Question for those who know about Health Insurance

[OLJWales]

Once I got my new job back in late August, I signed up for better insurance than my wife's insurance. I put her and our son on my new plan. I sent her the updated coverage information so she could forward it to her HR department to discontinue her coverage at her job since she would now be covered under MY insurance.

Now her HR department is saying they never received the fax back in September and she failed to keep the fax confirmation sheet. They are also saying that since my coverage has been in force for over a month, she is not allowed to use mine and that they will have to continue to deduct the premiums from her paycheck until August of next year.

What a screw job IMO. Does anyone know if I have a leg to stand on? Do I need to hire an attorney?

thanks for anybody with more knowledge of this industry if you can give me some advice.

[Liverpooldawg]

Once I got my new job back in late August, I signed up for better insurance than my wife's insurance. I put her and our son on my new plan. I sent her the updated coverage information so she could forward it to her HR department to discontinue her coverage at her job since she would now be covered under MY insurance.

Now her HR department is saying they never received the fax back in September and she failed to keep the fax confirmation sheet. They are also saying that since my coverage has been in force for over a month, she is not allowed to use mine and that they will have to continue to deduct the premiums from her paycheck until August of next year.

What a screw job IMO. Does anyone know if I have a leg to stand on? Do I need to hire an attorney?

thanks for anybody with more knowledge of this industry if you can give me some advice.

That's a HR problem at her company. The insurance company didn't have anything to do with it. You need someone who knows about dealing with company HR.

[OLJWales]

Thank you Liverpool

[Tbonewannabe]

Once I got my new job back in late August, I signed up for better insurance than my wife's insurance. I put her and our son on my new plan. I sent her the updated coverage information so she could forward it to her HR department to discontinue her coverage at her job since she would now be covered under MY insurance.

Now her HR department is saying they never received the fax back in September and she failed to keep the fax confirmation sheet. They are also saying that since my coverage has been in force for over a month, she is not allowed to use mine and that they will have to continue to deduct the premiums from her paycheck until August of next year.

What a screw job IMO. Does anyone know if I have a leg to stand on? Do I need to hire an attorney?

thanks for anybody with more knowledge of this industry if you can give me some advice.

I know one thing, they can't say she could not be covered under your insurance. At the worst, she is now double covered but most insurance would just request proof that she is actually covered and there was a change in life circumstance which would include you getting a job that has insurance coverage. Most companies have two open enrollment periods to change your insurance so that should be worst case scenario is she drops the coverage during the next open enrollment. Most are around April-May and Oct-Nov. My company is in open enrollment right now.

[OLJWales]

Thanks T-Bone. I'm gonna look into this as an HR issue like Liver said. They deducting $1K per month from her paycheck while I'm paying already burns my ass up. Surely something can be done. That's another $8K. total bullshit if you ask me.

[Tbonewannabe]

Thanks T-Bone. I'm gonna look into this as an HR issue like Liver said. They deducting $1K per month from her paycheck while I'm paying already burns my ass up. Surely something can be done. That's another $8K. total bullshit if you ask me.

I would look into the HR issue but if that doesn't work then I would contact the insurance provider directly and state your case. As long as your wife has not used the health insurance in any way then they should retroactively cancel it. Just make sure that if your wife has had a prescription filled or went to a doctor that nothing was filed on that insurance or it won't work.

[OLJWales]

I would look into the HR issue but if that doesn't work then I would contact the insurance provider directly and state your case. As long as your wife has not used the health insurance in any way then they should retroactively cancel it. Just make sure that if your wife has had a prescription filled or went to a doctor that nothing was filed on that insurance or it won't work.

thanks again sir. To make sure I'm understanding, if she EVER used her school's (she's a teacher) insurance, then they have the right to keep deducting the premiums from her paycheck? This is killing our budget. Shit's expensive enough for just ONE family plan , now we are having to pay for TWO. They say they can't cancel it until next August. $1150 per month out of our family budget. And the school's insurance is as shitty as I've ever seen. On ALL fronts.

[OLJWales]

She just told me she's used the coverage just ONCE. That was last year. She's used it NONE this year. And that was last year when she had to pay $100 ****ing dollars just to see a damn family practitioner.

[Tbonewannabe]

She just told me she's used the coverage just ONCE. That was last year. She's used it NONE this year. And that was last year when she had to pay $100 ****ing dollars just to see a damn family practitioner.

Then I would reach out to whoever is your insurance carrier and let them know that you have other insurance and that you sent a change of insurance due to a qualifying life event (you getting her on your insurance). They should allow you to at a minimum to cancel the insurance. They would probably request proof that you have an insurance plan and should reimburse the premium. It would be best to work through the HR department but I personally wouldn't wait on them. If they drop the ball then it looks worse the longer you wait to the insurance company.

The key is that you logically thought that her HR department was handling it and you assumed that you no longer had that insurance plan. You are allowed to change or cancel insurance due to a qualifying life event such as you getting insurance for your family. This also works if one of you loses insurance for any reason then you can get on that coverage. Otherwise, you have to wait to change and/or cancel until the open enrollment.