Since we received the packet late Friday night, I tried to call the HR number provided to ask questions regarding the insurance coverage since they told us it ends at the end of the month. The person in HR said they were told no information at all to help us and were only told to direct inquiries to the upworkforce email. No phone number, nothing. What a f*cking joke. Does anyone know if you elect the COBRA insurance, does it remain as it was when you were employed? Since we had hit the out-of-pocket max already, does that continue or do we start all over?? The packet said we have 45 days to sign the release, does that mean we have no coverage until they receive the release?
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As some have already noted...cobra is totally separate from severance package.. Service center should be able to answer that basic benefit question. Call them back at 402-544-4000 and ask again. If they can’t answer request to speak to a manager. That’s ridiculous you didn’t get that answer.
Thanks for the response, keep us posted on what you find you find out for future reference.
Yes. I sent an email to them this morning at 11:15 and have received no response from them.
So just curious, did you send these questions to the email like they said or are you just crowd sourcing now?
While the guy above has some great ideas, this really does not help you if you have a sick spouse or child, with say.....cancer, whose treatments and medicines are extremely expensive. Yes, the coverage stays the same, but you will be paying a minimum of $1400.00 per month to keep that coverage, which of course will start eating away at any severance package you might have. While this guys suggestion is great for someone who is not sick or has sick family members, COBRA is not all roses, and they could give a sh-- less about you when you call.
So I was laid off last in the 2017 "put cash in the Board's pocket based on arbitrary numbers" debacle. Obviously verify this stuff as you should be able to with HR but this is my understanding:
COBRA insurance is an exact continuation of what you had with UP. (In 2017 it started at the first of the month after the layoff - October 1st - though our official termination date was September 30th).
Since it is a continuation, your out-of-pocket max, your insurance card, etc. remain exactly the same.
That 45 day release is a Union Pacific thing related to your severance, and has absolutely NOTHING to do with health insurance or COBRA. It's just their "I promise not to sue" c-ap to sever their own ties and cover themselves legally. COBRA is gov't mandated and works outside the UP system - that's probably why they're not jumping up and down to help you with it (also they're a**holes, as we all know).
For COBRA, you'll get a full package within a month that gives you all the details (how long it lasts, how to sign up), and the price (which will be $$$). You'll also have a number for the insurance company itself so you don't have to deal with UP anymore, and they - in my experience - were very helpful. They'll say you can return it right away, but you have up to 90 days to opt in. This is key because...
HERE'S MY GREAT MONEY-SAVING TIP:
Within those 90 days, if any emergency or other usage were to happen, it will automatically be covered under the COBRA plan. All you'll have to do then is tell them you ARE opting in and pay your back-owed premiums. In other words, if on day 89 you go to the ER, you hand them your insurance card, and call the company the next day to opt in, pay 90 days of premiums, and you're covered. On the other hand, if you do not use any of the insurance within those 90 days, and get different insurance after that, you don't have to pay any of the COBRA premiums. But, you had the benefit of having the emergency protection. It's one of the really nice things about it, because that price tag will shock you... Hope that makes sense!
So what I did is sat back and didn't worry for 90 days, knowing I could turn to COBRA if there were an emergency - $0 spent. After that, I was about to start a new job, so I got a 30-day temporary coverage online for about $100 to bridge the gap before my new insurance kicked in.
And, good luck with everything. I don't think I've met someone yet who didn't find the layoff was a really positive and needed life change for them.