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Permalink Reply by Johnnie Bradley on December 16, 2011 at 1:28pm

I am in the insurance industry, but am not a health expert.  Most groups include a "change of life" clause for childbirth, divorce, marriage, etc.  And most health policies the infant is covered under the mothers plan for between 30-90 days.  Each is different, and each state is different.  It shouldn't be a problem though. The HR person should be able to fix it with a call. 
Hope this helped a litte, and congratulations.

Johnnie

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Permalink Reply by Jack Bauer on December 16, 2011 at 1:34pm

Thanks a bunch for the reply.

 

Does the 30-day infant coverage usually apply even if the infant isn't properly added to the insurance by the deadline?  My concern is that the paperwork mistake may retroactively revoke the baby's coverage for the hospital stay.  If that doesn't happen, the ensuing couple of months don't really matter much.  He can wait until 1/1 for vaccinations and things as long as the birth stuff is covered.

 

And, if the baby isn't properly added ... is there a way to go back and properly add him without a coverage gap?

 

JB

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Permalink Reply by LShieldes on December 16, 2011 at 1:34pm

It is all going to come down to how your coverage was written, what exactly was signed, turned in, etc.  Wait to hear back from HR so that you have a better picture before you worry too much.

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Permalink Reply by Rebekah on December 16, 2011 at 2:06pm

In my office, the open enrollment paperwork is the same as the add a dependent paperwork. Presumably, your wife could have added you during the open enrollment period (premium would go up, of course), why not the baby?

Except, unlike at my office, you've got a big gap between the open enrollment and the new coverage effective date. I take it you wouldn't have expected to be covered until 1/1 had she added you during open enrollment. The insurance company could treat the baby no differently.

What's going to happen: All bills will be submitted to your wife's insurance, because the providers will assume she added the baby to her coverage, and they have her insurance info. The insurance company will either pay them or deny them because the baby was covered, or not. If the insurance company denies them, you'll get the bills.

Depending on the efficiency of the providers' billing people (and the birth of a baby involves bunches - the hospital, a pediatrician, maybe an OB for the circ, etc), the process could take months. I had routine blood tests in February and didn't get the bill until September. I didn't get an itemized bill until November.

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