[Question - Insurance]
(Hopefully I've included enough [Question - Insurance] tags to get past the auto mod)
Sort of a complicated and oddly specific question here. Not sure if this is the best place to find an answer but I'll give it a shot
My employer provides health coverage for employees and their families. They also offer buyouta for employees who are receiving coverage through a family member, and buydowns for people who want the insurance for themselves, but have family receiving coverage from another source. I got married on the 1st, and now fall into that second category - I want to keep my current insurance, and my husband wants to keep his. My employer considers getting married to be a "qualifying life event" that allows me to change insurance options outside of the usual open enrollment period (I have until Friday to file for such changes).
The issue I'm having is that when I've asked for help from my payroll department, they've given me information that is just objectively inaccurate. It's just a matter of them telling me that the relevant forms say one thing, when they actually say another, but the result is that they're telling me to fill things out in a way that seems an awful lot like me telling them to just straight up cancel my insurance, rather than just give me an extra ~$200/month in place of coverage for my husband.
I'd like to believe that they actually know what they're doing, but nothing about the organization I work for inspires confidence, and I absolutely need to have health insurance. Even trying to go a few months without it would be a financial disaster for me. So what I'm trying to figure out is, in the event that I did submit paperwork as instructed and then found that they'd cancelled my coverage as a result, if there would likely be any recourse other than waiting until next year to resume coverage or finding a completely different job.
Basically, I'm wondering how set in stone these enrollment periods are. Is it just that they don't want to have to deal with changing people's coverage all year long, or is there some kind of firm legal reason why it can only change during open enrollment or after "qualifying events", or does this all just depend on the insurance company and/or employer?
This has been a [Question - Insurance] type post.
tl:dr the release form had a section where you had to initial next to more "sensitive" information if you wanted those specific records to be sent. when i chose not to, they sent the form back to me saying I had to intial before it could be sent out. ? why give me the option then??
I set up an appointment with a reconstructive surgeon to discuss getting a breast reduction. They asked if I had reported back/neck pain to my primary care, which I did, and suggested I send over my medical records to help with getting the procedure approved by insurance.
So I went to my doctors office to fill out the form. There is a section that says something like "These records WILL NOT be sent unless you initial next to them: Abortion history, HIV/Aids, Behavioral/Mental Illness, Alcholol/Drug use, etc." I only needed stuff sent about my xrays on my shoulders, my reports of back pain, referrals to chiropractor, and what not so I did not intial anything. I have depression/anxiety and am on medication for it and I am an addict who has been in recovery for four years. But, I have not seen my records and am not sure what they say in regards to that. Also, I previously had a primary care who, IMO, was insensitive to my condition (and also tho I was not sober at that time and so those notes are probably not the best.) I figured a plastic surgeon didn't need to know I get anxious in large groups in order to chop my breasts off! Of course, I planned on (and was) being upfront and honest with him at my appointment about both my "illnesses." I told him what medication I was on and that I get it from a psychiatrist located at where I get therapy and that I attend AA.
Today in the mail I received my medical records release form and a note saying that I need to intial next to the Behavioral/Mental Illness and Alcohol/Drug use before the medical records can be released to the surgeons office. ??? I am assuming this is because of the age of addiction we live in and doctor shopping and they are just looking out for my best interests, to protect me, them, and the future doctors. I have no problem intialing them, i already told them everything, although I am nervous about what that other rude doctor wrote (i dont know how medical records work). on the same day I also filled out the form to have the records released to myself with everything initialed so I could see what it said. I haven't heard about that yet. It's the inner rebel/anti-authority in me that makes me ask wth?? why have that option if you are just going to demand I initial next to it??
i am curious if they are going to withhold the records from being sent to me until I respond with this initialed form. If you read this, thanks. It was sort of more of a personal rant than I question I guess.
