Health insurance question

[mum4jenn]

My Dh has our health insurance through his employer and his employer will be shutting down their plant here within the year. He works at Cooper Tire. We do not know yet exactly when his last day will be but I am kind on figuring maybe the first part of the summer. This will leave us with no health insurance and my open enrollment time at my employer ended in November.

Does anyone know if in cases like this if I could get health insurance added before the open enrollment period? I think I read where this might be considered a "hardship" area and it might be allowed. I know I should ask this at my employer but we are out of school until January 5th.

 

[Bluestars]

There are laws in place that state if you lose your other health insurance coverage at any time during the year, you can enroll on your employer's plan as long as you do it within 30 days of when you lost the coverage. You should be able to obtain a health certificate from your prior carrier. This health certificate will state the members enrolled on that plan, the date the coverage began, and the date the coverage ended.

Please contact the person in charge of your employer's plan to discuss this. If you don't do this within 30 days of the loss of coverage, you may have to wait until your next open enrollment. I'm not sure if these rules are for every insurance company, but that's the way it works for ours. We have enrolled many people during the year who have lost their other coverage.

 

[DebbieB]

My company allows additions mid-year if there is a "status change" such as marriage, losing a job.

 

[LuvOrlando]

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[ChelleinNC]

If you can't add mid year with your companies policy, your DH will be able to COBRA his health insurance. It will be the same policy, but he will have to pay for the whole thing himself (the company will no longer be paying the employee portion).

Here is the FAQ from the U.S. Dept of Labor: http://www.dol.gov/ebsa/faqs/faq_consumer_cobra.HTML

 

[Aristomommy]

Job loss has been a qualifying event in all the plans I have had in the past. I would contact your HR department to verify they will do the same. Just make sure you have a statement from the other company verifying this information. In my case, we had 30 days to add the insurance after the qualifying event.

Also, I would make sure you do not have a lapse in coverage. Some insurances require continuous coverage or they will not pay for "pre-existing" conditions.

 

[mum4jenn]

Thanks for all the replies. I do know that Cooper Tire will let them have regular coverage for two weeks past their last day and then they will be offered COBRA. The biggest hurdle is that we have no idea when his last day will be yet. They are to start getting rid of people in March and they are also supposed to give each person 60 days notice. At least that will be enough time to "get my ducks in a row".

As soon as we go back to work in January I will go ahead and check into what I will need to do as far as signing up with the insurance from my employer.

 

[llp479]

It is considered a "life event" and qualifies you to elect your coverage. They most likely will need in writing the change in status, and then a certificate of credible coverage from your current insurance. You can work with your DH's HR dept to get all of that.

I'm very familiar with the subject as I work in healthcare billing and collections, and personally just went through this on Thursday as we found out my DH will be unemployed as of Jan 16.

Best of luck to you during these trying times.

 

[Michelle67]

You've already gotten great advice, so I'll just offer a hug.

 

[Obi-Wan Pinobi]

It is considered a "life event" and qualifies you to elect your coverage. They most likely will need in writing the change in status, and then a certificate of credible coverage from your current insurance. You can work with your DH's HR dept to get all of that.

I'm very familiar with the subject as I work in healthcare billing and collections, and personally just went through this on Thursday as we found out my DH will be unemployed as of Jan 16.

Best of luck to you during these trying times.

Yep, we just had to do that a few months ago. I was able to have DW Lauri covered under my insurance within 30 minutes of her severing ties with her old company. You shouldn't have any trouble.

 

[mum4jenn]

Thanks for all the help y'all. I was worried because I am on several medications that I really need and there would be no way to pay for them out of pocket...especially with the job situation.

I read over my Dhs latest info and they will get severance depending on the number of years with the company so he will get 16 weeks severance paid weekly and during that time the health insurance will continue. Then it will continue 2 weeks past the last severance check. So...that should at least get us through at least 3/4 of 2009 depending on when his department shuts down.

Y'all are the BEST!!!!!

 

[mickeysgal]

I'm so glad to hear that he'll get severance and that you have health insurance through your employer. Thats two great life lines right there. I wish you and your DH the best. I hope he lands a job quickly.

 

[mamacatnv]

Loss of coverage is under Federal Law a "Qualifying Event" when an eligible employee incurs a qualifying event then they do not need to wait for an open enrollment to enroll in their employers plan.

If a company ceases to have a health plan then COBRA is not an option. COBRA only mandates that one can continue coverage on an exisiting plan.

Your employers insurance company will most likely require a Certificate of Coverage so they know that there has not been a lapse of coverage that exceeds 60 days. Never exceed 60 days without coverage, that is where you run into trouble with pre-exisiting conditions.

OP glad to hear that your DH will have a nice severance package.