Q. I was laid off from my job on June 16th. The following week I went to my doctor. Now I am told I did not have insurance and must pay the doctor for the office charges. I thought I had coverage until the end of the month through my group plan.

A. What you thought doesn’t count . . .

Some plans extend coverage through the end of the month. Others give you to the end of the month and then another 30 days afterward. And some plans stop the last day you worked.

If your plan is governed by COBRA (or a similar state law) you would have the right to convert your coverage provided you paid the premium.

If you have not found replacement coverage you should consider no less than a STM (short term medical) plan such as [1] this one.