4 ms·

What? You can buy insurance or go on Medi-Cal, right? Am I missing something? You’re only screwed if you don’t do those things, but at that point it feels more

What? You can buy insurance or go on Medi-Cal, right? Am I missing something? You’re only screwed if you don’t do those things, but at that point it feels more like a medical literacy problem—you’re also screwed if you don’t go to the doctor.

fucking_tragedy 8y ago
> You can buy insurance or go on Medi-Cal, right? You can continue your exact insurance plan via COBRA and pay both your portion and your employer's portion of expenses. Having done this, I paid nearly $3k a month in premiums alone for continued individual coverage. That is not feasible for everyone who were just laid off and still have bills to pay. To be eligible for Medi-Cal, you must make under 138% of the federal poverty line, or be disabled or elderly[1]. A tech worker who was just laid off would not be eligible for Medi-Cal unless they were recognized as disabled by the state, and the program they'd be eligible for during that tax year would require them to spend a significant portion of medical costs out of pocket before Medi-Cal kicked in. There are special provisions to purchase health insurance on the individual private market if you're laid off. However, anyone with a chronic condition can attest to the problems that arise when you're forced to switch health insurance plans and continue treatment at the same time. [1] https://ca.db101.org/ca/programs/health_coverage/medi_cal/program2.htm https://ca.db101.org/ca/programs/health_coverage/medi_cal/pr...
PopeDotNinja 8y ago
I tried Medical when I finished a contract job in 2014. I immediately found that a medical doctor wouldn't prescribe a prescription I needed at the time (an ADHD medication), and I couldn't see my own doctor to get the prescription. You are correct that some coverage is available to some people, but it' a bureaucratic nightmare, slow, and you're going to be limited to coverage other people think you need. Maybe it's pretty good once you learn the system, but you have to learn it, and I had to spend hours navigating the system when I really needed to be looking for a new job.
ianai 8y ago
What money are the unemployed spending to stay on insurance? COBRA costs quickly exceed anyone’s savings. The suggestion to leave a stable healthcare situation for a hard to secure position at one of the top employers in the world in the most expensive to live place in the world is downright bad.
- PopeDotNinja 8y ago
  In San Francisco, you can get basic healthcare at no/low cost. It is far from perfect, and I would not want to have a chronic condition that needed to be maintained. To your point, moving from Sweden to the USA for a great work opportunity makes sense. Staying in the USA for the low income healthcare options wouldn't be one of my top choices.

fucking_tragedy 8y ago

> You can buy insurance or go on Medi-Cal, right? You can continue your exact insurance plan via COBRA and pay both your portion and your employer's portion of expenses. Having done this, I paid nearly $3k a month in premiums alone for continued individual coverage. That is not feasible for everyone who were just laid off and still have bills to pay. To be eligible for Medi-Cal, you must make under 138% of the federal poverty line, or be disabled or elderly[1]. A tech worker who was just laid off would not be eligible for Medi-Cal unless they were recognized as disabled by the state, and the program they'd be eligible for during that tax year would require them to spend a significant portion of medical costs out of pocket before Medi-Cal kicked in. There are special provisions to purchase health insurance on the individual private market if you're laid off. However, anyone with a chronic condition can attest to the problems that arise when you're forced to switch health insurance plans and continue treatment at the same time. [1] https://ca.db101.org/ca/programs/health_coverage/medi_cal/program2.htm https://ca.db101.org/ca/programs/health_coverage/medi_cal/pr...

PopeDotNinja 8y ago

I tried Medical when I finished a contract job in 2014. I immediately found that a medical doctor wouldn't prescribe a prescription I needed at the time (an ADHD medication), and I couldn't see my own doctor to get the prescription. You are correct that some coverage is available to some people, but it' a bureaucratic nightmare, slow, and you're going to be limited to coverage other people think you need. Maybe it's pretty good once you learn the system, but you have to learn it, and I had to spend hours navigating the system when I really needed to be looking for a new job.

ianai 8y ago

What money are the unemployed spending to stay on insurance? COBRA costs quickly exceed anyone’s savings. The suggestion to leave a stable healthcare situation for a hard to secure position at one of the top employers in the world in the most expensive to live place in the world is downright bad.

PopeDotNinja 8y ago
In San Francisco, you can get basic healthcare at no/low cost. It is far from perfect, and I would not want to have a chronic condition that needed to be maintained. To your point, moving from Sweden to the USA for a great work opportunity makes sense. Staying in the USA for the low income healthcare options wouldn't be one of my top choices.