Working Wife not eligible on my awesome health insurance?

[KarefulKactus15]

Okay guys, I need some advice.   I have awesome health benefits,   no premium and almost no deductible for me and my wife.     However my wife works now and according to my health plan, is no longer eligible to be on my benefits since her employer offer benefits.      The problem is her employers health plan is pretty terrible, its gonna cost me a small fortune compared to her being on mine!   Its open enrollment week and this kinda threw a wrench in my plans.

Do I just say her employer doesn't offer benefits? Can this be verified? Or do I bite the bullet? 

Any advice / similar situation would be appreciated.

[MoonShadow]

Likely you will have to list your wife on your plan as secondary insurance. 

[KarefulKactus15]

That is how I've got it setup, but it sucks to take a deduction on her checks for what I consider terrible insurance. Oh well...

[MoonShadow]

It's unavoidable, unless she intends to quit.

[MayDay]

How much does she make? How part time does she have to go to lose insurance?

[BlueMR2]

Do I just say her employer doesn't offer benefits?

This proposed course of action is commonly known as "fraud".

This.  Don't be that guy.

I was afraid I'd be in the same boat, with my wife becoming eligible for health insurance and having to take it (which would have wiped out about 1/4 of her income for far inferior coverage).  However, the required hours are way above what she's been able to get, so we haven't had to do it.  The downside though is that due to those limited hours she can't get in on the 401K (so misses out on that match).

[KarefulKactus15]

Yeah I figured there was no options. I added her on her plan, and made her secondary on my plan, that appears to be the perfectly non fraudulent way lol.   Also she makes 80% of what I do, so no part time.     Just for fun I emailed my HR office to see if they will let me pay a surcharge to keep her primary on mine, can't hurt to ask.....

[Bettis]

My employer charges $100 a month I believe to have a spouse on my plan who is eligible for it in their job.  Luckily in my case, my wife's work only has a small number of employees and they do not offer insurance so no surcharge for me.

[Urchina]

If your wife declines coverage at her job, does that change anything for you?

[KarefulKactus15]

Well thats what I was going to do.  Decline hers from her job and just ad her to mine.    But this year they added 2 new questions to the enrollment that I would have to lie on.

1.) Does your working spouses employer offer health insurance?
2.) Will your working spouse be enrolled in their employer sponsored health plan?

If I put

1.) Yes
2.) no

It blocks out the option to add her to my plan.  The only way it will let me add her is if I claim her employer doesnt offer it, which im told would be lieing lol.   

If I put
1.) Yes
2.) Yes

It will let me add her as secondary

Or if I put
1.) No
2.) No
It will let me add her as primary

but

1.) Yes
2.) No

Doesnt allow me to do anything with her unfortunately. 

[Bateaux]

I pay more because we refuse insurance from my wife's company. It's still cheaper to dk so and the benefits are better at my company.  It's not something I'd recommend falsifying.

[NextTime]

I got a similar question.

My employer added a surcharge in the last couple of years if your spouse is offered health insurance through her own employer.

My wife started working in July of this year and is offered health insurance through her employer.

Open enrollment for me is next month in which I will answer truthfully and then I will start paying the surcharge in January.


Was I supposed to call HR and start paying the surcharge back in July? Or is it okay to wait until open enrollment in November?

[AZDude]

Do I just say her employer doesn't offer benefits?

This proposed course of action is commonly known as "fraud". AZDude has really been slacking lately.

Apologies. Been busy.

[MoonShadow]

I got a similar question.

My employer added a surcharge in the last couple of years if your spouse is offered health insurance through her own employer.

My wife started working in July of this year and is offered health insurance through her employer.

Open enrollment for me is next month in which I will answer truthfully and then I will start paying the surcharge in January.


Was I supposed to call HR and start paying the surcharge back in July? Or is it okay to wait until open enrollment in November?

Open enrollment should have been fine, as the coverage you are re-applying for each November concerns the following year.  Particularly since most new employees have a delayed coverage start date.  If there was a delayed coverage date, the earliest you could be expected to inform your employer's insurance representatives was when her own coverage actually began; not when she was hired.

[maco]

My employer charges $100 a month I believe to have a spouse on my plan who is eligible for it in their job.  Luckily in my case, my wife's work only has a small number of employees and they do not offer insurance so no surcharge for me.

Wow, I'm used to like $12/mo.

[Goldielocks]

Watch out, too, as some couples with different employers end up with the same health insurance provider, who easily cross coordinates benefits.

[Bettis]

My employer charges $100 a month I believe to have a spouse on my plan who is eligible for it in their job.  Luckily in my case, my wife's work only has a small number of employees and they do not offer insurance so no surcharge for me.

Wow, I'm used to like $12/mo.

I was about to type that I was mistaken and it was $100 for the year but I double checked and sure enough it is $100 per month($23.08/week)