Return To Work As A Self-Employed Person -- Impact On Benefits

The impact of returning to work on health insurance depends on the source of that insurance.

If your health insurance is due to COBRA

Returning to work by itself does not effect COBRA. Your COBRA coverage will continue until its normal termination date as long as premiums are paid.

COBRA will end as soon as the employer's health plan takes over again ends as soon as the new plan takes effect and it begins to cover any pre-existing condition. While this is good news, on the down side you have to continue to pay the COBRA premiums.

You may not have to pay COBRA premiums if you had your previous health insurance long enough, and the gap between your old coverage and the new coverage is short enough. Under the federal law known as HIPAA, you can generally offset the amount of time you had your previous health insurance against a new pre-existing condition exclusion.

For more information, see COBRA and HIPAA-Portability.

If your health insurance is from your employer and continues because you are on disability leave

Some employers continue health coverage as long as the employee remains disabled or continues to collect Long Term Disability benefits. If this is the case, your coverage will end when your Long Term Disability benefits stop.

Discontinuing disability leave could be an event under the laws known as COBRA which would allow you to keep your health coverage until you qualify again.

For more information, see COBRA.

If you purchased health insurance on your own

Your health insurance continues in force as long as you pay the premiums even if you obtain additional health insurance from your employer. If you have two health insurance coverages, there are rules as to which company pays for what.

To learn more, see Coordination of Benefits.

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