In July 2022, my then employer called me when I was on vacation telling me I'm eligible for insurance now that I've worked at the company for over 3 years. I declined because I'm still covered on my Dad's plan until I turn 26 (I'm 23 now, 22 then). He understood, and I thought that would be the end of it.
Fast forward to September 2023, I get a letter in the mail saying my employer won't pay my healthcare coverage for my 2 week vacation in July 2023. I'm confused because I thought I never signed up for insurance. Next day I go into work, my current employer (old one left 4 months ago) wasn't there, so I ask the assistant manager to check if I have insurance. Turns out I do.
I didn't even know what company it was, never received paper work or cards in the mail, didn't know how much I've been paying for it, or why I even have insurance!
The assistant manager gave me a number to call to ask questions. I had to wait over the weekend to call them until they were open. They didn't have the answers, so they gave me the number for HR. Then I called HR, and turns out it's not the HR for my store! They have no idea who I am or what store I work at. So I have to call the first number again, and they suggested calling my employer to ask. I called her, and she gave me the 'correct' number for HR, but it just redirected to the same first person I talked to! Since I've called that first person 3 times now, she forwarded me to someone out of office to take a message and he will call me back. I did, but he never called me back.
Finally my employer is back 3 days later and I can ask all the questions I have. I finally know what company it is, how much I'm paying, and I'll be receiving cards in the mail. I also learned if I cancel the plan I won't get reimbursed, and that I can't restart it again unless a tragic event occurs in my life.
This all happened because my former employer forgot to make me sign a paper saying I declined it. So they auto-enrolled me into the plan instead, and there's nothing I can do about it.
Now I'm stuck losing money every week on insurance I never wanted because of his little mistake. What I pay is kinda cheap for insurance, but it's money I should've been saving until I turn 26.
Thanks for reading my long, complicated, arduous story. What would you do in my situation?