Your spouse's employer's health insurance plan is equivalent or better than yours

[nageov3t]

my brother-in-law recently just dropped out of the health insurance at work because his wife is a teacher and she has much better coverage than us... he saw a bump in his paycheck after opting out, though I don't think it was super significant.

 

[Vic]

Originally posted by: loki8481
my brother-in-law recently just dropped out of the health insurance at work because his wife is a teacher and she has much better coverage than us... he saw a bump in his paycheck after opting out, though I don't think it was super significant.

Likely the only bump he saw was from his own previous contribution.

 

[BoomerD]

Originally posted by: JD50

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: her209
If you decline health insurance coverage from your company, does that mean that you get the money that your employer would have paid on top of your salary?

That's not NORMAL, but it can be done.

For many years, my insurance through my union was far superior to what my wife's employers offered, so she'd negotiate a "payment in lieu of insurance" with them.

Most LARGE companies won't do it, and it CAN raise red flags with the insurance company you do have...and may get some payments denied since she COULD have had insurance.

Do you have any links to back that up? It doesn't even make sense. That's like an insurance company denying my claim because I COULD have gone with any other private insurer out there.

As for the OP, my company gives out an extra month of leave if you don't go with their health care plan. I see the point that you're trying to make and I disagree with it. You could ask the same question for any of the other benefits that companies offer. Does your company pay you $5200 a year if they offer tuition reimbursement and you don't use it?

I don't have any links...why would I have links to reference what my insurance company put us through a few times?

However, as Engineer has already mentioned, it's not uncommon for my insurance company (or yours, or theirs)(plan A) to hold up a claim until they can verify a spouse's coverage,(plan B) and MOST policies require the spouse's plan (plan B) to be primary for them, and plan A will cover the rest.
The questionaires usually ask if the spouse is employed, where employed, and does the company offer benefits. If so, does the spouse have those benefits, but if not, WHY not?

Since insurance companies really only care about their bottom line, it's always in their best interest to make spouses use the policy offered by their job first...

This has nothing to do with "denying my claim because I COULD have gone with any other private insurer out there." That's just a stupid analogy that doesn't even cover the same issues.

 

[JD50]

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: JD50

Originally posted by: BoomerD

Originally posted by: her209
If you decline health insurance coverage from your company, does that mean that you get the money that your employer would have paid on top of your salary?

That's not NORMAL, but it can be done.

For many years, my insurance through my union was far superior to what my wife's employers offered, so she'd negotiate a "payment in lieu of insurance" with them.

Most LARGE companies won't do it, and it CAN raise red flags with the insurance company you do have...and may get some payments denied since she COULD have had insurance.

Do you have any links to back that up? It doesn't even make sense. That's like an insurance company denying my claim because I COULD have gone with any other private insurer out there.

As for the OP, my company gives out an extra month of leave if you don't go with their health care plan. I see the point that you're trying to make and I disagree with it. You could ask the same question for any of the other benefits that companies offer. Does your company pay you $5200 a year if they offer tuition reimbursement and you don't use it?

I don't have any links...why would I have links to reference what my insurance company put us through a few times?

However, as Engineer has already mentioned, it's not uncommon for my insurance company (or yours, or theirs)(plan A) to hold up a claim until they can verify a spouse's coverage,(plan B) and MOST policies require the spouse's plan (plan B) to be primary for them, and plan A will cover the rest.
The questionaires usually ask if the spouse is employed, where employed, and does the company offer benefits. If so, does the spouse have those benefits, but if not, WHY not?

Since insurance companies really only care about their bottom line, it's always in their best interest to make spouses use the policy offered by their job first...

This has nothing to do with "denying my claim because I COULD have gone with any other private insurer out there." That's just a stupid analogy that doesn't even cover the same issues.

You made it sound like you actually had claims denied and you had to pay out of your own pocket just because your wife COULD have had other insurance. IMO it makes perfect sense for them to double check and make sure you aren't double dipping, as long as they eventually pay out.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

Originally posted by: her209
If you decline health insurance coverage from your company, does that mean that you get the money that your employer would have paid on top of your salary?

In the past, I have worked for companies where if you declined insurance, you would get some money back, but it was nowhere near the amount they paid for your insurance. For example, I think at one company I worked, you would get $720 back if you declined your health insurance.

EDIT: Most companies I have worked for did seem to give you money back if you declined dental coverage. In my case, it was usually cheaper to decline dental insurance and pay out-of-pocket for my cleanings and once-per-year xrays.

 

[PingSpike]

Originally posted by: Oceandevi
I have the option. 750 bucks or so. Its a horrible deal. And the only employees who considered it are the type who rent furniture from aarons.

Yeah, mine is about the same. Its not as low as 750 but I remember it seeming idiotic to even consider since the coverage is also very good.

 

[Thump553]

Be extremely careful when opting out of your health insurance coverage, and find out in advance what you need to do to opt back in later. When I started my first fulltime job we already had health insurance coverage through my wife's job. My new employer asked me to opt out and I did so. Later my wife had a baby and ultimately quit her job. All three of us had to pass a physical to opt back in under my employer's plan. Pretty high risk decision (opting out) for minimal to no benefit to you.

 

[robphelan]

If I opt out of mine & take my wife's, we would get back several thousand dollars spread over the 24 pay periods.

However, my wife quit her job to stay at home with the kids... so that's no longer an option.

To make some really good money, I thought about going into consulting work. However, to duplicate my coverage, (I checked with our benefits dept) I'd have to pay 1200 per month.

 

[Pantoot]

My previous employer had a policy that if a spouse was offered health insurance through their employer they couldn't gain coverage under the companies policy, even if the coverage offered by the other company was inferior. I could cover myself and my kids, but not my wife, unless I signed a disclosure stating that she wasn't eligible for coverage elsewhere.

Prior to that, we both had insurance when my first son was born, we thought being double covered would be great, but it was a nightmare, as each insurer claimed that the other was responsible. After months of phone calls and paperwork we got it all worked out eventually.

 

[Pulsar]

Originally posted by: Engineer

Originally posted by: her209
If you decline health insurance coverage from your company, does that mean that you get the money that your employer would have paid on top of your salary?

Mine does not. My wife's does (flexible spending account). However, if my wife doesn't take hers and is on mine, my cost goes up by $100 per month because she was eligible and didn't take hers. No way to win either way.

Wife works for school system.

Hell, my company won't even throw in any money to a HSA if I choose that option AND still charges a premium for the catastrophic insurance.

Sounds like you work for Ford. That's their system.

If you spouse has health care through their employer and doesn't take it, my health care costs get penalized.

Makes sense when you think about.

However, we DO get a cash payout of very little money if we don't take healthcare (like $1k or some such thing).

 

[Pulsar]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: Oceandevi

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: Patranus

Originally posted by: her209
If you decline health insurance coverage from your company, does that mean that you get the money that your employer would have paid on top of your salary?

It depends on your employers.

Do you let your employer pick your car insurance too?

Sure if they paid for it.

They wouldn't pay for it, you would. Just like with your health insurance benefits now, it would come out of your overall compensation.

No free lunch.

Wrong. At a certain point (when you reach a certain level in the Company, which you can actually hire in at) my company will pay for you to have a company lease car, and pay for the insurance as well. This DOES NOT come out of your gross pay, though you should claim it on your taxes so you are taxed on it.

Is this how you got 35000 posts? Thinking you know everything about how every company in the country works?

 

[Engineer]

Originally posted by: Pulsar

Sounds like you work for Ford. That's their system.

Work for an automotive supplier. The suppliers always copy the big boys on stuff like this.

 

[alchemize]

But if we go to a single payer system, all of you will get raises equivalent to what your healthcare is costing

 

[GroundedSailor]

It also depends on what you can negotiate as salary with your employer. We typically offer a 'whole package' which includes healthcare insurance, auto allowance etc. So if an employee is not taking up the insurance the salary is higher.

We look at the total cost of employment and I suspect many small businesses do.

 

[GroundedSailor]

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: Oceandevi

Originally posted by: Vic

Originally posted by: Patranus

Originally posted by: her209
If you decline health insurance coverage from your company, does that mean that you get the money that your employer would have paid on top of your salary?

It depends on your employers.

Do you let your employer pick your car insurance too?

Sure if they paid for it.

They wouldn't pay for it, you would. Just like with your health insurance benefits now, it would come out of your overall compensation.

No free lunch.

Not mine. I have a fully paid for company vehicle of my choice and my salary didn't go down.