Retiree benefits: Stupid hoops to jump through

[CardsFan]

For the second time in two years I am required to verify my spouse's eligibility to be on my health care plan.

The requirement: a copy of my most recent IRS 1040 with all Dollars and SSN's blacked out.

Simple to do, but also simple to FAKE.

Anyone can create a fake 1040 in any tax software they choose.

So, basically, they asking me to tell them my spouse's name?

But, hey, they hired an outside firm to conduct the process, so at least someone got a job out of it.

 

[Brat]

Heck, that is easier than demanding a marriage certificate.

 

[CardsFan]

Heck, that is easier than demanding a marriage certificate.

I actually had to do that while working and we were bought out by the new Megacorp

It was a PITA to locate, and actually had to go to the courthouse to get a copy (they would not accept the one issued by the church)

 

[Hermit]

I had to verify that I was not married every 90 days if I wanted to withdraw money from my MegaCorp 401k.

 

[Walt34]

It was a PITA to locate, and actually had to go to the courthouse to get a copy (they would not accept the one issued by the church)

The marriage certificate issued by the church was the only one we had or needed for 20+ years. When we moved to WV the DMV there insisted a certified copy was necessary for DW to get the WV driver's license. So we had to send off the MD Dept. of Vital Statistics (or some such name) to get one.

For a while we gave semi-serious thought to simply getting married at a courthouse in WV as the path of least resistance. I pointed out that would open the door to lots of "WV bride" jokes for the family too.... DW was not amused.

 

[Bigdawg]

DW and i were both active duty and carried one Common Access Card (CAC) each. On the day she retired we sat in front of an admin person. That person verified in the system that we were married and that DW was retiring from active service. DW handed the person her CAC and was handed back a retired military id. At that moment DW became my dependent. To add a dependent you need to provide either a marrige cert or a birth cert. Despite the fact that the admin person just saw in the system that we were married I still had to produce our marriage cert. After producing that document DW was issued a second id card. A dependent id card. She was hired as a government employee and now carrys a retired id card, a dependent id card and her government CAC. Every few years we have to show up at the admin office to prove we are still married and renew her dependent id card. The others do not expire.

 

[Jeffman52]

For the second time in two years I am required to verify my spouse's eligibility to be on my health care plan.

The requirement: a copy of my most recent IRS 1040 with all Dollars and SSN's blacked out.

Simple to do, but also simple to FAKE.

Anyone can create a fake 1040 in any tax software they choose.

So, basically, they asking me to tell them my spouse's name?

But, hey, they hired an outside firm to conduct the process, so at least someone got a job out of it.

yeah, how stupid and worthless this process is!! Same here. Every two years. What a PITA!!!

 

[USGrant1962]

Wow, I'm really lucky - no retiree benefits so no hoops!

 

[CaptTom]

Interesting. My MegaCorp just wants us to certify that our spouse isn't eligible for some other medical coverage. I actually don't blame them.

 

[CardsFan]

Interesting. My MegaCorp just wants us to certify that our spouse isn't eligible for some other medical coverage. I actually don't blame them.

I get that requirement as well, now, and while employed. But that is just answering a question. No documentation required.

I understand why they ask, but in both cases they really just taking my word. (and of course setting me up for a lawsuit if I lied and they caught me.)

 

[jazz4cash]

A buddy gave me a heads up on the marriage certificate. All I had was the one from church and I panicked thinking we never got one from the city. We had travelled back to our hometown for the wedding and I had no recollection. I nervously drove downtown to the marriage bureau. I waited online behind a group getting married by a Justice of the Peace. When my turn came I was terrified but they pulled up our license in short order and all was well. What a relief!

 

[JoeWras]

Interesting. My MegaCorp just wants us to certify that our spouse isn't eligible for some other medical coverage. I actually don't blame them.

Well, we are about to go through this process. I need to quit my job, aka retire first, to get on DW's insurance. We're going to need this certification of no coverage from my Megacorp to get me on her plan. It is kind of giving me a bit of anxiety actually.

 

[jazz4cash]

Forgot to say I don't see anything stupid about these requirements. I'm actually surprised MegaCorp never required authentication for some benefits for the first 20 some yrs of my career.

 

[JoeWras]

Forgot to say I don't see anything stupid about these requirements. I'm actually surprised MegaCorp never required authentication for some benefits for the first 20 some yrs of my career.

Agree about the coordinating insurance. It was necessary by some Megacorps who were actually being taken for a ride in some cases.

You want stoopid? How about making the spouse sign in to a silly "health awareness site" and click through some silly exercises about being healthy. I mean, dumb stuff like clicking on the apple or the bacon icon to tell them which you think is healthier. The answer is obvious, isn't it?

 

[Sue J]

We went through this with DH's employer a few years before he retired. After many years of being on his insurance as a spouse and family they needed proof of our marriage. We had been married in a neighboring county so I drove over there and found the correct department at the courthouse. I figured he'd need this proof again some time in the future so I got two copies of our certificate. I think it was under $10 for both.

 

[GalaxyBoy]

I had ten (10) different employers over the years. Only the last one required a copy of the marriage certificate, despite the fact that DW wasn't covered by any of the benefits. I was never sure why they thought they needed that, but I took the path of least resistance and gave it to them.

One more reminder why I'm RE.

 

[Bamaman]

Which marriage license do they need? First one, or second time we got remarried?

 

[CaptTom]

You want stoopid? How about making the spouse sign in to a silly "health awareness site" and click through some silly exercises about being healthy. I mean, dumb stuff like clicking on the apple or the bacon icon to tell them which you think is healthier. The answer is obvious, isn't it?

I wonder if that says more about the IQ of the people they're hiring than that of the company.

You rarely lose by betting on the stupidity of the average citizen.

 

[Brat]

It just isn't health benefits where marital status can be an issue, think about your 401k and life insurance. Ideally the employer will file the certificate in your personnel for future use by your spouse. Some states require that a spouse be a beneficiary.

I am retired but upon thinking about this issue maybe I should get a copy of ours for our end of life files.

 

[athena53]

Every few years we have to show up at the admin office to prove we are still married and renew her dependent id card.

So.. how do you prove you're still married? I assume you just sign some statement swearing you are and they can use it against you if they find otherwise.