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Q:  I believe I was eligible for Cobra as of January 2009, but I am wondering if I enroll in Cobra now if it will be backdated to that time or if it becomes effective as of now and any previous medical bills I may have incurred in the last 4 months will be covered.. I was not aware I had the option of cobra until I received an email the other day notifying me my eligibility time was almost up? Also does cobra insurance cover maternity coverage?

A:  Cobra is a continuation of the exact same coverage you had when you were working, therefore there is no pre-exiting clause.  To sign up for Cobra you need to do so through your previous employer, however since you lost your job in January I do not know if you are still in you enrollment period and can apply.  To verify if you are eligible I would recommend talking to your previous employers HR department to see if you can still enroll.

We are not affiliated with Cobra.  Cobra is NOT a company, but a federal law that allows you to continue on the previous employer’s group health insurance plan.   If you need to elect Cobra or are finding out more information regarding your Cobra Benefits, you must contact your employer.  They send out a packet for you to continue (or extend) your current health coverage. 

There will be NO lapse in your coverage if you elect Cobra with your past employer. Cobra goes back retro-active once you sign up within the time frame listed in the packet.  It WILL cover all pre-existing conditions since it is the same health plan you had.  If you are pregnant or are seeking treatment for any type of health conditions, you really should consider continuing on Cobra.  This will be your only option to have coverage for any pre-existing condition.