| Whether you have just finished your
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| | require that you be employed for up to
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| bachelor degree or are about to finally
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| | six months before their health coverage
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| complete your PhD dissertation, you are
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| | kicks in. Also make sure you understand
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| probably wondering about health insurance
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| | the status of your employment with this
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| options. Before you take that next step
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| | new company. With the economy the way it
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| in life, check out the 8 health care
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| | is, many firms are forced to cut costs by
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| options for recent California graduates
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| | hiring on new employees on a consultant
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| listed below.
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| | basis. If you are hired on as a
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| 1. No Insurance
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| | consultant rather than as a full-time
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| Clearly the least expensive, this option
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| | employee, your new employer may not be
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| is arguably perfect for the
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| | obligated to offer you health insurance.
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| standard-issue super hero your
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| | Ask the HR division of your new company
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| Supermans, Cal Ripkins and the like. If
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| | how they handle benefits.
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| you do not fall into this category and
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| | Pros: Many employers offer multiple,
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| plan to leave the house, play hoops, ski,
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| | high-quality health plans to choose from.
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| drive, wear high heels or slice a bagel,
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| | Often these plans offer excellent
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| you should look into the other options on
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| | comprehensive medical coverage. Also,
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| the list. Consider these facts.
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| | your contribution is taken directly from
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| - 12 million people are rushed to the
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| | your paycheck for minimum hassle and
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| emergency room for accidents annually.
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| | maximum benefits.
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| Over 22% of all injury visits to
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| | Cons: You have to actually get a job
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| Emergency Rooms are by otherwise healthy
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| | first. Even when you do, look closely
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| individuals with sports related injuries.
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| | you may be without coverage for your
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| - The average hospital visit can cost 5
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| | first 3 to 6 months.
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| times as much for someone without
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| | 6) Short-term health insurance
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| insurance as it does for the big medical
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| | Some insurance companies sell short-term
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| insurers like Aetna or Blue Shield. An
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| | coverage that allows you to be covered
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| uninsured patient might be charged
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| | anywhere from 1 to 12 months. Short term
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| $14,000 for an appendectomy, while an HMO
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| | health insurance usually does not cover
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| with big bargaining power might be billed
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| | any previous medical conditions so read
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| only $2,500 for the same operation.
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| | the fine print. Short-term insurance has
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| - In 1999 nearly 500,000 Americans filed
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| | a daily option which allows you to select
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| for bankruptcy protection because of
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| | the exact amount of days you want to be
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| excessive medical bills, accounting for
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| | covered so you will not be charged for
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| approximately 40% of personal
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| | two whole months if you only need 45 of
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| bankruptcies.
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| | medical coverage. This might be a great
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| Realistically, having no insurance is not
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| | solution for someone who needs temporary
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| an option. Even Jonny Knoxsville has
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| | coverage until his or her work medical
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| health insurance.
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| | plan kicks in. Warning: Usually there are
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| Pros: Its free.
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| | no refunds or changes once a short-term
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| Cons: If you get injured or become ill,
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| | policy is in force and you must pay the
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| you and your family can be hit with a
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| | whole amount in full if you go for the
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| devastating financial burden. Many ERs
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| | daily option. Before you go with
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| request a cash deposit from the uninsured
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| | short-term coverage, compare it with an
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| prior to treatment!
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| | individual coverage plan (#7 below).
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| 2. MediCal
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| | Sometimes individual coverage is less
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| MediCal is Californias version of
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| | expensive, more comprehensive and easy to
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| Medicaid; a state/federal health
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| | cancel. Remember short-term insurance is
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| insurance program for individuals who
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| | not renewable.
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| have poverty-level income and few-to-no
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| | Pros: Designed for people who are
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| assets. MediCal covers children, the
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| | in-between coverage.
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| elderly, blind and/or disabled, and
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| | Cons: Can be expensive and coverage is
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| people who are eligible to receive
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| | limited and non renewable.
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| federally assisted income. To learn more
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| | 7) Individual Coverage
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| about MediCal, visit . Dont get MediCal
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| | Individual health insurance coverage
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| confused with MediCare. MediCare is the
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| | comes in all shapes and sizes. In
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| Federal health insurance program for
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| | California, big name companies such as
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| Americans age 65 and older and for
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| | Blue Cross, Health Net, Pacificare, and
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| certain disabled Americans.
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| | Kaiser all offer individual medical
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| Pros: Its free.
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| | insurance. Individual coverage runs the
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| Cons: Qualification parameters are
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| | gambit as far as cost and comes in two
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| limited to the disabled and those with
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| | main categories HMOs and PPOs. Your price
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| extremely low-income levels and are
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| | is based on your age, type of coverage,
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| strictly enforced. Dont try to cheat this
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| | and where you live. One thing is for
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| system its bad karma.
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| | sure: They prefer to insure healthy
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| 3. Free Clinics
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| | people. Those with pre-existing medical
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| Most urban areas have local clinics that
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| | conditions rarely receive the lowest
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| offer low-cost or even free medical care
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| | rate. On the positive note, much has
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| including routine doctor visits, STD, and
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| | changed since the prehistoric days of
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| HIV testing. Services vary by clinic
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| | monumental insurance paperwork and snail
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| check your local phone directory for a
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| | mail. Forms that used to take 20 days to
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| list of clinics near you. A free clinic,
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| | fill out and file, can often be completed
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| however, does not function like an
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| | in about 20 minutes online with
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| emergency room, and therefore cannot help
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| | e-signatures. To get a quote and see
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| you if youve blown out your ACL playing
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| | examples of health insurance premiums for
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| touch football with your idiot friends on
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| | you age visit .
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| Thanksgiving. Free clinics generally do
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| | Pros: Pick the plan that works for your
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| not offer major surgery, hospital stays,
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| | needs and budget. Easy to sign up for
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| or long-term care.
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| | online
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| Pros: It is low-cost, and may even be
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| | Cons: A comprehensive plan with
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| free.
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| | prescriptions, no charge doctor visits
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| Cons: Clinics do not function as
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| | and no deductible can get pricey. Also
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| full-fledged hospitals, nor do they allow
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| | those with many previous medical
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| patients to choose their own doctor.
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| | conditions are often bumped up to more
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| Also, bring something to read youll be
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| | expensive policies.
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| there awhile.
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| | 8) COBRA
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| 4. Mom and Dad
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| | While sounding like a bad heavy metal
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| Most family insurance plans will cover
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| | band, COBRA actually stands for
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| kids up to age 19 if they are not
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| | Consolidated Omnibus Budget
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| full-time students, or until age 25 if
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| | Reconciliation Act. COBRA was designed so
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| they are (you must be able to verify that
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| | that individuals who leave their jobs
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| you are a full-time student to be
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| | (read: fired) can still purchase the same
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| included in your parents coverage). Some
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| | insurance policy that they had with their
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| plans stop coverage immediately upon
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| | previous employer. If you were already
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| graduation, while others will extend
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| | covered under your parents policy and
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| coverage through the first three months
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| | have recently graduated, you may qualify
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| following graduation. Check with your
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| | for COBRA. You must notify your parents
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| parents plan to see when your coverage
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| | plan administrator within 60 days of
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| ends. When it does, one option is to
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| | termination of your coverage (usually
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| simply purchase the same coverage as you
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| | graduation from college) and tell them
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| had under your parents plan. Click here
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| | you would like to elect Cobra. Cobra
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| to get a quick quote.
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| | coverage can be very expensive, but there
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| Pros: Staying under your parents plan is
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| | are typically no restrictions for
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| great if you qualify.
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| | pre-existing conditions and the coverage
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| Cons: You have to be under 19 or be able
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| | can be discontinued after permanent
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| to prove that you are a full time student
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| | insurance is found. You will be able to
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| to qualify.
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| | use cobra for at least 18 months.
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| 5. New Employer
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| | Pros: Coverage will be exactly what you
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| If you get a full time job after
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| | are used to, as it is simply a paid
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| graduation, your job may come with health
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| | continuation of your previous plan.
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| insurance benefits as part of your total
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| | Cons: Usually expensive. If more than 60
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| compensation package. But check with your
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| | days have passed since your coverage
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| human resources contact and read your
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| | under your parents plan ended, youve
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| offer letter closely -- some companies
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| | missed the boat.
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