Choosing A Health Insurance Plan

Reading the fine print is important when choosing health care plans. These questions may help:

• Can I go to any doctor, hospital, clinic, or pharmacy I choose?
• Are specialists, such as eye doctors and dentists covered?
• Does the plan cover special conditions or treatments such as pregnancy, psychiatric care, and physical therapy?
• Does the plan cover home care or nursing home care?
• Will the plan cover all medications my physician may prescribe?
• What are the deductibles? This is the amount you must pay each year before your insurance company will begin paying claims.
• Are there any co-payments? This is the amount of money you pay each time you receive medical services or a prescription.
• If there is a dispute about a bill or service, how is it handled?

Employers Often Bear Costs

But many employers do pay the lion’s share of the cost to add family members, even though they’re not required to do so. In 2020, the average total premiums for family coverage under employer-sponsored plans was $21,342, and employers paid an average of nearly 74% of that total cost.

But the amount the employers paid varies considerably depending on the size of the organization smaller firms are much less likely to pay a significant portion of the premium to add dependents and spouses to their employees’ coverage.

File A Complaint With The Ftc

If you receive telemarketing calls after your phone number has been in the national registry for 31 days, you can file a complaint using the same website and phone numbers. To file a complaint, provide the date of the telemarketing call, phone number, and name of the company that called you. The Federal Trade Commission advises that it is not necessary to register cell phone numbers on the DNC registry despite email claims circulating on the internet telling you to do so. You may also file a complaint if you receive a call that used a recorded message instead of a live person, even if your phone number is not on the registry.

Recommended Reading: When Does A Company Have To Offer Health Insurance

Health Insurance Laws For Unmarried And Same Sex Couples

Large number of private and government employers extend insurance coverage to incorporate common law marriages and domestic partnerships of same and opposite-sex couples.

Laws vary from state to state, so not every couple has the same support from legislators across the nation.

Same-sex marriages are legal in some states, and in other states such couples can register for civil unions and domestic partnerships.

In these states, couples enjoy some of the same benefits guaranteed to married couples. However, these rules often exclude opposite sex couples on the grounds that they already have the legal right to marry.

For example, state agencies in Alaska offer the same benefits to domestic partnerships that married public employees receive.

In 2005, that states Supreme Court ruled that government workers are able to add their unmarried spouses to their insurance policies.

Private companies in Alaska are not held to the same standard as government employers as a result of the ruling.

In Connecticut, same-sex unions are performed by the state, but common law marriages are not recognized. Therefore, an opposite sex spouse may not be able to receive benefits from a partners health insurer in some cases.

On the other hand, California has some of the broadest and most inclusive domestic partnership statutes.

Most state and local employees, as well as many workers in the private sector, are able to add their unmarried spouses to their policies in the Golden State.

What Is A Registered Domestic Partnership

A registered domestic partnership is the legal recognition of a union between two people that is not a marriage but that includes two people who live together and share a domestic life. Rules differ by state, but registered domestic partnerships can apply to both same-sex couples and opposite-sex couples.

This type of union isnt the same as a marriage, but it does confer some of the benefits of being married. These may include:

• The ability to add a domestic partner to your health insurance coverage
• The ability to adopt your partner’s child

Some states and localities require that one or both members be at least 62 years old for the couple to register as a domestic partnership. Washington and New Jersey are two examples of states with this rule. The decision to grant these rights at that age reflects the fact that some couples can get greater Social Security benefits by remaining unmarried in the eyes of the law.

Read Also: What’s Open Enrollment For Health Insurance

Can My Boyfriend Or Girlfriend’s Child Be Added To My Health Plan Does It Make A Difference If We Are Living Together

Colleen King, CEO of Colleen King Insurance Agency in Los Angeles, says some individual health insurance plans will allow unmarried couples to be on the same plan, along with any legal dependents, if they are all living together or there’s a court order for the one partner to provide insurance for their child.

“Group health insurance also may allow the same, but it may vary by carrier and by employer. In some states, employers have the option to not allow same or opposite domestic partners to be covered,” says King.

Some health insurers give employers the option of whether or not to require that the relationship is a registered domestic partnership, she adds.

How To Cancel Health Insurance

Unlike enrolling in health insurance, you can cancel your health insurance at any time. You may choose to cancel your existing plan if you become eligible for health coverage in another way, like through your job.

To cancel, contact your insurance provider or the health insurance marketplace where you purchased your plan. You can usually either cancel immediately or choose a specific date to end your coverage. You may need to fill out some forms to make the cancellation official.

However, its very important to make sure you have other plans in place for your medical care. Remember while you can usually cancel your health insurance anytime, you cant usually enroll anytime: only during annual open enrollment or a special enrollment period.

Before canceling your health insurance plan, make sure youve thought through what youll do if you need medical care and how youll pay for it.

You May Like: How To Cancel Oscar Health Insurance

Enroll Your New Family Member In Your Benefits

For most benefits, you must enroll your new family member within 31 days of the date they join your family or meet all the eligibility requirements. If you don’t enroll your family member during the PIE, you can enroll him or her during Open Enrollment. You may also enroll your family member in your medical plan only at any time with a 90-day waiting period.

Employees have the following options, depending on their benefits package. You can make changes through your UCPath online account.

Your Parents Or Spouses Health Insurance Plan

Many employers allow a person to add spouses and children to their health insurance plans.

This is a great option for stay at home parents, children that havent found jobs yet or even a spouse between jobs.

An employer does not have to subsidize coverage for family members even if they subsidize coverage for their employees.

That means:

The additional cost to add a spouse or child to a policy could be much different than the premium for the employee only.

A spouse or child can be added during the plans annual open enrollment period.

If you lose coverage due to a qualifying event, you may be able to get health insurance from your spouse or your parents during the year, too.

Your spouse or parent can inquire with their companys HR department to see what options they have. If youre trying to qualify for insurance through a qualifying event, act fast.

Qualifying events may only allow you to make changes for 30 days. This can be different from marketplace health insurance.

Also Check: How To Get Health Insurance Without Social Security Number

Is The Therapy Medically Necessary

âInsurance doesnât cover all therapy, all the time,â says Bufka. âIf Iâm stressed because of a move, it may not be covered. But if I have a mental health condition, the parity law says the therapy should be covered.â

That doesnât mean you must have a formal diagnosis before you can seek therapy.

âThe psychologist can put a provisional diagnosis for the initial visit,â Bufka says.

For insurance purposes, the mental health provider might enter a diagnostic code for depression or panic disorder, but the code can change in future visits.

How To Use Your Health Insurance

Health insurance is important to have, but it’s not always easy to understand. You may have to take a few steps to make sure your insurance will pay for your health care bills. There are also a lot of key words and phrases to keep straight in your head. Here’s some basic info you need to know:

What is insurance?

Health insurance helps pay for your health care. It can help cover services ranging from routine doctor visits to major medical costs from a serious illness or injury. It also covers many preventive services to keep you healthy. You pay a monthly bill called a premium to buy your health insurance and you may have to pay a portion of the cost of your care each time you receive medical services.

How do I use my policy?

Each insurance company has different rules for using health care benefits. You should look at your planâs benefits and limitations when you first sign up for insurance, especially if the plan requires you to receive your care from certain doctors and hospitals, as most plans do. In general, you will give your insurance information to your doctor or hospital when you go for care. The doctor or hospital will bill your insurance company for the services you get.

What do I use an insurance card for?

Your card is also handy when you have questions about your health coverage. There’s a phone number on it you can call for information. It might also list basics about your health plan and your co-pay for office visits.

What’s a network?

Don’t Miss: Can You Get Health Insurance Immediately

Can I Put My Girlfriend On My Health Insurance

April 1, 2015 By Rob Schwab

The short answer to this question is maybe. Whether or not you can add someone who is not your spouse to your existing health insurance depends largely on your insurance provider and the policy you hold. But there are circumstances that could help you qualify for such an addition. And with a little research, you should be able to find a way to make it happen. That said, unless you happen to work for a fairly forward thinking company that allows for the addition of partners to insurance, you might have to do a little digging to work out the details. Here are some options to consider if youre interested in adding your significant other to your health insurance policy without the aid of a legal facilitator

You should begin by speaking to your employer . Your HR representative should be able to help you determine if company policy allows for the addition of a domestic partner to your health insurance. If you are lucky enough to enjoy such an option, which is entirely at the discretion of the company you work for, you will likely have to provide some type of proof of partnership, such as a joint bill or joint ownership . If the company does not allow for this type of addition, or your health insurance isnt handled by your employer, your next step is to speak to a representative from your insurance provider.

Related

Add/remove A Spouse Or Child Online

Requests to add or remove a spouse and/or children from an MSP account may be submitted using an online form, including the submission of supporting documentation.

The MSP Account Change Request online form takes about 15 minutes to complete. No login or password is required: the Account Holders Personal Health Number will be used to verify your account.

If you are covered under a group plan administered by your employer, union or pension office, please do not use this application. Contact your Group Plan Administrator to complete a Group Change Request .

Recommended Reading: How Long Can I Get Cobra Health Insurance

If I Am An Unmarried Man And Get A Woman Pregnant Can I Put The Child On My Employer Health Plan

If a plan covers children, under federal law, there can’t be restrictions on eligibility.

“The employer can’t require that the child reside with the employee or that the child is financially dependent on the employee,” says Gisonny.

The plan may require a birth certificate as proof or verification of the dependent relationship.

Some health plans are more rigorous in requiring dependent or biological verification than others. “If a plan so chooses, it has the discretion or the right to require proof that a dependent relationship actually exists,” says Gisonny.

An Income Or Circumstance Change That Makes You Newly Eligible For Subsidies Or Csr

If your income or circumstances change such that you become newly eligible or newly ineligible for premium tax credits or newly-eligible for cost-sharing subsidies, youll have an opportunity to switch plans. This rule already existed for people who were already enrolled in a plan through the exchange .

But in the 2020 Benefit and Payment Parameters, HHS finalized a proposal to expand this special enrollment period to include people who are enrolled in off-exchange coverage , and who experience an income change that makes them newly-eligible for premium subsidies or cost-sharing subsidies.

As of 2022, there will also be a special enrollment period for exchange enrollees with silver plans who have cost-sharing reductions and then experience a change in income or circumstances that make them newly ineligible for cost-sharing subsidies. This will allow people in this situation to switch to a plan at a different metal level, as the current rules limit them to picking only from among the other available silver plans.

Don’t Miss: How Much Does It Cost To Get Health Insurance License

More Answers: Who To Include In Your Household

What if Im single without dependents?

• If you arent claimed as a tax dependent by someone else and have no tax dependents yourself: Count only yourself in your household.

• If you are claimed as a tax dependent by someone else: Youre counted as part of their household, not your own.

Do my spouse and I have to file taxes jointly to get Marketplace savings?

Yes, with certain exceptions.

• If youre married and will file a joint federal tax return for the year you want coverage: Youre eligible for a premium tax credit and other savings if you qualify based on your income and other factors.
• If youre married and will file separately for the year you want coverage: You can enroll in a Marketplace plan together but youre not eligible for a premium tax credit or other savings, and you may have to complete a separate application.
• If youre married and plan to file as head of household for the year you want coverage: You can say youre married, and wont file a joint return, on your Marketplace application. If you meet other criteria, like living separately from your spouse, well then ask if youre planning to file as head of household. Youre eligible for a premium tax credit and other savings if youre planning to file as head of household and you qualify based on your income and other factors. See IRS rules for filing as head of household.
• See the next question for an exception for victims of domestic abuse and spousal abandonment.

What Is A Domestic Partner

A domestic partner is a term that refers to an unmarried partner regardless of gender.

The definition of a domestic partnership is when two people live together and are involved in an interpersonal relationship sharing their domestic life as if married — however, theyre not married or joined by a civil union, says Tracy Burns, CEO of Northeast HR Association .

“A domestic partnership is very similar to marriage. It can apply to couples who are not married but live together, Burns says. Domestic partnerships provide some legal benefits that married couples enjoy. In some states, domestic partnership is also known as a civil union.”

If your employer offers health insurance coverage for domestic partners, you’ll likely need to sign an affidavit. Youll need to confirm that:

• Youve lived together for at least six months.
• Youre both 18 or older.
• You share a close personal relationship and are responsible for each other’s common welfare.
• Youre exclusive.
• You arent married to anyone else.
• You arent related by blood closer than would bar marriage in the state.
• You share the same regular and permanent residence with the intent to continue doing so indefinitely.
• Youre jointly financially responsible for “basic living expenses,” defined as the cost of basic food, shelter and any other expenses of a domestic partner because of the domestic partnership.
• You were mentally competent to consent to the contract when the domestic partnership began.

Don’t Miss: What Is Private Health Insurance

Can Straight Couples Get Domestic Partnerships

Straight couples may be allowed to register in domestic partnerships in some states. For example, California law changed in recent years to allow straight couples to pursue this option.

Other states might allow the option, but only if one or both members of the couple are at least 62. That is because 62 is the age at which couples can file for Social Security benefits, and in some cases, couples can get higher Social Security benefits if they remain unmarried.