I get my health benefits through my wife and have been for the past six years (we actually got legally married the day after I turned 26 because I needed health insurance because my narcolepsy medication costs $300+ a month and I’ve had a few bouts of cancer).
It was announced last week at her place of employment that a group of auditors were going to come in to perform an audit and make sure that everyone on the health plan was eligible. I was not eligible for insurance when we got married as I was just an intern, but there’s a rule (not sure if it’s a new rule or existing one) for her workplace’s insurance that says, “If your spouse is eligible for insurance at his or her place of employment, they are ineligible for this plan.”
No only are they looking into my eligibility, but they want tax documents, mortgage statements, marriage certificates, the adoption papers from when I adopted her son, birth certificates for everyone, amongst other things.
She marked me as ineligible and now I have to have my employer complete a counter document that basically wants them to confirm if I’m eligible for insurance under my employers plan.
I just got a new job at a small company and my boss said that he’s be ok with backing a “probationary period” of ineligibility until next year, but I wish there was a reason for ineligibility we could put down that’s both legitimate and not a huge red flag. I don’t want to get my employer in any hot water because this is dangerously close to fraud, but I don’t want to lose my spot on her plan. It’s a great plan and with my health concerns, it really helps us out.
Her employer also had a record revenue year, self insured, and came in well under their anticipated Covid losses.
Just sucks. One more reason to root for healthcare to not be tied to employment. Any thoughts or advice would be appreciated, but I wanted to share my antiwork woes.