My wife is changing jobs- her and the kids are currently on her employer's group health plan. She is changing employers unexpectedly- she has only been at this employer for about four months. She has another job lined up, but there is around a 3 week gap between the end of her current employment and the start of her new employment. Her new employer offers benefits and she will be putting herself and the kids on that plan as well.
Before this everyone was on my group health plan for several years while my wife was in school.
As far as I know, my wife should be eligible for COBRA through her current employer, but this should also be a qualifying life event for her to get coverage through my workplace as well. There are also short term health care plans as well.
Is there any difference or advantage to these options beyond premiums, deductibles, and coverages? Does changing insurance frequently cause any kind of problem? Can I sign up for insurance for three weeks or a single month at a time? Would there be any issue with not signing up for any insurance and then enrolling in COBRA only if an unexpected health issue arises?