Can employer retroactively cancel health insurance?

[dawnreeves]

What is the name of your state (only U.S. law)? Pennsylvania.
My husband was let go from his job on Aug. 11. He was told that health insurance would continue through the end of the month. As of Sept. 1 we switched to my employer health insurance. Now we have just found out that his employer retroactively canceled his health insurance effective July 31, not Aug. 31. The insurance company is refusing to pay for doctor visits and procedures during August -- of which there were many. I am pregnant and had several OB appointments, ultrasounds, screenings and an amniocentisus. Most of these were before Aug. 11.
The insurance company says they cannot change the date of termination of coverage, only the employer can.
Is this legal? What recourse do we have?

 

[cbg]

This is going to be a matter of the policy language, not the law. You're going to have to take a look at the plan document (they are required to provide it to you on request) and see what it says about when coverage ends.

 

[dawnreeves]

They say they "allow" retroactive terminations up to 90 days and that your employer is supposed to notify you. How is that possibly legal?

 

[cbg]

It is legal because there is not a law that says it is not.

 

[ecmst12]

You should be able to pay for Cobra coverage for that month though. Probably cheaper then paying for all those visits/tests out of pocket.