I'm pretty lost in this: there's a lot of literature but no clear answer, and I'm not sure what the new regulations are under obamacare...
What's a simple, affordable way to make sure I'm covered?
Thanks!
COBRA is the standard answer. The ACA provides for coverage, though the general enrollment period has closed for this year. I'm not sure if a job transition counts as a qualifying event for a new enrollment, but there are counsellors (free of charge) in some states who can answer your questions on that.
My experience is that there tend to be a few tiers of coverage, and that you'll want to balance your anticipated healthcare needs with the dues. From what I've seen, middle-tier coverage tends to be the best bet.
As I understand it, you can in fact file a special enrollment with HEALTHCARE.GOV if you've recently lost your insurance. That's probably going to be a much better option.
Consider signing up for a "bronze" plan --- the cheapest available with a provider network you like --- and setting up an HSA. High-deductible insurance and an HSA is probably always a better deal than premium insurance: you take the money you'd plow into higher premiums and stick it in the HSA, which rolls over year over year. If you don't, say, lose your appendix this year, you get free money.
You'll want to compare costs with what you might be able to purchase outside of COBRA. I'd suggest taking a look at the Covered California website or getting a quote from Kaiser:
open https://individual-family.kaiserpermanente.org/healthinsuran...
I've tried doing that with the information you've provided but find the websites aren't cooperating with me (that's been an ongoing failing of the health plan(s) in general).
I suspect you'll be paying under $300/mo for a silver plan.
See also:
http://www.healthpocket.com/individual-health-insurance/silv...
One thing to watch out for is that teeth and eyes are often covered seperately, for some unknown reason.
Depending on your work, you can also inquire about taking a leave of absence. I've worked with a couple of people that have done that. Most never returned but some did.
The important thing is to have some kind of catastrophic coverage.
If you don't go the Kaiser route, I would recommend One Medical as a nerd-friendly place to get health care in the Bay Area. You can do most stuff via website and they take a variety of insurers. (https://www.onemedical.com/sf/)
You could also see if you qualify for a cheaper plan. Go to HealthCare.gov and enter your information and you'll get a list of plans and what they cost.
I'm 24, male, living in the bay area. Any rough estimates on how much COBRA would cost?
