Insurance and quitting work?

KSMILEY 77 · August 2010

So, with all of this talk about jobs and plans, I see that quite a few people either are currently a SAHM or are working now and will become a SAHM. What did you/will you do about switching insurance if you had/have your insurance through your company. I have fantastic insurance through my company. I'm trying to figure out if I should switch to my husbands decent insurance during open enrollment in October, or keep mine until I quit and then go on his. I'm kind of worried about losing coverage with either scenario. I know this is probably a question I need to ask HR and my insurance, but I would love feedback from anyone who did this or will do this. Also, for those of you who are already SAHM's, when did you quit?

PiscesFish · August 2010

As far as I know..

(1) switch to your H's in October, and you'll have double coverage. Which is fine if you're upfront with any medical provider you see about being on both (happens all the time), and it might behoove you to find out which is primary and which is secondary. Usually it's either the husband's is automatically primary, but some companies are starting to use whoever's birthday comes first in the year's policy is primary. So in that scenario, if your H was born in July and you in March, your insurance would be primary.

(2) Most companies have a provision where you could switch to your H's insurance after you leave your job due to a "loss of coverage" event.

Either way, check with HR at both companies, but it doesn't sound like you're likely to lose coverage.

clynn58 · August 2010

I think it depends on when you leave your company and if you will have coverage for the birth of LO. If you will have coverage then I would do that until LO is born and then switch. I would hate to switch and then have to pay additional fees just for changing insurance companies.

Pamela05 · August 2010

If he has a group plan you don't need to worry about losing coverage. You losing your insurance (by quitting work) is a qualifying event allowing him to add you within 30 days of the event.

I don't have the option to combine ours sooner because we work for the same company and their policy is spouses have to each carry their own plan if you both work there. I haven't decided for sure on my post-baby work plans (we reserved a daycare spot, but waiting to see what the job is looking like in January because we're in a state of project flux now), but I'm thinking of coming back for about a month after my leave is up at a minimum and then leaving if that's what I want (so I can try out both SAHM and working mom and make an informed decision).

sepeople · August 2010

If you are going to quit when your baby is born, generally insurance companies have a provision for "special occurences." I'm not sure of the technical name. This is for if there's a birth or death in the family. So, if you will be working up to the birth of your baby, I would say your best option is to stay with your insurance until after the birth.

PiscesFish · August 2010

sepeople:
If you are going to quit when your baby is born, generally insurance companies have a provision for "special occurences." I'm not sure of the technical name.

"Change in family status".

daniellepanda · August 2010

The other ladies are correct- marriage or birth of a child is considered a 'qualifying event' to change coverage/add dependents onto an insurance policy. So once you have the baby you and the baby could be added onto your husbands insurance policy. Depending on when open enrollment is for your company and depending on your coverage dates, you may want to stick to your current insurance if you have already paid in a chunk of money into your out of pocket maximum/deducible. The more you have paid in until the birth of the baby, means the less you will likely be charged for the hospital bills. However if you have a really low out of pocket maximum for your insurance this may not matter (for example mine is $2,500 maximum a year which the year runs march 2010-feb 2011).

Firedancer1013 · August 2010

kdodge423:
PiscesFish:

As far as I know..
(1) switch to your H's in October, and you'll have double coverage. Which is fine if you're upfront with any medical provider you see about being on both (happens all the time), and it might behoove you to find out which is primary and which is secondary. Usually it's either the husband's is automatically primary, but some companies are starting to use whoever's birthday comes first in the year's policy is primary. So in that scenario, if your H was born in July and you in March, your insurance would be primary.
I was told differently on this. If you have your own through your work and you are the primary insured, that is your primary coverage. You are a secondary on your husband's, which would make it your secondary.
So definitely something to check into if you go this route since different companies tend to have different policies on this.

Mine is also this way- my insurance at my work is my primary, his is my secondary IF he lists me on his, which I am currently not. However, we did list him as a secondary on my policy. LO will likely be on my policy as well, unless I start feeling the SAHM vibe pulling at me!

Jenniferk08 · August 2010

I would go with double coverage but keep in mind pregnancy is sometimes considered a pre-existing condition and may not be covered by a new company. so I would not be quick to drop the coverage you have now.

Also sometimes secondary coverage will help with things like large deductibles, co-insurance etc. never hurts to have both if you do not have to pay for it. I have my own insurance and also h's..

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