HELP Many many questions!

[Vestirse]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? California

My husband and I would like to have a baby, which is a precursor to all these questions. My husband is about to quit his job and will start a new one in about a month's time. I have a job and qualify for benefits, but we are under his plan because it makes more financial sense.

1. If I get pregnant before he starts his new job, will his new insurance cover the pregnancy or should I switch to my health insurance in the meanwhile?

2. If his new insurance happens to be better, can we then switch to his if I'm on my company's insurance or do I have to wait for open enrollment?

3. Does insurance cover the baby when he/she is born? For example he/she is a preemie. Does the plan automatically switch to employee + child, or is it covered under insurance under inpatient/outpatient?

Sorry for the slew of questions, but I'm just so confused!

[momm2500]

1. based on the hipaa laws, pregnancy is never considered pre-existing
2. you have guidelines on when you can sign up with husbands plan. normally they ask you to sign all the paperwork on first day of new job then you might have a waiting period before his insurance starts.
3. can not answer that question. you will have to read the plan doc or plan booklet to see how your husbands new insurance covers newborns and also ask his employer these questions.

[ecmst12]

Normally, if the baby is healthy, the initial nursery charges will be covered under mom's policy. In ALL cases, you will have 30 days (and no more, no exceptions) to add the baby to the policy or you will have to wait for open enrollment.

When your husband's insurance ends, that is a qualifying event, giving you 30 days to add yourselves to your company's policy. When he becomes eligible for insurance at his new job, that is another qualifying event, allowing you to drop coverage with your company and enroll with his, again within 30 days of his eligibility date.

[ecmst12]

Argh, I just tried to edit my above post to add a bunch more information but it didn't take Post back if you have more questions though.

[Vestirse]

Thank you both so much! So I guess it doesn't matter if I choose to switch us to my insurance or just go without for a month, huh? I guess switching to my insurance for a month is the right thing to do, but the cost is pretty high since I work for a small company. Nonetheless, I think I should do it. What do you guys think?

ecmst, I'm not sure what you wrote, but I'd love to hear what else you had to say! Thank you again!

[Indiana Filer]

Originally Posted by Vestirse

Thank you both so much! So I guess it doesn't matter if I choose to switch us to my insurance or just go without for a month, huh? I guess switching to my insurance for a month is the right thing to do, but the cost is pretty high since I work for a small company. Nonetheless, I think I should do it. What do you guys think?

ecmst, I'm not sure what you wrote, but I'd love to hear what else you had to say! Thank you again!

Personally, I would switch for that month because you never know what might happen. It might take longer before his new job starts. The new insurance might not be as good as the coverage at your job, you might (I hope not!) get diagnosed with a disease or have an accident.

In my opinion, never ever go without health insurance if you have a choice.

[Vestirse]

You know, I completely agree with you. Go without just because it's a little more expensive? What a stupid thing for me to worry about. It's not like we're destitute. Thank you!

[ecmst12]

The only problem you might have is you might not be able to switch twice in one month or 2 months in a row, and the 30 day window after a qualifying event is absolutely ironclad. If you know that you are going to want the insurance at the new job, and you know you're not going to have to wait more then one month to get on it, then it's probably not worth switching.

[Vestirse]

Hmm, good point. At this point in time, he has a verbal offer with the formal offer coming on Monday. We are not sure if the company has a mandatory waiting period which is what I am most worried about. My own company has it's own 90 day waiting period after employment, so I know it's possible and do not want to be without insurance for three months. We're hoping we'll get the full benefit package with the formal offer this coming week.

If it's only a month, I would not be so worried. Obviously I am not pregnant yet and it'll probably take at least a month to get "knocked up". The only problem is that I have one (unrelated to pregnancy) appointment coming up before we know he is going to start. I might have to reschedule it.

[ecmst12]

Oh I wanted to emphasize that your baby will NOT be added on to your plan (whatever plan you're on) automatically. If you read the archives in this forum you will see the sad tales of other parents who assumed they would be and did not ask...

Also it's likely (though not certain) that you will not be dropped from his current plan until the end of the month after his last day.

[Vestirse]

Thank you for the additional information. This is very good to keep in mind!

[cbg]

I've been working in HR and Benefits for a lot closer to 30 years than I like to admit, and I have yet to see a plan that would refuse to allow a member to make changes two months in a row, or even two changes in a month. If the changes are for legitimate reasons, an employer would be walking a very fine line by not allowing them to be made.

[momm2500]

ooppss forgot to mention this. I hate to throw a different wrench into this; but your husbnad's plan might offer cobra insurance. if so and it is cheaper than your insurance you might want to continue that for a month or 2. I agree, you do not want to go without insurance.

[cbg]

Might? If they have more than 20 employees, and in many states , including the OP's, if they have fewer than 20 employees, they are REQUIRED to offer COBRA.

[ecmst12]

They have to offer cobra, but it will be very expensive, and will definitely not be cheaper then switching to wife's plan.