(Sorta' board-related) I owe my employer $616.41!!!

shaindelr

UGH! Apparently, the rules have changed for the insurance carrier for educators in Oregon, and my employer didn't know it since no one where I work has had a baby recently. HR thought since Liam was born April 4th that the insurance would be effective May 1st, but the effective date since he was born before the 15th was APRIL 1st. So now, I owe his insurance premiums for three months, and I have to call HR and discuss how I'm going to pay my employer back for them. I just opened the letter that explained all of this and told me to call ASAP.

I don't know if they'll let me take it out of my summer paycheck or if I should just use part of my tax refund for it. Fortunately, you ladies helped me through my baby blues that were getting me down--the weight gain, the feeling like I'm an awful mother, being overwhelmed, etc.--or I'd be FLIPPING OUT now.

Please wish me luck that there's some sort of easy solution to this!

 

genaruthp

That is insane! Good luck! Is the three months totalled at $616.41? Compared to my work, that is pretty good.

shaindelr

genaruthp:

That is insane! Good luck! Is the three months totalled at $616.41? Compared to my work, that is pretty good.

Yeah, that's the three months totalled. It's $205.47 per month. The college pays $975 per month toward each employee's insurance, so I know that's pretty good, but the premiums keep going up.

Once, the college messed up my friend's insurance somehow since she and her husband are both professors and double paid something, and their solution was for her to teach the summer FOR FREE to pay them back. I *would* flip out if I had to do $6,000 of work for free.

I called them and am waiting for my call-back. *Sigh*

LadyXaverian

Ugh! Good luck getting it worked out.

shaindelr

SarahL77:

Ugh! Good luck getting it worked out.

Thanks... I'm now going to pay the hospital bill for L&D. I figure I might as well just kiss all my money goodbye at once.

The funny thing is, I just did a Skype meeting with a creative writing class who studied my book and had questions for me, and the professor just paid me $50 for my time, to be nice. I was all proud that I "made a little money" on my maternity leave and came home to a letter that I owe $600+.

genaruthp

shaindelr:

genaruthp:

That is insane! Good luck! Is the three months totalled at $616.41? Compared to my work, that is pretty good.

Yeah, that's the three months totalled. It's $205.47 per month. The college pays $975 per month toward each employee's insurance, so I know that's pretty good, but the premiums keep going up.

Once, the college messed up my friend's insurance somehow since she and her husband are both professors and double paid something, and their solution was for her to teach the summer FOR FREE to pay them back. I *would* flip out if I had to do $6,000 of work for free.

I called them and am waiting for my call-back. *Sigh*

I would faint if they wanted me to work for free! I am not fond of HR in general anymore, Mine has been messing with me hardcore about health insurance for me. This is why I am so grateful (and kinds saddened) I qualified for OHP for me and Josie. GL

shaindelr

genaruthp:

shaindelr:

genaruthp:

That is insane! Good luck! Is the three months totalled at $616.41? Compared to my work, that is pretty good.

Yeah, that's the three months totalled. It's $205.47 per month. The college pays $975 per month toward each employee's insurance, so I know that's pretty good, but the premiums keep going up.

Once, the college messed up my friend's insurance somehow since she and her husband are both professors and double paid something, and their solution was for her to teach the summer FOR FREE to pay them back. I *would* flip out if I had to do $6,000 of work for free.

I called them and am waiting for my call-back. *Sigh*

I would faint if they wanted me to work for free! I am not fond of HR in general anymore, Mine has been messing with me hardcore about health insurance for me. This is why I am so grateful (and kinds saddened) I qualified for OHP for me and Josie. GL

At least then we could all say that Marx was right... (we being Marxist scholars, I guess...I don't know who else goes around caring whether or not he was.)  

A little off-topic, but since you're so pro-union, have you found Josie that kid's union onesie or shirt, "An owie for one is an owie for all"? (A bunch of educators' unions used to sell them.) If you find one somewhere, I want one!

ManiacMcGee

I call BS that they didn't "know" about it.  Thats their damn job. 

Sorry you have to deal with that!! Its not a bad price for insurance but its still a lot of money.  

Sorta kinda makes me glad my husband was hurt in the war and we have "socialist" health care provided by Uncle Sam  

lilylow

Liam wasn't covered under your insurance for the first 30 days?

shaindelr

ManiacMcGee:

I call BS that they didn't "know" about it.  Thats their damn job. 

Sorry you have to deal with that!! Its not a bad price for insurance but its still a lot of money.  

Sorta kinda makes me glad my husband was hurt in the war and we have "socialist" health care provided by Uncle Sam  

Ugh. That's another vent. When Jared was in the Marines, he was training troops to climb down a tower headfirst holding a weapon, and his rope broke, and he landed on his head/neck from 40 feet. When we got his military paperwork, an officer had lied that he hurt himself PLAYING FOOTBALL. So, he's disabled military, too. The military is just taking years to determine how disabled. 

I grew up on my dad's military insurance and have to say I'm not a fan of it, either.

shaindelr

lilylow:

Liam wasn't covered under your insurance for the first 30 days?

Apparently not, but since no one in our HR knows anything about adding children, I'm not sure. According to them, since I had him April 4th, I'm supposed to pay for all of April for him.

lilylow

shaindelr:

lilylow:

Liam wasn't covered under your insurance for the first 30 days?

Apparently not, but since no one in our HR knows anything about adding children, I'm not sure. According to them, since I had him April 4th, I'm supposed to pay for all of April for him.

Can you call the insurance company directly?  You usually can't add anyone new to your existing policy until the enrollment period of after a major life event(marriage, child, death, etc.).

shaindelr

lilylow:

shaindelr:

lilylow:

Liam wasn't covered under your insurance for the first 30 days?

Apparently not, but since no one in our HR knows anything about adding children, I'm not sure. According to them, since I had him April 4th, I'm supposed to pay for all of April for him.

Can you call the insurance company directly?  You usually can't add anyone new to your existing policy until the enrollment period of after a major life event(marriage, child, death, etc.).

The letter HR sent me says the insurance company contacted them about the error and explains babies born before the 15th are the full month and babies born after the 15th are the following month. I know what you mean about normal open enrollment, but I wonder if ours is different since we're public employees? 

RunningGal900

My understanding is that coverage is retroactive to the date of birth, so you'd pay a pro-rated amount for the 26 days he was covered. Adding a newborn is covered by law, though which onr (not sure if it is HIPPA or not) escapes me.

lilylow

shaindelr:

lilylow:

shaindelr:

lilylow:

Liam wasn't covered under your insurance for the first 30 days?

Apparently not, but since no one in our HR knows anything about adding children, I'm not sure. According to them, since I had him April 4th, I'm supposed to pay for all of April for him.

Can you call the insurance company directly?  You usually can't add anyone new to your existing policy until the enrollment period of after a major life event(marriage, child, death, etc.).

The letter HR sent me says the insurance company contacted them about the error and explains babies born before the 15th are the full month and babies born after the 15th are the following month. I know what you mean about normal open enrollment, but I wonder if ours is different since we're public employees? 

This makes no sense because you have no idea when your baby is going to be born.  How can you plan for that in advance?  I would call your insurance company directly before you pay anything.

shaindelr

lilylow:

  

This makes no sense because you have no idea when your baby is going to be born.  How can you plan for that in advance?  I would call your insurance company directly before you pay anything.

I just called the insurance company, and, as ridiculous as it sounds, that's the policy... Weird! So, I guess you can strategically have your baby for a partial free month of insurance?

genaruthp

shaindelr:

genaruthp:

shaindelr:

genaruthp:

That is insane! Good luck! Is the three months totalled at $616.41? Compared to my work, that is pretty good.

Yeah, that's the three months totalled. It's $205.47 per month. The college pays $975 per month toward each employee's insurance, so I know that's pretty good, but the premiums keep going up.

Once, the college messed up my friend's insurance somehow since she and her husband are both professors and double paid something, and their solution was for her to teach the summer FOR FREE to pay them back. I *would* flip out if I had to do $6,000 of work for free.

I called them and am waiting for my call-back. *Sigh*

I would faint if they wanted me to work for free! I am not fond of HR in general anymore, Mine has been messing with me hardcore about health insurance for me. This is why I am so grateful (and kinds saddened) I qualified for OHP for me and Josie. GL

At least then we could all say that Marx was right... (we being Marxist scholars, I guess...I don't know who else goes around caring whether or not he was.)  

A little off-topic, but since you're so pro-union, have you found Josie that kid's union onesie or shirt, "An owie for one is an owie for all"? (A bunch of educators' unions used to sell them.) If you find one somewhere, I want one!

I will see about that onesie... hmmm...