Yet…9 years ago, a similar situation and due to a layoff I decided to forgo cobra for the final two months before my wife’s insurance was available (she had a n

Yet…9 years ago, a similar situation and due to a layoff I decided to forgo cobra for the final two months before my wife’s insurance was available (she had a new job). In that time I fell on slick steps and broke a shoulder, bruised a hip, and sprained my ankle. But I was able to negotiate my ER bill. Basically I told them that I would likely default on the bill anyway if it was extremely expensive. I told them what I could provide them, and they just billed me that amount. Ultimately it was cheaper than two months of cobra. Granted I would have bought cobra for the whole family and that is really expensive. Point is, if you don’t have insurance, you should always ask your provider for their “cash price”. If they know there is no insurance and a likely default there are sometimes options. It’s also worth inquiring about a cash price if your insurance wants a test that might be quite expensive for your out of pocket co-pay.