Husband could be denied medical coverage.

[Tamara/Junior 3]

Hello everyone,

I contacted my insurance Aetna which is through my employer back in November and told them that I had plans to add my husband onto my insurance once he arrived. They told me that all I needed was his social and that he would be added automatically. So the social has not arrived yet, but another member told me that she was able to add her husband to her plan without his social. (And that she later called to provice them with the social.) So I gave my insurance a call last Thursday 4/23 to ask if I can add my husband. The representative told me that immigrating does not qualify as a "life changing event" and worse case scenario is that I would have to wait until November for open enrollment. I asked her to escalate the issue due to the fact that I was told it wouldn't be a problem and that it indeed IS A LIFE CHANGING EVENT. She told me that someone would be in contact with me in the next 3 to 5 days with an answer. My husband is in SERIOUS need of medical attention. He was in a horrible motorcycle accident last November where he fractured his skull and left femur. I know that he needs the best in medical care and therapy for a complete recovery. I have already scheduled appointments with a neurosurgeon and orthopaedist a month out just wating for the social to arrive. I am really worried that he won't be able to make these appointments due to my insurance. Has anyone else received this information from their employer/insurance? Any advice would help us tremendously. Thanks is in advance!

[MrsBonsu 138]

Did you ask your human resource person at work, I asked when I first married and they told me that was life changing but I explain he doesn't have a ss Id, but my husband isn't here yet and my hr personnel checked for me and said once he's here he can be added once he receives his ss Id, my health is through Cigna, may I suggest contact your hr to get answers for you, if no help then call Aetna back and talk with a supervisor

[Kastrs 723]

I called my HR prior to getting married and asked about this. They said I would be able to add my husband once he arrives....but I am questioning that now.

[~Yoly~ 4]

You need that Social # ASAP! And YES your husband coming to USA is a LIFE CHANGING EVENT...... I just added my husband to my insurance and my HR asked the insurance broker and they said a person coming to the USA is considered a LIFE CHANGING EVENT...Get your HR involved.

Good Luck

[mallafri76 1,012]

Sorry to hear about your husband's accident. I hope he recovers soon.

The person you spoke to about doesn't know what she's talking about. Immigrating to another country is definitely a life changing event. Speak to someone else. You may wanna check though if your insurance covers injuries/illnesses that occurred prior to the insurance date. As far as I know, most insurances only cover from the date your husband got added on the insurance.

[Ikedi 4]

I was able to add my husband to my insurance policy once he was here prior to him getting a social security number. They were able to add 000000000 as his social security number and when he got it I had to call them to update it. You should definitely call HR especially the person in charge of your insurance.

[Happytobe 164]

My insurance through work, Aetna, was able to add hubby with just info from his visa. Then, I called with his SS # later. You need to speak to the right person. I called several times before he arrived to confirm, and half the time they had to research and get a supervisor. Luckily when he got here, I got someone who was vaguely familiar with adding an immigrant, she still needed some assistance though. Good luck!

[Maharosa 251]

I am facing this same problem, neither my HR nor our contracted benefits department feel that moving to the US of gaining LPR status is a life event. I am actually fighting them on this as we speak. The one this you can try to do, although probably more expensive, is get insurance through your states health exchange marketplace. All of the market places that offer insurance in compliance with the Affordable Care Act consider gaining LPR status a qualifying life event, so your husband would be eligible for a special enrollment period.

If you have not gone to the Social Security office for your husbands SSN, I would do so. You will usually get it within 2 weeks. I have heard some that have relied on it being sent based on the request in the IV application never get it or it takes several months.

Best of luck!

[Ryan H 3,790]

Moved from IR-1/CR-1 Progress Reports to Moving to the US & Your New Life In America forum.

[Tamara/Junior 3]

Thank you everyone for your responses. Aetna just called me back and stated that the appeal was denied. They said that my employer is who denied it. So I will get in contact with my HR as well as do research on my own. I am scared of the out of pocket costs. I know that my insurance is absolutely wonderful and they didn't discriminate on previous conditions. I asked to speak to someone higher than a supervisor and they told me that there was no one else. That they could submit the appeal again but it would most likely be denied again. So that looks like a dead end road. I was so angry talking to them. I had to walk away from my desk for a second. But I just have to move forward the best way that I can. So first step is calling HR, then I will go to the Social Security office this Friday my off day, ( I work 7am to 5pm Mon- Thu.) and in the mean time price separate minimums to see what would be the difference in cost.

[novedsac 355]

Immigration, in and of itself, is not a qualifying event.

However, marriage IS a qualifying event, though you usually have only 30 days from the date of marriage to make the change.

However, relocating from one place to another place, in excess of 50 miles, with different insurance coverages IS a qualifying event, though you have to demonstrate the move was made within 30 days of the request for the change. This is how most CR1/IR1 immigrants would qualify for being added to insurance outside of the open enrollment period.

[Rob L 3,811]

Hello everyone,

I contacted my insurance Aetna which is through my employer back in November and told them that I had plans to add my husband onto my insurance once he arrived. They told me that all I needed was his social and that he would be added automatically. So the social has not arrived yet, but another member told me that she was able to add her husband to her plan without his social. (And that she later called to provice them with the social.) So I gave my insurance a call last Thursday 4/23 to ask if I can add my husband. The representative told me that immigrating does not qualify as a "life changing event" and worse case scenario is that I would have to wait until November for open enrollment. I asked her to escalate the issue due to the fact that I was told it wouldn't be a problem and that it indeed IS A LIFE CHANGING EVENT. She told me that someone would be in contact with me in the next 3 to 5 days with an answer. My husband is in SERIOUS need of medical attention. He was in a horrible motorcycle accident last November where he fractured his skull and left femur. I know that he needs the best in medical care and therapy for a complete recovery. I have already scheduled appointments with a neurosurgeon and orthopaedist a month out just wating for the social to arrive. I am really worried that he won't be able to make these appointments due to my insurance. Has anyone else received this information from their employer/insurance? Any advice would help us tremendously. Thanks is in advance!

In the case of my companies policy, a move or immigration did not count as a life changing event but the departure from previous employer or loss of health care insurance did. He is currently working?

[CowBoE 429]

Sounds like the same BS I went through.

My HR benefits manager is a friend of mine who was fully aware of our

immigration/marriage processing. She told me that I am able to add my wife to my

health insurance policy the day we get married with or without the SS card.

So when I tried to add her to my insurance the very next working day

after the marriage, it got put on "pending review" for few days and then

eventually denied

During that time, they asked for copy of our marriage certificate (twice)

because they have a habit of losing documents we send in.

And then they falsely blamed our HR benefits manager for denying her,

when in reality they never checked with her...I know this because HR manager

is a friend and she was expecting to approve it.

So, my HR benefit manager called the insurance and told them to approve her,

and they finally did. This all took about 3 weeks. In fact, we had incurred some

out of pocket doctor visits, and they retro the coverage date back to the date of

marriage and reimbursed us of previous bills.

Insurance companies are bunch of bullies and you can't get discouraged.

Go after your entitled benefits and coverage like a bulldog.

Definitely talk to your HR benefits manager, and get her/him to expedite the approval,

and see if they can back dated...at least to when you first applied for his coverage.

Best of luck.

[Ms Hogan 295]

Hello everyone,

I contacted my insurance Aetna which is through my employer back in November and told them that I had plans to add my husband onto my insurance once he arrived. They told me that all I needed was his social and that he would be added automatically. So the social has not arrived yet, but another member told me that she was able to add her husband to her plan without his social. (And that she later called to provice them with the social.) So I gave my insurance a call last Thursday 4/23 to ask if I can add my husband. The representative told me that immigrating does not qualify as a "life changing event" and worse case scenario is that I would have to wait until November for open enrollment. I asked her to escalate the issue due to the fact that I was told it wouldn't be a problem and that it indeed IS A LIFE CHANGING EVENT. She told me that someone would be in contact with me in the next 3 to 5 days with an answer. My husband is in SERIOUS need of medical attention. He was in a horrible motorcycle accident last November where he fractured his skull and left femur. I know that he needs the best in medical care and therapy for a complete recovery. I have already scheduled appointments with a neurosurgeon and orthopaedist a month out just wating for the social to arrive. I am really worried that he won't be able to make these appointments due to my insurance. Has anyone else received this information from their employer/insurance? Any advice would help us tremendously. Thanks is in advance!

I am painfully familiar with Aetna. BUT I think you have been told the wrong information because a change in immigration status DOES qualify as far as I understand. I have had a LOT of dealings with them and they are just as brutal as dealing with NVC! I could call again. It might be an issue between you and HR vs. Aetna. Keep on it!

[feli114 65]

I was able to add my husband before he got his social sec card