OK, maybe I opened a can of worms, but you know how I know COBRA sucks? They named the frickin’ program after G.I. Joe’s nemesis. Seriously, you think the Commander gives a crap about your continuation of coverage? Grow up. Cobra Commander doesn’t care at all.

But why, you ask, do I hate COBRA (the extension of benefits thing, not the international terrorist organization)?

I hate COBRA for one reason – I had  to pay thousands of dollars to keep my family of 5 covered for about 6 weeks because breaking coverage would have resulted in having certain (ahem) congenital defects labeled as pre-existing conditions. And that’s not even what burned me up. If that was the price to pay for coverage, fine. My issue is that they never provided me with the proof of coverage I would need (without hours spent on telephone hold with “trained” representatives) until a week after the coverage ended.

Wha-huh?

Yup. In fact, the last check I sent them was for a final week of coverage (because they really do milk you for every last second) was written and mailed a week after I no longer needed it. But that’s how we work these days. Everything is on a credit schedule. As long as you pay… eventually… you get to skate.

So while I asked about the concern over health insurance in NC last time, I could just as easily been asking to investigate carpet cleaning Durham NC, because either one is useless to me in NY… just like COBRA.