Going onto DW's employers health covg...

[Cb]

Question for those who have been down this path:

I gave my notice in January, agreeing to work part-time (3 days) to give my employer time to hire a replacement. My last day in the office was July 9, and I've been using my 25 days of vacation since. That all comes to an end on Sept 5 when I go back in to officially "process out". I'm 47 so it's considered a resignation rather than a retirement with benefits. My health coverage will expire on midnight Sept 5. I'll have 60 days to decide whether I want to make use of the COBRA option, with no lapse in coverage if the woman at the end of the 800 number I spoke to today is to be believed.

My wife's employer (P&G) has off-shored nearly all of their HR functions, and she has been searching her company intranet for details on adding her soon to be unemployed spouse to her health plan. My quitting is a "qualifying event", meaning that she doesn't need to wait for the open enrollment period later this year. The materials she's found indicate that she is to furnish documentation from my employer detailing precisely when my coverage ends. My employer generates no such documentation prior to my quitting. DW believes I must simply go without any coverage until I've received my end-of-coverage documentation from my employer, then we staple it to the other P&G Add This Dude forms, and mail them off to Costa Rica for their expeditious 3-4 week processing.

I've got to believe that there is a way to assure that their is no lapse in coverage...

Have any of you had experience with this?

Thanks,

Cb

 

[scrinch]

I had a similar, but not identical, situation earlier this year.  For me the gap was between my employee insurance and my COBRA insurance.  There was a period of almost a month between being employed and getting the COBRA forms, filling them out, and submitting them.  The insurance and HR people swore that the coverage would be effective with no gap, retroactive to my last day of work, if I made the first payment on time.  I had to pay for that month's insurance after the fact, but that's only fair.  I was told that claims might be initially rejected for that month, but resubmission a while later should take care of it.  It turns out I didn't have to make any claims during that month, so I can't really say whether it would have worked as the HR people told me. I'm switching over to my wife's insurance at the end of the year during open enrollment.

I would suggest that your wife get on the phone (or e-mail) with HR and get a statement from them saying that your coverage will begin on Sept 6.  And I would have her submit the paperwork without the HIPAA certificate, and then follow that up with the certificate when it is issued by your old employer.  Let us know how it works out.

 

[tryan]

When I FIRE'd in Oct my megacorp insurance promtly sent a letter stating I was no longer covered (within days); well within the 60 days COBRA "buffer".

During my exit interview the HR rep said COBRA could be acitivated at any time during the 60 days but that $$ would be required for all lapsed time. So you'll have coverage if needed and no payment due if coverage is not needed (i.e your wifes policy kicks in during the 60 days).

Hope this helps.

 

[Cb]

"I would suggest that your wife get on the phone (or e-mail) with HR and get a statement from them saying that your coverage will begin on Sept 6.  And I would have her submit the paperwork without the HIPAA certificate, and then follow that up with the certificate when it is issued by your old employer."

I'll have her try to do that. She's been heavily involved with much of the outsourcing of other functions (finance & accounting) to the Costa Rican facility, and says that they really have no decision-making power, that they simply read the same web content she does.

"...So you'll have coverage if needed and no payment due if coverage is not needed (i.e your wifes policy kicks in during the 60 days)."

I guess it's hard to complain about that.  That was the understanding I came away with after talking with my employer's benefits rep.  I think I'll stay off the motorcycles until it's all buttoned up just the same. 

Cb