Retroactive health insurance premiums?

[MRS]

What is the name of your state? Colorado

My husband and I were married about thirty days ago. I switched to his health insurance two days ago. At that time I also requested to add a dependant to his insurance.

They denied having to add the dependant.

They also are charging him premiums retroactively to the date of the qualifying event (marriage). During this time period I already had insurance through my place of employment. My husband questioned their need to instate the insurance retroactively, and they told him they had to by law. Is this true? Can they deny the addition of any and all dependants at the same time?

 

[cbg]

As far as adding you retroactively, yes, they can do that. It is quite common for a plan to allow for mid-year enrollments ONLY on the effective date of a qualifying event.

As far as adding another dependent, it depends upon who it is and whether or not they qualify for coverage under the plan.

 

[MRS]

The child is my new husband's son (twelve) from a prior marriage, who is coming to live with us in 2 weeks.

Under normal enrollment, there would not have been a problem with qualifying the kid, but the company disallowed it (not denied by the health insurance co., but by my husband's company)

 

[cbg]

This is not uncommon either.

The qualifying event, your marriage, only allows YOU to be added to his plan. If it had been YOUR son, no doubt it would have been allowed, since he would not have been eligible earlier.

Since it is your husband's son and his policy, however, there was nothing stopping him from having his son on the policy already. Your marriage was not what made the son eligible for coverage. Therefore, your marriage is not a qualifying event for the son.

 

[concerned1]

You might want to check that out. In Montana (not sure if it is state or federal that regulates group rules on health insurance) at any qualifying event (marriage, divorce, birth of a baby) anyone is eligible to be added to the policy. A qualifying event opens the policy up to any addition. Check with your state insurance commissioner.

 

[cbg]

You can certainly check with the state insurance commissioner if you wish. State law regulates health plans. However, it is rare that dependents unrelated to the qualifying event are eligible and if the employer is denying the addition, there's a very good chance that they've already checked on the legality.

BTW, I've worked with health insurance benefits for over 20 years, all my working life in fact, including five years working for a national health insurance carrier.