I have family coverage, but let me pay for the new baby myself

[sunnime5]

I have family health ins. through my employer. I had a new baby & requested (written) to have her added to the policy. 4 months later, I found out from the hospital & then the ins. co, that she was not addedto my policy until the new enrollment period (which I had filled out the papers for the whole family 1 1/2 months after her birth).I contacted my HR man & eventually his final answer was that she could not be added to the policy because that had to be done within 30 days of the birth. I said that I had requested that she be added & he stated "I don't recall that." I then contacted the main HR Dept for the company & all she could do was defend him by saying he didn't realize that he had to get the change form out! She did talk to the ins. co & explained the mix up, but that they were unable to make the exception of adding her late.
I have over 2 months of bills for her that I have to pay because of my employers error.

 

[cbg]

Did you notify them verbally or did you complete an enrollment form giving your daughter's name and date of birth? It makes a difference what action I advise you to take.

 

[sunnime5]

I wrote the information on a piece of paper the first time I made the request (which he does not recall). When the new enrollment papers were passed out at a meeting, I filled them out. When I found out that she was never add at birth, I emailed my request, but as he said later, it was 4 months since her birth & too late to get her on the policy. Thank You for your reply

 

[cbg]

You'd be on much stronger ground if you had completed an enrollment form originally. As it stands, you really have no proof that you ever asked him to enroll your daughter at birth. Did you by any chance keep a copy of the note in which you originally asked to enroll her?

BTW, who is the carrier?

 

[sunnime5]

No, unfortunately I did not keep a copy of my original request.And I slid it under his office door (as that is the standard method of getting things to him; his door or the general administration door, after hours or when he is gone) ( sad, I know!)
I was never given an enrollment/change form. Only the enrollment form for the new policy period; that I recieved at the meeting I attended specifically for the new period.
I was on FMLA leave 1 month before she was born, for complications due to the pregnancy that were related to my job duties. And before that, I was under Drs. orders to limit work to 6 hrs a day, which my employer did not abide by; aside for about 6 days.
My carrier is BCBS of MN. I did talk w/them & they stated that they can only do what comes from the employer & to talk to my employers insurance rep. The BCBS rep I talked with thought it was a 60 day period to add a new one to the policy, so the date on the new enrollment form would have been ok, but I needed to talk with my employee rep.

 

[cbg]

BCBS, at least in MA, will not backdate more than 60 days, so even if you convinced the employer today to make the change, I doubt if BCBS will allow them to make it retroactive to the baby's birth. MN might be different, so be sure to ask.

The only thing I can suggest at this point is that you call someone at the US DOL and ask them whether or not an ERISA violation occurred. I can't give you a lot of hope since I'm not sure sliding a piece of paper under the door is going to be sufficient notice. But I can't think of any other solutions.

 

[sunnime5]

Thank you very much for your help.