Cobra assistanct denial

Posted by natahleyb on May 21, 2009 - 11:39am

I was in a serious car accident that put me in a wheelchair for 3 months. I returned to work on a part time basis, and upon moving on to crutches, spoke to my boss about returning to work full time on a Weds. That Friday my boss informed me that I was laid off. I had a few issues getting unemployment, because my former employers provided the wrong soc security number with my info, but eventually it worked out. My Cobra costs are 75% of my meager unemployment. I've had 7 surgeries now, and my copays and need for physical therapy and prescription meds are imperative. However, my HR rep said that I was not eligible for the Cobra assistance because I was "technically not full time" when I was laid off. Is there anything I can do about this? I'm in Pennsylvania, in the Pittsburgh region. Thanks for any advice!

Health and Health Care

whauenstein on June 5, 2009 - 11:42am

Hi NATAHLEYB,
Your's sounds like a complicated case. I'd suggest contacting the helpline in Pittsburgh area at 412-255-1155 to talk to someone that know's local Pittsburgh services. You can also search online at:
http://www.unitedwaypittsburgh.org/HelpConnections
Our local AFL-CIO Community Services Liaison in Pittsburgh can also be helpful. They are Butch Burgoon(412-456-6850) and Joe Delale(.412-456-6851). They know a lot about services and programs that might help with medical and prescriptions. There is also a great local program called Neighbor-Aid that works to help unemployed workers that Butch and Joe can help you access. In any case don't give up and keep looking for the help you need. I hope your health is improving and I wish you the best.

Join Working America

Sign up to join Working America, the nation's fastest-growing organization for working families, and register to track your LifeLine resources. (Why Register?)

Account information

Username: *

Spaces are allowed; punctuation is not allowed except for periods, hyphens, and underscores.

E-mail address: *

A valid e-mail address. All e-mails from the system will be sent to this address. The e-mail address is not made public and will only be used if you wish to receive a new password or wish to receive certain news or notifications by e-mail.

Password: *

Confirm password: *

Provide a password for the new account in both fields.

Location

Street:

Additional:

City:

State/Province:

Postal code: *

Member Information

I have read and agree to the Disclaimer, Terms of Use and Commenting Policy

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

What code is in the image?: *

Enter the characters shown in the image.

By creating a LifeLine account you become a member of Working America, a powerful new voice for working people. As a member, you will receive updates and information about how you can make a difference.

Quick Links

	When the Pay Check Stops Tips from the AFL-CIO for getting help and taking charge.
	In Your Town Local resource search.