No Notice of Cancelation!

[John815]

What is the name of your state? IL
I just found out that my group health insurance has been cancled since the 31st of Jan. I found this out when I called my insurance company checking on benifits due to my wifes hospitalization starting on the 4th of Feb. They claim the group policy was cancled. I asked my boss and he says it must be a mistake, not to worry. What laws are there regarding situations like this?
If this is not a mistake, would I be liable for these medical charges or my employer? I recieved no notice of cancellation.

 

[Beth3]

Without knowing why the group coverage was cancelled, it's impossible to say. There are no laws that I'm aware of that require an employer to notify their workforce if they cancel the group health plan in entirety. (Although failing to do so would not be a very smart move.)

It's quite possible this is an accounting or administrative error, i.e. the company's premium payment has not been properly applied to the employer's account, the check was lost in the mail, it's a "computer snafu," etc. Unfortunately, this kind of problem is not at all uncommon. Before you panic, give your employer a chance to figure out what has happened and rectify things. Keep in mind that the insurance company was telling you that EVERYBODY's coverage was cancelled - from the CEO to the janitor and everyone in between. Your senior management team will be as concerned about this as you are. They have medical bills too.

I suggest you directly contact the person at your workplace who is responsible for your group health plan (could be the HR Director, benefits manager, accounting manager, office manager, etc., depending on the size of your organization), tell them what happened and whether the problem has been resolved.

 

[John815]

Thanks for your response, I have notified the appropriate department. Will wait for an answer. I hope it is only a computer error or such. I am a little nervous with the amount of medical bills that will be piling up shortly. I hope this gets resolved quickly.

 

[Beth3]

Your anxiety is understandable. The odds are great that it's an administrative mixup that hopefully will be rectified quickly.