health insurance + job questions

[Node]

Hey CF peoples!



What do you guys suggest as far as jobs with good health insurance go?


I have a BS in Kinesiology and I have 2.5 years experience managing a children's gymnastics center part time.


I'm off my parent's health insurance at the end of March and I don't really have anything going in terms of finding work that has sufficient benefits.
My parents are going to COBRA me until I find a job that has acceptable benefits.
I also have a substantial amount of student loan debt to pay off.

So here's to living as an indentured servant to the bank for the rest of my life!


Any advice would be appreciated.

Also not being gainfully employed is incredibly depressing. I have a well paying job part-time job but without benefits it is nigh upon useless.

 

[briarrose]

Can you try switching to a company that offers benefits to part-timers like Starbucks or Trader Joe's? I don't know how good the benefits are, but it would be better than nothing. I know TJs also has management training and they sound like they promote from within, so if your health can handle a full-time job, that could always be an option for you to make enough money to pay some college debt and get benefits.

Also, as a side note, I'd look into consolidation. I don't know what the interest rates are now, but the Monday after I graduated from graduate school, I consolidated my student loans and got a really amazing low interest rate. At this point, it's so low that it doesn't make any sense than to make the minimum payment since it's a 25-year fixed rate loan. It brought my monthly payments from what would have been close to $1,000 a month down to just under $300/month. It might help you, but I'd make sure to do the research on it or talk to an expert first.

 

[Node]

I could work at star bucks or a place like that. Completely defeats the purpose of having gone to college but I guess it's something I have to consider.

I took private loans out since I was young and naive and didn't think CF would ever catch up to me. Which means, consolidation is just another way for the bank to fuck me instead of help me like consolidating a government loan would do.

I wish those bankers kids had CF.

 

[franzie2984]

Depending on where you live you may be eligible for all sorts of government supported programs for health insurance. I myself received Medicaid for a couple years because I worked part time (you can make pretty decent money and still qualify for this) and did not have health benefits. The program is called health benefits for workers with disabilities. Also depending on how much you make you might qualify for medicaid, medicare or other public aid for a couple years until you find a full time job with benefits. Some states grant children with CF benefits under their parents for their lifetime also... it really depends on what your state offers. Look on your states Department of health and Human Services website or google healthcare options in your state.

Hope this helps!

 

[lifeisgood729]

I was a teacher for 11 years before I had to stop working. We had excellent health benefits. After I had to retire on disability, I was allowed to keep paying to stay on the school district's health insurance. It was not Cobra, which means you pay the full cost of the insurance. It's a greatly reduced rate, something like 25% of the premium. I chose teaching because I loved it, but it turned out to be a great choice because of the health benefits too. I was able to stay fully covered during the two years before Medicare would cover me.

Maybe you could look into a job that is covered by a union, because I would assume the unions are more likely to negotiate things like allowing retirees to keep health insurance.

Martha
44 w/CF, mom to 3, no CF

 

[triples15]

Hi Node, sorry you are having to stress over health insurance and student loans! Ugh. I can definitely relate!

Like Martha, I worked for our local public school system for many years. I was part-time (for a while I was only working 3-4 hours day) but got full benefits. The benefits were good and it was part of a large group plan so I didn't have to worry about being singled out because of huge bills. Public schoools have many positions other than teaching. I was a para-educator and early childhood specialist. You could look into positions at your local schools and see if they have anything you would be interested in. Perhaps you'd even be able to use your degree. The only concern there would be germs, which is one of the reasons I left it.

My other thought was hospitals. One of our local hospitals has large outpatient physical therapy/rehab/fitness center type places. I would think you're degree may apply. This particular hospital has some of the best benefits around and offers them to part-time employees. Hospitals are obviously a germ concern, but if was something more along the lines of physical therapy I would think there would be much less of a risk.

Anyway, those are the couple ideas I had for you!

Gotta run, but good luck!

Autumn 32 w/CF

 

[welshwitch]

Wow, Martha, you were a teacher and you have 3 kids! Awesome. Can I ask how old you were before you retired?

I've worked a ton of jobs. I taught high school (great benefits) worked at a non profit (great benefits) worked at a tech start up (great benefits, ironically a bit more expensive than my education and non-profit job) and now I work at a non profit again (great benefits). For better or for worse, my career choices are somewhat dictated by the type of health insurance they offer.

One of the catch 22's for young people with CF is jobs. Without a job, you don't have health insurance. But, it's hard to get hired at a LEVEL where you GET health insurance if you don't have a ton of experience. Ie, there are a ton of great jobs for young people that are easy to get , but don't have health insurance. That said, it's totally doable. People graduate college all the time and get entry-level jobs with benefits. It can be done!

Getting your foot in the door somewhere where you can get ON their health insurance program is the key. (I've done all of these).

*Go back to school and get your teaching credential and teach
*Be a temp for 6 months somewhere as an admin and get hired full time and get on their health insurance
*Have a friend at a company and get in through them

It's important that you find work in a field that you like, too. I'd even suggest a career counselor to help you get some clarity on both what you want to do and get some strategies to land an entry level position in a field you like that has a good health insurance plan.

I'm 33 and have been dealing with this for 11 years LOL

 

[JEstep0102]

Hi there! If you age out of your parents insurance you should be able to stay on through your "disability". It is worth discussing with a social worker, or having your parents contact their employer. I was not diagnosed until I had been off of my mom's insurance for a year...but if I had been while I was still on it they would have extended my coverage based on my inability to work full-time. It is worth checking into. I currently work part-time at a school district, and while I have coverage I have to pay a huge chunk to make up for the part-time pro-rating of premium. Hope that helps a little! -Jayme

 

[running4life]

Look into getting on your parents insurance as a disabled dependent. I was able to do this for 2013 and hope to continue on with them. I have stopped working full time last March when I got sick for the first time on IV antibiotics. I now work as a personal assistant and nanny so my hours are more flexible. While neither job provides insurance, I am able to get insurance through my father's employer. Check into it - it was very easy to get on. Have your parents talk to their HR people and the health insurance company has a simple one page form for you and your doctor to fill out.

 

[lifeisgood729]

Welshwitch, I stopped teaching when I was 33. I had just given birth to my third child, and my doctor was actually the one who suggested that I should stop. She was also a mother of 3 and she knew how hard it would be for me to take care of the kids and take care of my health. It was weird retiring at such a young age because I was still pretty healthy at that point, but it was the best decision I could have made. A year after I retired I lost my vestibular system due to gentamicin, and it made me disabled in another way. At least I had one great year at home with my kids before things became more complicated and much more work for me. I'd probably be much sicker if I hadn't been able to devote time to my treatments.

Martha

 

[welshwitch]

Very cool, lifeisgood! Thanks for the info. I just turned 33. THough I have no intention of retiring anytime soon, I imagine with kids it would be a different story! Thanks for sharing. I hope you are enjoying mommyhood and retirement

 

[VAmom]

Node: Have you considered employment with the federal government? They have great health insurance -- and no pre-existing condition issues; you would be covered by the family medical leave act, to name a few. Check out www.usajobs.gov. I would think that with your education, the Veterans Administration or Public Health Service would have job opportunities you could qualify and apply for. Good luck!

 

[VAmom]

On the https://www.usajobs.gov/ homepage, there is a link for Individuals with Disabilities: https://help.usajobs.gov/index.php/Individuals_with_Disabilities.

If you find a job that you could qualify for, contact that agency’s Selective Placement Program Coordinator who can help you navigate through the agency's hiring process. Each agency has their own rules.

You need a (Schedule A) letter stating that you have a disability. It can come from a licensed medical professional, a vocational rehabilitation specialist, or from any federal or state agency that issues or provides disability benefits.

You also need a Certification of Job Readiness -- a certification that you're likely to succeed at the job you're applying for – this would come from your doctor as well.

When submitting your job application, attach a copy of your Schedule A letter and your Certification of Job Readiness.