Health Insurance

[ashcashbananas 66]

I hope someone can give me the answer to this question..

 

I have health insurance through my employer and my plan began September 2018. My question is - when my husband comes here, likely within the first few months of the coming year, will I be able to change my health insurance because of this life event/change? Or will we have to have 2 separate individual plans?

 

Thanks in advance.  

[geowrian 22,336]

This depends on your insurance plan, so discuss it with your HR team or insurer. But generally becoming a resident is a qualifying event to add a beneficiary to an existing coverage plan, so long as you do so within x days of the marriage.

Edited December 11, 2018 by geowrian

[Dotagirlandboy 30]

You can add him immediately after marriage (qualifying life event). We got married the end of November, enrolled him starting December 1 (2016) (Doesn't have to be a resident) However, talking to your health plan admin is the best route to take anyway, but shouldn't be any problems

 

EDIT: I saw you are already married and are doing a CR1 sorry! Definitely talk to your Admin but I still don't imagine this being a problem. Worst case scenario, you will have to wait until their open enrollment period (not sure if September just happens to be when YOU qualified or that is their enrollment period)

 

 

Edited December 11, 2018 by Dotagirlandboy

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

Entering on an immigrant visa is a qualifying life event. 

[ashcashbananas 66]

So, my employer finally answered me. The answer is "no," according to the HR Director.

 

I spoke with someone from HealthCare.gov, he told me that if I sign up with a plan through them, when my husband comes, they will be able to add him to my plan immediately.

 

So, I should probably cancel my plan through my job. I've never done this before...

12 hours ago, Dotagirlandboy said:

You can add him immediately after marriage (qualifying life event). We got married the end of November, enrolled him starting December 1 (2016) (Doesn't have to be a resident) However, talking to your health plan admin is the best route to take anyway, but shouldn't be any problems

 

EDIT: I saw you are already married and are doing a CR1 sorry! Definitely talk to your Admin but I still don't imagine this being a problem. Worst case scenario, you will have to wait until their open enrollment period (not sure if September just happens to be when YOU qualified or that is their enrollment period)

 

 

 

Yes, September is their open enrollment time. I've been there for years.  

[aaron2020 11,651]

8 minutes ago, ashcashbananas said:

So, my employer finally answered me. The answer is "no," according to the HR Director.

 

I spoke with someone from HealthCare.gov, he told me that if I sign up with a plan through them, when my husband comes, they will be able to add him to my plan immediately.

 

So, I should probably cancel my plan through my job. I've never done this before...

 

Yes, September is their open enrollment time. I've been there for years.  

You are not eligible for subsidized health insurance through HealthCare.gov.  You qualify for health insurance through your employer.  A person eligible for health insurance through an employer is not eligible for subsidies through HealthCare.gov.

Edited December 11, 2018 by aaron2020

[Dotagirlandboy 30]

12 minutes ago, ashcashbananas said:

So, my employer finally answered me. The answer is "no," according to the HR Director.

 

I spoke with someone from HealthCare.gov, he told me that if I sign up with a plan through them, when my husband comes, they will be able to add him to my plan immediately.

 

So, I should probably cancel my plan through my job. I've never done this before...

 

Yes, September is their open enrollment time. I've been there for years.  

What was their reason for saying No? How does this NOT qualify as a qualifying life event? (Just curious, I don't know about that exact circumstance). And were they saying that he couldn't be added AT ALL, or that they WOULD NOT PAY FOR HIM? Because that happened with my husband, they said they don't cover dependents, but when we clarified that we were willing to pay the premium they said THAT was ok, just that they would not pay any part of the premium for dependents. And like "aaron" said, getting a plan, and getting it paid for are two different things. I'm afraid either will not be the simplest thing (we looked into that when my husband's employer first said no). 

 

[ashcashbananas 66]

10 minutes ago, aaron2020 said:

You are not eligible for subsidized health insurance through HealthCare.gov.  You qualify for health insurance through your employer.  A person eligible for health insurance through an employer is not eligible for subsidies through HealthCare.gov.

 

I can pay full price for the insurance plans through HealthCare.gov...

As I can see, when I answered all the questions, it shows me exactly what I'm eligible for.

The difference between the coverage through my employer and the coverage through HealthCare.gov is that my employer said I can not add my husband to their group plan when he comes, and HealthCare.gov said they can get him added to any plan that I enroll in now once he comes.

[aaron2020 11,651]

https://www.healthcare.gov/have-job-based-coverage/change-to-marketplace-plan/

[Boiler 43,593]

Perhaps HR are not familiar with immigration being a qualifying event, not something they have come across before?

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

1 hour ago, ashcashbananas said:

So, my employer finally answered me. The answer is "no," according to the HR Director.

 

I spoke with someone from HealthCare.gov, he told me that if I sign up with a plan through them, when my husband comes, they will be able to add him to my plan immediately.

 

So, I should probably cancel my plan through my job. I've never done this before...

 

Yes, September is their open enrollment time. I've been there for years.  

This is wrong. Immigration is a qualifying life event. It's how we got health insurance outside open enrolment.

[SusieQQQ 11,584]

https://blog.taxact.com/life-events-that-qualify-for-special-enrollment-period/

 

Not official but I'm sure you can find an official source. 

[geowrian 22,336]

43 minutes ago, SusieQQQ said:

https://blog.taxact.com/life-events-that-qualify-for-special-enrollment-period/

 

Not official but I'm sure you can find an official source. 

Yes, but that is in reference to the marketplace, not the OP's employer's plan.

 

I concur that the plan most likely does permit enrollment as a qualifying life event. I just can't say with 100% confidence every plan does so. It's possible the ACA does require it for any ACA-compliant plan, but I have yet to find wording of this.

[Ontarkie 13,925]

~~Moved to Moving Here and YOur New Life, from Bringing Family of USC - The OP is asking about health insurance and this is discussed here.~~

[Steeleballz 7,550]

4 hours ago, geowrian said:

Yes, but that is in reference to the marketplace, not the OP's employer's plan.

 

I concur that the plan most likely does permit enrollment as a qualifying life event. I just can't say with 100% confidence every plan does so. It's possible the ACA does require it for any ACA-compliant plan, but I have yet to find wording of this.

 

  This is correct. Qualifying events for the marketplace are not necessarily the same as qualifying events for group coverage.