Health Insurance

Factual Questions
1

My company recently changed their policy on spousal health insurance effective 1/1/02. If the spouse works and has coverage available to him/her, He/She MUST take the insurance as the primary coverage, no matter what the cost.

A friend’s wife has insurance available, but at $400/mo. Considering all things, including taxes, she is better off not working or taking a job with someone that does not have health insurance available.

Otherwise, our insurance is a pretty good plan. Single coverage is free, spousal coverage is $25/mo, Family coverage is $45/mo. One kid w/no spouse is $35/mo.

Is it commonplace for companies to refuse spousal coverage if coverage is available via other sources?

2

Is it commonplace? I’d have to say no. Is it unusual? Again, I’d say no. It depends on the company involved. I used to work in the health insurance field, and I would see this sort of thing from time to time. In my experience, it was more based on the company the employee works for than anything else. That wouldn’t be dictated by the insurance, it’d be by the employer.

3

My employer just started doing the same thing. So your not alone.