Will one month unpaid insurance impact Credit Score?

[mkh60]

We have been freelance for 3 years and our insurance monthly premium cost is $1,100 with Blue Shield of CA (family, HCOL area, ineligible for ACA, etc)

I am taking a salaried position with benefits which begins Feb 1. They say to expect that the insurance paperwork won’t come by then, but it will retroactively cover to Feb 1.

Should I:

A) pay my insurance in full Jan 31 when it’s due so I am guaranteed coverage with no shenanigans

B) not pay now, but expect to pay in full by end of February if the new insurance doesn’t come through (e.g. take advantage of monthlong grace period)

C) if new insurance covers come through, call to cancel, and do not pay the outstanding due premium

D) cancel February, trust new insurance will kick in

If C) will my unpaid bill of $1,100 go to collections? / Affect my credit score?

—> If it’s possible it would go to collections, could I pay $601 so the amount is $499? Reason would be (and this is a new question) — does the new guideline that medical bills under $500 can’t go to collections apply to health insurance premiums, or just direct medical costs?

Thanks for any insight/links/ experience with this with Blue Shield of CA!

 

[ngocvncom]

@mkh60 Unpaid premiums are not medical debt and are not turned over to collections. Medical debt is unpaid bills to doctors.

You should do d). If your employer is promising you benefits; then they are promising you benefits and it’s a department of labor violation to renege on that promise. They will not violate labor practices; they will comply.

 

[broggyb]

@mkh60 I don't think anyone here will advocate that you simply *not* pay your bill. I'm also not sure how "medical debt" is defined with regard to the new credit reporting agency rules on how and when these impact credit scores. A massive bill from a hospital because of an emergency surgery is one thing. Knowingly not paying an insurance premium is different. I'd wager there's some nuance here.

 

[mkh60]

@broggyb (Sorry what i wrote before was confusing)
Edit to:
Basically not sure how common practice it is to double pay insurance . Is this just a fact of life, or….?