Any Legal brides? I think I already know the answer, but please tell me if I'm wrong...

My husband has added me to his health insurance policy.

I am now dropping my own health insurance. But, as a safe measure, my company wants a letter on his company's letterhead, stating that I was added to the policy, with the date that I was added.

The insurance rep from his company said, 'Absolutely not. It would be illegal for me to write anything of the sort.'

I have a Master's degree in HR, so I am familiar with Benefits, Hipaa, etc. I have NEVER heard that writing a letter to confirm coverage is illegal...

I can't imagine that a letter like that would be illegal - they just sound lazy.

Also, it's not necessary that you provide one to your company either.

I think the insurance company would send a letter to you confirming your enrollment if you want to give your job that but it's really none of their business IMO.

This might be a silly question but what is it your company's business that you have any health coverage at all? It's an option we choose to have not a mandated law. I know plenty of people without any coverage at all. I really don't think it's any of your company's business if and where you are covered.

Why would that be illegal....it doesn't make sense!

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Posted by Jan05Bride

This might be a silly question but what is it your company's business that you have any health coverage at all? It's an option we choose to have not a mandated law. I know plenty of people without any coverage at all. I really don't think it's any of your company's business if and where you are covered.

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I completely agree. But, then I realized, what if I never actually get added on to the new plan. Then, if something happens, I'll be completely screwed...

So, then I decided not to argue with my company because I realized that I would like to have the letter for myself anyway.

it might have just became illegal - the laws ust changed about information with regard to health/medical field and could apply to health insurance -

My old company made me show other proof to get rid of their insurance - they want to make sure you have one

i got by copying mycard or calling hte insurance company directly and getting a letter

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Posted by snowprincess805

My old company made me show other proof to get rid of their insurance - they want to make sure you have one

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But they can't make you have insurance, or is that a new law also?

Unless the company is paying 100% of the premiums they can't require it.

At my company, we have to sign a waiver declining coverage but we don't have to prove we have insurance someplace else.

I’m not a legal beagle and I’m not in Life/Health Insurance, but I am in the insurance world. I can’t begin to imagine why asking for ‘evidence of insurance’ or documentation that you are indeed covered by this policy would be illegal. Makes no sense to me.

Perhaps how it as asked could have made a difference, but if you just want proof your hubby put you on the policy and when there should be no problem. I mean some wives just HAVE to sit on top of their hubbies to do stuff and won’t believe it’s been done until they see it in writing. Asking for the proof shouldn’t be a problem.

Maybe they are trying to say they won’t send a letter to your old insurance company independently stating you’re covered? Still, there’s no legal reason I can think of that you yourself can’t get proof that you’re covered. Maybe you can call back and just ask for a letter addressed to you instead. Send a copy of that to the old insurance company?

(PS: I really hate insurance folks who toss ‘illegal’ around when it’s probably something they can’t do due to internal protocols. Insurance has enough legal restrictions, no need to make up any more.)

I'm not an HR person but I can't understand why he would say that writting a letter to say you're being added to the policy is illegal.

Ask him under what law it is illegal to do so?

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Posted by ChristineC68

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Posted by snowprincess805

My old company made me show other proof to get rid of their insurance - they want to make sure you have one

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But they can't make you have insurance, or is that a new law also?

Unless the company is paying 100% of the premiums they can't require it.

At my company, we have to sign a waiver declining coverage but we don't have to prove we have insurance someplace else.

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I think maybe it's so that the company who's insurance you are dropping does not have to provide COBRA insurance to the employee.

That's just my guess.

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Posted by Maribelle7777

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Posted by ChristineC68

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Posted by snowprincess805

My old company made me show other proof to get rid of their insurance - they want to make sure you have one

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But they can't make you have insurance, or is that a new law also?

Unless the company is paying 100% of the premiums they can't require it.

At my company, we have to sign a waiver declining coverage but we don't have to prove we have insurance someplace else.

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I think maybe it's so that the company who's insurance you are dropping does not have to provide COBRA insurance to the employee.

That's just my guess.

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COBRA isn't offered to current employees. It's for when you leave the company.

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Posted by ChristineC68

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Posted by Maribelle7777

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Posted by ChristineC68

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Posted by snowprincess805

My old company made me show other proof to get rid of their insurance - they want to make sure you have one

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But they can't make you have insurance, or is that a new law also?

Unless the company is paying 100% of the premiums they can't require it.

At my company, we have to sign a waiver declining coverage but we don't have to prove we have insurance someplace else.

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I think maybe it's so that the company who's insurance you are dropping does not have to provide COBRA insurance to the employee.

That's just my guess.

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COBRA isn't offered to current employees. It's for when you leave the company.

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That is what I thought too until I read this:
Article

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Posted by Maribelle7777

That is what I thought too until I read this:
Article

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This article is referring to a dependent getting Cobra, not the employee. We have had instances where children are too old to be included on their parent's policy but they have no other alternatives and we put them on cobra.

But that's one crazy story! I had to read it three times to make sure I was following it correctly

I handle that part of our deparmtnet's HR & thats what my company requires. No one has ever had a problem getting that letter. Maybe try to keep it as simple as possible when you call them next time.

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Posted by Corduroy94

I handle that part of our deparmtnet's HR & thats what my company requires. No one has ever had a problem getting that letter. Maybe try to keep it as simple as possible when you call them next time.

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May I ask why does your company require it? What if the employee decided to just not have insurance?

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Posted by Jan05Bride

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Posted by Corduroy94

I handle that part of our deparmtnet's HR & thats what my company requires. No one has ever had a problem getting that letter. Maybe try to keep it as simple as possible when you call them next time.

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May I ask why does your company require it? What if the employee decided to just not have insurance?

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My guess is that the insurance vendor (Aetna) wants the letter, just in case I get sick or injured. Then, Aetna can have proof that they were not my insurance provider.

Your company needs the letter because they need to make sure a new policy is in effect for you otherwise they have to offer you COBRA.
I don't work in HR but I think this might be the reason. If you work in a company and you leave, by law, they have to offer you COBRA iinsurance, even if you decline it afterwards. So I guess that if you are dropping the insurance that you currently have, they just want to make sure that something will be in place for you.

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Posted by ChristineC68

COBRA isn't offered to current employees. It's for when you leave the company.

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That's not necessarily true. I imagine your company wants the info to make sure that they don't have to keep carrying insurance for you under COBRA. They need to take you off the group policy entirely.

I do not understand why the new insurance company will not issue YOU a letter stating that you have been added to the policy and the date of your coverage. That's something they should be sending you anyway, so the illegality of it just B.S., as far as I'm concerned.

Edited for spelling.

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Posted by suven

My guess is that the insurance vendor (Aetna) wants the letter, just in case I get sick or injured. Then, Aetna can have proof that they were not my insurance provider.

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Don't you have to complete a termination form? The insurance company would probably send you a letter of confirmation. This would be proof.