When the COBRA attacks and your commercial is unfinished

Today was filled with such hope. I was going to write my personal commercial so I could have it ready for the big networking event. Well unless I write on the bus home or in the dentists chair I don't know if it will get done today.

I finally decided I could no longer put off dealing with COBRA. As the deadline is approaching in four days. I sent in the last months premiums on Monday and just had to follow up. Turns out my ex-employer switched COBRA administrators and my info was lost in the conversion(this is to be expected, no one is at fault). So I am not really sure where I am at with COBRA. My ex-employer, however, did reinstate my benefits so I will be covered on Monday. Then comes the paper work to be reimbursed for all of the stuff I paid out of pocket and such. When I was laid off I should have just started paying for the premiums right off.

With COBRA you have two months from the time the COBRA administrator is notified of the separation to decide if you will keep the benefits. This is nice in case you get a new job with benefits and you have no pre-existing conditions for which you will need coverage. Then you just ignore the whole issue and move on. However, if you do have a pre-existing condition you should immediately start to pay the premiums because you will need continuous coverage (no gaps) to be covered by your new employers benefits(usually).

In my case I needed the coverage because I took a contract position which has no benefits. So, I messed about and put the issue off until close to the end. NEVER PUT THINGS OFF! This should be tattooed to my arm or something. I used to put things off in high school, I thought I learned my lesson. Well things should work out with a couple of hiccups, but se la vie.

For more on COBRA check out these sites.
US Labor Department FAQ a bit wordy and bureaucratic but it has it all.
Advice from Bank Rate scroll down a bit, clear advice and totally non judgemental.