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newlywedT
LIF Adolescent
Member since 9/11 792 total posts
Name:
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Health Insurance enrollment - why can't companies sync up dates?
Why can't all companies have similar dates for benefits enrollment?
My wife's company is sometime in mid-end November, my enrollment ends next week!
Its hard to judge which insurance to go with when we don't have all the information.
There must be a reason for this, anyone know?
For example a few years ago DD was on my wife's insurance and was going to Ped #1. When her enrollment period came out (It was early Nov) Ped #1 was no longer available on my wife's insurance.
But since mine was end of November, we didn't know what insurance was being offered so we didn't know if Ped #1 would be on mine.
So we took the chance and did not enroll DD with my wife and waited for mine. Of course Ped #1 was not on mine either! (he was on the expensive plan though)
So DD ended up on my plan (which was about $15 a month more expensive than my wife's) even though the coverage was the same!
:(
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Posted 10/17/16 2:20 PM  |
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jamnmore
LIF Adult
Member since 6/16 989 total posts
Name:
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Health Insurance enrollment - why can't companies sync up dates?
Every company has a different anniversary date for their insurance policies. It would depend on when they started offering the benefits. The only way it would change is if an employer changed coverage mid year. Insurance policies run for a full year.
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| Posted 10/17/16 3:25 PM |
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Kitten1929
LIF Adult
Member since 1/13 6040 total posts
Name:
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Health Insurance enrollment - why can't companies sync up dates?
I wish colleges would start offering degrees in Health Insurance because I never ever understand how they work! This year my employer is offering a plan that includes a "Difference Card" (Mastercard credit card) that the employer pays for when the employee uses it to help pay for copays and other expenses. No one has a clue how this shit works.
What I do know is that coverage is getting less while the premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and OOP expenses keep going up!
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| Posted 10/17/16 3:28 PM |
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LSP2005
Bunny kisses are so cute!
Member since 5/05 19454 total posts
Name:
L
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Re: Health Insurance enrollment - why can't companies sync up dates?
Posted by Kitten1929
I wish colleges would start offering degrees in Health Insurance because I never ever understand how they work! This year my employer is offering a plan that includes a "Difference Card" (Mastercard credit card) that the employer pays for when the employee uses it to help pay for copays and other expenses. No one has a clue how this shit works.
What I do know is that coverage is getting less while the premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and OOP expenses keep going up!
is the card an HSA? If yes, then how it works is this. You go to a provider and when asked to pay your copay, you use this special master card to pay the copay. Sometimes, the cc company will ask you to fax or email over a copy of the doctor bill to determine if the payment is a legitimate claim.
You designate how much of your salary you want to include in the HSA and that amount is taken out of your salary. We do $1000. For us, the money is use it or loose it. So we need to spend the money within the year plus a 3 month grace period on specific things designated by the plan. I glasses, Co pays, ambulance rides.
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| Posted 10/17/16 3:36 PM |
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Kitten1929
LIF Adult
Member since 1/13 6040 total posts
Name:
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Re: Health Insurance enrollment - why can't companies sync up dates?
Posted by LSP2005
Posted by Kitten1929
I wish colleges would start offering degrees in Health Insurance because I never ever understand how they work! This year my employer is offering a plan that includes a "Difference Card" (Mastercard credit card) that the employer pays for when the employee uses it to help pay for copays and other expenses. No one has a clue how this shit works.
What I do know is that coverage is getting less while the premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and OOP expenses keep going up!
is the card an HSA? If yes, then how it works is this. You go to a provider and when asked to pay your copay, you use this special master card to pay the copay. Sometimes, the cc company will ask you to fax or email over a copy of the doctor bill to determine if the payment is a legitimate claim.
You designate how much of your salary you want to include in the HSA and that amount is taken out of your salary. We do $1000. For us, the money is use it or loose it. So we need to spend the money within the year plus a 3 month grace period on specific things designated by the plan. I glasses, Co pays, ambulance rides.
No, there is also the option for an HSA, but this is something completely different. I get the point of the HSA (pre-tax employee contributions), but this is a company-funded credit card separate from an HSA, if I have a $30 co pay, I am supposed to pay $20 OOP and put the remaining $10 on this Difference Card 
Message edited 10/17/2016 3:45:25 PM.
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| Posted 10/17/16 3:41 PM |
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jamnmore
LIF Adult
Member since 6/16 989 total posts
Name:
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Re: Health Insurance enrollment - why can't companies sync up dates?
Posted by Kitten1929
I wish colleges would start offering degrees in Health Insurance because I never ever understand how they work! This year my employer is offering a plan that includes a "Difference Card" (Mastercard credit card) that the employer pays for when the employee uses it to help pay for copays and other expenses. No one has a clue how this shit works.
What I do know is that coverage is getting less while the premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and OOP expenses keep going up!
We have an HRA which is funded by our company. Due to the fact that we have a HDHP the company gives us a portion on the HRA. This is what allows him to keep the employee portion of insurance costs reasonable. For a family, the company pays $8000 of the $10000 deductible and the family pays $210/week for premiums, which covers the HRA. But then we still have to cover the remaining deductible and the 20% coinsurance to a max OOP annually of $12500.
Insurance in this country stinks!!
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| Posted 10/17/16 4:14 PM |
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jaykaylol
LIF Infant
Member since 6/16 170 total posts
Name:
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Health Insurance enrollment - why can't companies sync up dates?
having this problem too. my husbands insurance went up quite a bit, and i wanted to see what my job was offering. pretty frustrating, still have no idea when my job will send it out.
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| Posted 10/17/16 4:16 PM |
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newlywedT
LIF Adolescent
Member since 9/11 792 total posts
Name:
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Re: Health Insurance enrollment - why can't companies sync up dates?
Posted by jaykaylol
having this problem too. my husbands insurance went up quite a bit, and i wanted to see what my job was offering. pretty frustrating, still have no idea when my job will send it out.
Yeah, WTF!
One person's enrollment period will end way before the other person's starts.
so wacky
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| Posted 10/17/16 4:31 PM |
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alli3131
Peanut is here!!!!!!
Member since 5/09 18388 total posts
Name:
Allison
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Re: Health Insurance enrollment - why can't companies sync up dates?
Posted by Kitten1929
Posted by LSP2005
Posted by Kitten1929
I wish colleges would start offering degrees in Health Insurance because I never ever understand how they work! This year my employer is offering a plan that includes a "Difference Card" (Mastercard credit card) that the employer pays for when the employee uses it to help pay for copays and other expenses. No one has a clue how this shit works.
What I do know is that coverage is getting less while the premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and OOP expenses keep going up!
is the card an HSA? If yes, then how it works is this. You go to a provider and when asked to pay your copay, you use this special master card to pay the copay. Sometimes, the cc company will ask you to fax or email over a copy of the doctor bill to determine if the payment is a legitimate claim.
You designate how much of your salary you want to include in the HSA and that amount is taken out of your salary. We do $1000. For us, the money is use it or loose it. So we need to spend the money within the year plus a 3 month grace period on specific things designated by the plan. I glasses, Co pays, ambulance rides.
No, there is also the option for an HSA, but this is something completely different. I get the point of the HSA (pre-tax employee contributions), but this is a company-funded credit card separate from an HSA, if I have a $30 co pay, I am supposed to pay $20 OOP and put the remaining $10 on this Difference Card
An HSA is not employee funded like you are describing here. Pre tax employee contribution is an FSA.
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| Posted 10/17/16 5:34 PM |
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Kitten1929
LIF Adult
Member since 1/13 6040 total posts
Name:
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Re: Health Insurance enrollment - why can't companies sync up dates?
Posted by alli3131
Posted by Kitten1929
Posted by LSP2005
Posted by Kitten1929
I wish colleges would start offering degrees in Health Insurance because I never ever understand how they work! This year my employer is offering a plan that includes a "Difference Card" (Mastercard credit card) that the employer pays for when the employee uses it to help pay for copays and other expenses. No one has a clue how this shit works.
What I do know is that coverage is getting less while the premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and OOP expenses keep going up!
is the card an HSA? If yes, then how it works is this. You go to a provider and when asked to pay your copay, you use this special master card to pay the copay. Sometimes, the cc company will ask you to fax or email over a copy of the doctor bill to determine if the payment is a legitimate claim.
You designate how much of your salary you want to include in the HSA and that amount is taken out of your salary. We do $1000. For us, the money is use it or loose it. So we need to spend the money within the year plus a 3 month grace period on specific things designated by the plan. I glasses, Co pays, ambulance rides.
No, there is also the option for an HSA, but this is something completely different. I get the point of the HSA (pre-tax employee contributions), but this is a company-funded credit card separate from an HSA, if I have a $30 co pay, I am supposed to pay $20 OOP and put the remaining $10 on this Difference Card
An HSA is not employee funded like you are describing here. Pre tax employee contribution is an FSA.
Ohhhh...OK, I thought they were one and the same.
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| Posted 10/17/16 5:43 PM |
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tourist
Member since 5/05 10425 total posts
Name:
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Re: Health Insurance enrollment - why can't companies sync up dates?
I think it would be too much for for the insurance companies if all of their clients ' plan years started at the same time. But it is annoying--mine is April & my husband's in October, so we don't really compare. I just go with his because he has real HR & my company is hard to deal with.
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| Posted 10/17/16 6:19 PM |
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jm2010
LIF Infant
Member since 8/10 241 total posts
Name:
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Re: Health Insurance enrollment - why can't companies sync up dates?
Posted by alli3131
Posted by Kitten1929
Posted by LSP2005
Posted by Kitten1929
I wish colleges would start offering degrees in Health Insurance because I never ever understand how they work! This year my employer is offering a plan that includes a "Difference Card" (Mastercard credit card) that the employer pays for when the employee uses it to help pay for copays and other expenses. No one has a clue how this shit works.
What I do know is that coverage is getting less while the premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and OOP expenses keep going up!
is the card an HSA? If yes, then how it works is this. You go to a provider and when asked to pay your copay, you use this special master card to pay the copay. Sometimes, the cc company will ask you to fax or email over a copy of the doctor bill to determine if the payment is a legitimate claim.
You designate how much of your salary you want to include in the HSA and that amount is taken out of your salary. We do $1000. For us, the money is use it or loose it. So we need to spend the money within the year plus a 3 month grace period on specific things designated by the plan. I glasses, Co pays, ambulance rides.
No, there is also the option for an HSA, but this is something completely different. I get the point of the HSA (pre-tax employee contributions), but this is a company-funded credit card separate from an HSA, if I have a $30 co pay, I am supposed to pay $20 OOP and put the remaining $10 on this Difference Card
An HSA is not employee funded like you are describing here. Pre tax employee contribution is an FSA.
EEs can also contribute pre-tax to an HSA but it's not use it or lose it. Use it or lose it would only apply to an FSA.
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| Posted 10/17/16 10:29 PM |
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ali120206
2 Boys
Member since 7/06 17789 total posts
Name:
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Re: Health Insurance enrollment - why can't companies sync up dates?
Posted by jm2010
Posted by alli3131
Posted by Kitten1929
Posted by LSP2005
Posted by Kitten1929
I wish colleges would start offering degrees in Health Insurance because I never ever understand how they work! This year my employer is offering a plan that includes a "Difference Card" (Mastercard credit card) that the employer pays for when the employee uses it to help pay for copays and other expenses. No one has a clue how this shit works.
What I do know is that coverage is getting less while the premiums, deductibles, coinsurance and OOP expenses keep going up!
is the card an HSA? If yes, then how it works is this. You go to a provider and when asked to pay your copay, you use this special master card to pay the copay. Sometimes, the cc company will ask you to fax or email over a copy of the doctor bill to determine if the payment is a legitimate claim.
You designate how much of your salary you want to include in the HSA and that amount is taken out of your salary. We do $1000. For us, the money is use it or loose it. So we need to spend the money within the year plus a 3 month grace period on specific things designated by the plan. I glasses, Co pays, ambulance rides.
No, there is also the option for an HSA, but this is something completely different. I get the point of the HSA (pre-tax employee contributions), but this is a company-funded credit card separate from an HSA, if I have a $30 co pay, I am supposed to pay $20 OOP and put the remaining $10 on this Difference Card
An HSA is not employee funded like you are describing here. Pre tax employee contribution is an FSA.
EEs can also contribute pre-tax to an HSA but it's not use it or lose it. Use it or lose it would only apply to an FSA.
This - an FSA is only good for a calendar year where and HSA can roll over and be used in another year. HSA's are only offered if you are using a high deductible plan where anyone can use a FSA.
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| Posted 10/18/16 8:22 AM |
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Elizabeth720
LIF Infant
Member since 10/05 192 total posts
Name:
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Re: Health Insurance enrollment - why can't companies sync up dates?
Your spouse's open enrollment period is considered a qualified life event. You can change/go off of your plan if hers ends up being better at that time. I am in HR and this is the way it works in our company with our plan. Of course, it would be a bit of a pain to enroll in your plan and then change if hers is better - but it's something to consider.
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| Posted 10/18/16 8:55 AM |
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newlywedT
LIF Adolescent
Member since 9/11 792 total posts
Name:
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Health Insurance enrollment - why can't companies sync up dates?
>>Your spouse's open enrollment period is considered a qualified life event
Really?
Very interesting...I thought it was just:
marriage/birth/death/loss of job
But it is such a pain, just sync up the dates!
:)
Even though hers is a month later...ours both start Jan 1st
Thanks for the information.
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| Posted 10/18/16 9:54 AM |
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Elizabeth720
LIF Infant
Member since 10/05 192 total posts
Name:
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Re: Health Insurance enrollment - why can't companies sync up dates?
I would confirm with your HR person. For us, it is in our United Healthcare plan document but may vary. and yes...would be easier if they all synced up!!
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| Posted 10/18/16 6:24 PM |
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