Is employer lying about health benefits?

	Is employer lying about health benefits? My husband works as a laborer for a small contracting company and has been there for 10+ years. Back in July his boss decided to cancel our family health insurance plan and not say a word to us. We found out via a letter sent in mid-September by the insurance company telling us the policy was termed. The boss said this was a conscious decision because the company is having money problems. What steams me is our son has medical issues that this boss is aware of and a little notice would have been nice to get a few months supply of meds in place and what not. But I digress...anyway the company is now supposidly getting insurance back in place but under this new plan my husband would now have to pay for the insurance and the kids would not be covered. We are being offered a policy with Highmark which is said to cost $767/month for me and my husband (it is a high deductible policy of $1,250). The boss claims he will pay the first $600 and we cover the rest so it works out to about $40/wk. I am in no rush to sign on this as #1 my first priority is to get my kids covered and #2 this seems awfully high to me. I did a few online quotes and for just me and my husband I'm getting prices hundreds of dollars per month lower. (We are both 32 and in good health). Could the policy really be this much? Or is the boss trying to say he's paying more into the plan that he actually is? Asked By: shopaholic_mommy - 11/13/2009

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker
OMG well in response to you and people who answered your question, I am now infinitely thankful for my health insurance!! First of all, your hubby works for a small company so it is more difficult to get this fixed. If possible, your hubby should find a new job with a bigger company that is held to more strict standards. Otherwise, I would consider just finding cheaper insurance outside of his company or suing his boss (I know that sounds terrible, but REALLY?! I don't even know you and those prices make me insanely angry!!!!!). I hope that you guys can figure this out and get it taken care of because you should not have to pay that much, especially if you have children with health issues. Best of luck to you and your family. Answered By: blab - 11/13/2009

Additional Answers ()

Don't worry about whether the boss is trying to cheat you or not - your real concern is getting the best health insurance you can at a reasonable rate. So.....look at the coverages/deductibles/premiums offered by your employer versus the online coverages/deductibles/premiums and make your decision...and move on. Answered By: RT - 11/13/2009

Trust, but verify, Ask to see the policy/benefits and read the small print. Call the company or check online. Is this your only option with him? Have you tried Humana/Kaiser or Aetna? You could call your state insurance commission and ask about the cancellation no notice. You would have been insured to end of September and the boss knows you could be required to wait 90 days if without coverage for "pre existing conditions". $767.00 month is a bit steep. I have Cobra, was point of service, for me only, was $642. month, but, I was eligible for 65?ubsidy reduced it to $224/mo, have to pay full amount in Dec. My deductible was $400, max out of pocket 1500. just finished paying that this month. $767 doesn't sound too bad. I mean if you were fully covered before and no paycheck deductions, you were lucky. Many people have every 2 wk deductions. You can get lower premiums,but they also have hidden charges may have limited providers/labs and authorizations. I still pay $40. copays and Rx costs and they pay 80?fter deductible met, it was 90?ast year. Last year, my med expenses, were over 7500. some was dental, but insurance paid out over 87K for my healthcare. $40. a week is actually pretty good. I know the current policy at my hosp job for employees is now about $74 per pay period, w above info. so, 148 per month, single person, not too bad. Basically , need to review the policy. boss will pay $600. towards deductible or monthly cost? how much more for your child? You need to apply for SSI for son, unless income too high or not eligible. I guarantee that as soon as the insurance companies find any pre existing conditions, and they will, there is a medical data base they use for any claims, etc. Most importantly, you don't want to be without insurance for more than 63 days, I believe. I don't think a policy can be cancelled in Sept, usually contracted for a year, that leaves a gap somehow unless new policy is effective. Are those rates for this year or will they increase next year? bit sneaky to go behind your back for loyal employees. If he changes jobs, consider an employer with more than 50 employees for better health insurance/disability protection. Fed laws apply here. So, when enrollment came around this Nov, I dropped it to "in network", full well knowing my hospital didn't have the services to cover me, so they have to refer me out at their expense/they already approved/authorized appts for a year. . I don't have deductible or max out of pocket now or capped 2 Million/lifetime, but, it's still a catastrophic policy. I have to pay Cobra for max 29 mo due to illness/disability. State high risk pool very expensive. They do have a conversion plan, expensive p 29 mo Cobra payments. I would talk to a social worker immediately about your son's care and maybe an attorney, quietly otherwise, could be without a job entirely. Source(s): Been through that, RN Answered By: jandy - 11/13/2009

Legally, he can't lie about health benefits and the cost. It's true, it really costs that much. Answered By: James - 11/13/2009

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