What Medical Care to Schedule Before Your Insurance Coverage Ends
You've been putting off the dentist appointment. Your doctor suggested follow-up tests you haven't scheduled. Your prescription needs refilling but you keep forgetting to call. Your employer coverage ends in three weeks.
Medical care you delay now becomes more expensive and complicated later.
Why this matters now:
The gap between employer coverage ending and new coverage starting creates risk. Even if you secure Marketplace insurance or COBRA immediately, deductibles reset. Procedures you need will cost more under new plans than completing them under current coverage.
Preventive care and necessary treatment completed before coverage ends protects both your health and finances.
What counts as critical medical care:
Critical care includes anything your doctor recommended that you haven't completed, ongoing treatment for existing conditions, and preventive care due within the next six months.
Examples:
- Diagnostic tests or scans your doctor ordered
- Dental work beyond routine cleanings (fillings, crowns, extractions)
- Vision exams if you're due or having problems
- Prescription refills with remaining refills on current authorization
- Physical therapy or specialist appointments already in progress
- Annual checkups or screenings you're overdue for
These aren't optional wellness activities. These are medical necessities that become harder to access and more expensive without coverage.
What doesn't qualify as urgent:
Elective procedures you've been considering but haven't discussed with doctors. Cosmetic treatments. Non-urgent quality-of-life improvements that can wait.
Focus on care that addresses existing problems or prevents larger problems from developing.
How to prioritize if you can't do everything:
If your coverage ends soon and you can't schedule everything, prioritize in this order:
- Diagnostic tests already ordered by your doctor
- Dental work for existing problems (not routine cleanings)
- Prescription refills and renewals
- Specialist care for ongoing conditions
- Routine preventive care
Diagnostic tests matter most because results inform treatment decisions. Dental problems worsen quickly and become exponentially more expensive. Prescriptions keep chronic conditions managed. Preventive care can often wait three months if necessary.
How to schedule appointments quickly:
Call your providers today. Explain your coverage ends on a specific date and ask for the earliest available appointment before then. Most offices prioritize patients losing coverage.
"My insurance coverage ends on [date]. I need to schedule [procedure/appointment] before then. What's your earliest opening?"
If your regular provider can't see you in time, ask whether another provider in the same practice has availability. Many medical groups share scheduling systems.
For prescriptions, call your doctor's office and request refills for everything you take regularly. Ask whether they can authorize 90-day supplies instead of 30-day if your insurance allows it.
What to do about referrals and authorizations:
If you need specialist care that requires referral, request it immediately. Insurance referrals often take several days to process. Don't wait until the week before coverage ends.
For procedures requiring pre-authorization, contact your insurance company to confirm the authorization is in place before scheduling. Pre-authorization denials after coverage ends become your financial responsibility to appeal.
How to document everything:
Keep records of all care completed under your current coverage:
- Copies of test results and diagnostic reports
- Documentation of ongoing treatment plans
- Lists of current prescriptions with dosages
- Names and contact information for all providers you've seen
These records become essential when transitioning to new coverage. New doctors need your medical history. Insurance companies require documentation for continued treatment authorization.
What to do today:
Write down all medical care you've been delaying or that your doctor recommended. Call one provider to schedule the most critical appointment before your coverage ends. Request prescription refills if needed.
You don't need to schedule everything today. You need to start scheduling before coverage ends and you lose the financial protection you currently have.
