, including a PDF guide for contingent faculty who are seeking benefits. They are fierce advocates for the labor rights of adjunct and contingent faculty, and unemployment benefits are a big part of that. Be sure to let them know if and when you file for unemployment.
The bottom line is: you deserve support.
Each state has its own rules and procedures. The link above takes you to a clickable map that will help you find the right department to contact in your state.
And take a deep breath. If you think you're the first, or last, post-academic to seek government assistance, you're wrong. There's absolutely no shame in putting food on your table. There's absolutely no shame in admitting you need help. But it can feel humiliating to consider the disparity between the fantasies that drove us to pursue academia and the reality of our post-academic existence. I certainly didn't dream of living in a small apartment with a filthy carpet filling out paperwork for dependent care assistance when I sipped wine and talked theory in the wood-paneled dining room of a professor's bungalow at the first departmental party I attended as a graduate student.
The new reality can suck, but don't let that deter you from seeking help.
Post-academic in NYC writes about this in "The Crushing Shame of Applying for Unemployment:"
When you call the number, a person who oozes resignation and cold efficiency asks, “you had a teaching job last year, so why did you quit?” You are expected to have a really good reason for why you quit your adjunct gig that didn’t pay well to take a part-time gig that paid a little more (which has since kind of dried up). It is hard to explain this because you are talking to a person who probably thinks “college teaching” sounds like the best thing ever. You can tell the person on the other end of the phone is judging you. She thinks you are an idiot for giving up a perfectly good “college teacher” job, even if it was part-time for not a lot of money. She thinks you’d rather suck on the public teat than work for a living. You really want to launch into a speech explaining about how the neoliberal economic forces destroying the economy also ensure that most college teachers are low-paid adjuncts who live in caves and suck just enough water to survive off of damp surfaces. You also want to explain that surviving grad school and writing a dissertation means you are many things, but lazy isn't one of them.
Jessica Burke, an adjunct, also writes about her experience with an unemployment hearing here. Burke writes about a fairly intimidating and humiliating bureaucratic experience trying to get unemployment, but New Faculty Majority offered her a lot of support. New Faculty Majority has a lot of fantastic information for adjuncts applying for unemployment that you should definitely check out, including a PDF guide for contingent faculty who are seeking benefits. They are fierce advocates for the labor rights of adjunct and contingent faculty, and unemployment benefits are a big part of that. Be sure to let them know if and when you file for unemployment.
The bottom line is: you deserve support.
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