Employer won't allow me to have a secondary insurance plan.

[fcwedd]

Michigan

My wife and I are expecting our second child this July. My employer offers Blue Cross Blue Shield, which I've had for a number of years. However, it doesn't offer the ideal coverage for pregnancy. With an extremely high deductible and co-pay, we were left with several thousand to pay.

I was hoping to be more prepared for the birth of our second child. I found out that our state offers a plan called "HealthyKids" for working/pregnant families. It ultimately helps out with high deductibles/co-pays etc (a blessing). We applied and got approved. Very exciting!

I notified my boss about this. He had told me that I'm not allowed to add a "secondary insurance" to my current work-offered Blue Cross plan. He told me that this was all stupiulated in the employee workbook I was given when hired. Unfortunately, I don't have the workbook, as it's been 15 years since I got it.

I called up Blue Cross Blue Shield as well as a Billing Manager at the hospital we will be giving birth. Neither of them had ever heard of this.

I have no idea why my employer won't allow me to have a secondary insurance. They won't tell me why. They just say "no".

Is this legal? I really have no idea.

 

[cbg]

It's legal in the sense that no law says it's not legal.

 

[Zigner]

Your wife was accepted even though she has other insurance coverage?

 

[Ohiogal]

Your wife was accepted even though she has other insurance coverage?

It is possible. She is pregnant. Depending on income she could have received it and been approved.

 

[Zigner]

It is possible. She is pregnant. Depending on income she could have received it and been approved.

I see the MIChild program specifically excludes those with other coverage, but I see nothing specific (in either direction) relating to the Healthy Kids program. It just seems strange to me that the government would offer free coverage to folks who already have coverage.

 

[fcwedd]

Your wife was accepted even though she has other insurance coverage?

Yes. We were accepted because she is pregnant and that out current plan isn't ideal for pregnancy.

 

[fcwedd]

I see the MIChild program specifically excludes those with other coverage, but I see nothing specific (in either direction) relating to the Healthy Kids program. It just seems strange to me that the government would offer free coverage to folks who already have coverage.

We were instantly denied MIChild because we had insurance. The MIChild and Health Kids Application is a dual application. Healthy Kids allows insurance.

 

[CSO286]

I see the MIChild program specifically excludes those with other coverage, but I see nothing specific (in either direction) relating to the Healthy Kids program. It just seems strange to me that the government would offer free coverage to folks who already have coverage.

Zig, it does happen often. In many cases the coverage offered by employers comes with deductibles and copays so high that that coverages really is catastrophe coverage only. In those case, the family may still be elegible for medicaid as a secondary coverage.

(As an aside--LittleCSO qualifies for our state's Healthy Kids equivalent as the employer family coverage offered comes at a premium that exceeds 40% of my biweekly take-home pay.)

 

[Zigner]

Interesting - thanks for the clarification(s)

 

[ecmst12]

Secondary coverage is much less risk to the insurer since the primary insurance pays the bulk of the bills.

I don't know why you even brought it up to your boss, it's none of his business and he does not need to know.

 

[tranquility]

Secondary coverage is much less risk to the insurer since the primary insurance pays the bulk of the bills.

I don't know why you even brought it up to your boss, it's none of his business and he does not need to know.

I agree but add, you need to research the issue very closely. Secondary insurance is not usually going to be worth it.

 

[ecmst12]

From the state, the cost to them would be little or nothing.

 

[tranquility]

From the state, the cost to them would be little or nothing.

I agree, it shouldn't hurt to get free stuff. But, the OP should not rely on great savings from having a secondary plan.

 

[ecmst12]

I get good value from my 2 insurances, enough that (at least for a month or 2) I'll be paying Cobra to keep my primary insurance. But it covers some things that my DH's plan doesn't, even though his plan is otherwise better. With both plans I have ended up with pretty much zero out of pocket, which has been fantastic.

 

[tranquility]

I get good value from my 2 insurances, enough that (at least for a month or 2) I'll be paying Cobra to keep my primary insurance. But it covers some things that my DH's plan doesn't, even though his plan is otherwise better. With both plans I have ended up with pretty much zero out of pocket, which has been fantastic.

My opinion is that the OP should review the coordination of benefits provisions of both policies rather than rely on an easily distinguishable example if he hopes to avoid unwelcome surprises.