Hi. My wife is in the ICU right now and I just found out that my employer cancelled insurance for my dependents last month without telling me. I haven’t heard back from the employer yet so I don’t know if it was just some freak error that can be corrected or what. If their insurance is actually gone, can they purchase Cobra? I’m only familiar with Cobra being offered to someone when they leave a job. Can my wife get Cobra if I’m still working for the same employer but she’s been kicked off my insurance? If not I’m going to lose everything and have to start over, possibly alone.
Wife kicked of my insurance. Can she get Cobra?
- Thread starter Cappy
- Start date
1. If an error, it should be reversed, and you want it to be reversed.
2. If loss of coverage in past 60 days, yes she should be offered Cobra backdated to loss of group plan. Choose this if it was not an error, and pay the premium ASAP.
3. If something goes astray from above 2 choices, you can get an Obamacare plan thru the Washington health marketplace if within 60 days of loss of coverage.
4. You can also check into Medicaid benefits in WA if all 3 above don't work out.
I hope she gets better, and you get your insurance coverage worked out
- Thread starter
- #3
Thanks for the reply. Okay, so she should at least be able to get Cobra insurance? That’s good to know. I don’t know what legitimate reasons there are for kicking someone off their insurance, but I guess if you didn’t give it up voluntarily then you are eligible for Cobra regardless of the reasons?
Every state is different, but if over 20 employees, and company still in biz, then cobra should be available
marc82much
Super Genius
- 240
It makes no sense to me that the employer would randomly choose one dependent person from their group plan and arbitrarily dis-enroll them. Something sounds wrong.
I agree with you, but my guess is the employer may have decided against making the plan available to all dependents.
- Thread starter
- #7
I talked to “Dependent Verification,” and apparently they lost all the documents we sent them and are saying they never received them. They said there’s some kind of appeals process, but it will take “at least a month.” They took our insurance away without telling us effective middle of March, so if the appeal is unsuccessful then it will have already been 60 days since the end of our coverage. Does that mean I will be unable to sign up for Cobra? Or would the 60 days start at the end of the appeals process? Can I sign up for Cobra anytime or do I need a letter or something from my employer or my insurance company?
- 6,469
Caveat, not an agent:
Note one of the posts above, does your company have over 20 employees?
They can't term an eligible member without recourse. Find out what documentation is necessary and overnight it to them. This is what should be considered a clerical error and corrected.
I would also apply for ACA coverage in case this turns into a really big hassle. Find out who the agent is. They can fix it with a phone call if the employer wants it fixed.
All we ever had to do was call the carrier and say "so and so' spouse was incorrectly termed. What do your records say and how do we correct it?" Sometimes we had to talk to the provider to calm their fears of not getting paid.
I would also apply for ACA coverage in case this turns into a really big hassle. Find out who the agent is. They can fix it with a phone call if the employer wants it fixed.
All we ever had to do was call the carrier and say "so and so' spouse was incorrectly termed. What do your records say and how do we correct it?" Sometimes we had to talk to the provider to calm their fears of not getting paid.
- Thread starter
- #10
Yeah, I work for a healthcare system with a bunch of hospitals.
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