Is a change in insurance carriers considered "same coverage?&quot

[Guest kermit]

I need your help! I thought that COBRA meant that you are guaranteed the right to continue your former employer’s group plan as individual or family health care coverage for up to 18 months at your own expense. Well, my husband's former employer was on United Healthcare. The company was bought out. We paid our first COBRA payment. I went to pay for a prescription today, which was denied. I call the company handling the COBRA benefits and they tell me, SURPRISE!, as of January 1st, when COBRA benefits began, you are now covered under AETNA. Now granted, the benefits are the "same," i.e. the same deductibles, etc. But only one out of the four doctors we use is on their provider list! Going the "out of network" route will cost us a considerable amount of money. Is this considered "same" coverage under COBRA law?

Thank you!

Kermit

[KIP KRAUS]

The employer only has to offer the same coverage that they make available to active employees. Making a change in carriers or coverage is perfectly OK as far as I know. In fact, we just dropped an HMO, but the one that remained as an option was almost identical and 99.9% of Drs. are the same.

The only gripe I wouldthey didn't tell you in advance.

[Mary C]

Kip is absolutely correct. I'd like to also add that it is perfectly legal to change the rate you are paying once every 12 months, too, so you aren't surprised by that.

By the way, Aetna's bought up a lot of HMO - US Healthcare and Prudential are two of the largest.

Mary