Dear Liz: I have retired early. I can keep my employer health insurance, thanks to COBRA, until I’m 64 years and 9 months. Do you have any suggestions on how to bridge that 3-month healthcare gap while waiting for Medicare? I am relatively healthy, but things happen.
Answer: You shouldn’t be without health insurance for a single day, if you can possibly avoid it. Fortunately, the Affordable Care Act exchange can help you bridge the gap.
Once you get the notice from your employer’s health insurer that your COBRA coverage is ending, you can start your application at HealthCare.gov.
Re the question about bridging the 3 month gap between COBRA & Medicare, I was in that same situation. I discovered that after my 18 months of (federal) COBRA, I was entitled to 18 months of CAL COBRA. CAL COBRA closed the 3 month gap before Medicare kicked in.
Thanks for bringing this up, Mel! Cal COBRA can indeed extend coverage another 18 months, but applies only to California employers and group health plans that cover 2 to 19 employees. You can find more information here: https://www.dmhc.ca.gov/HealthCareinCalifornia/TypesofPlans/KeepYourHealthCoverage(COBRA).aspx