<p>Verification: This year, our insurance required us to send not only copies of our tax returns (numbers blacked out) showing our dependents, their birth certificates, our marriage certificate and sign form stating our kids had no other insurance option.<br>
Slightly irritating, in that we’ve had kids, same employer, same insurance etc., for twenty years…</p>
<p>Maybe there’s a difference with companies that self-insure.</p>
<p>This year, our insurance required us to send not only copies of our tax returns (numbers blacked out) showing our dependents, their birth certificates, our marriage certificate and sign form stating our kids had no other insurance option. </p>
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<p>Companies will require verification from time to time - we have had to do it. What surprises me is that a company would still require a tax return, since the new requirement of covering to age 26 is REGARDLESS of whether or not the dependent is claimed on your return. And of course, if you are divorced, you may not claim even your young child on your return but you may be required to carry the child on your insurance. Maybe it’s for the very few disabled dependents over the age of 26 (they would be expected to be on your return).</p>
<p>Our insurance company sent out a form annually re: the status of dependents. They have now added a check off box …dependent under the age of 26.</p>
<p>My sister would have liked to keep her daughter on her insurance till age 26. But she thought that was not allowed if the child had health insurance available at their place of work (even if it was crappy coverage). She didn’t think you were allowed, by the law, to keep them on your insurance just because if was a better deal, but only if they didn’t have the option to get it at work. Anyone know if that is true?</p>
<p>It’s whatever your company decides to do. The law may require one thing but companies are free to offer more than what the law requires.</p>
<p>Always check with the insurer and get WRITTEN confirmation from them about coverage in making your choice. For US, S is covered under H’s policy until he turns 26. It doesn’t matter whether he earns more than us or less than us, lives with us, lives 5000 miles away in his own household, or even gets married. S has chosen not to get coverage from his employer and is still happily covered under H’s policy until he turns 26. NOT ALL other policies offer this generous coverage – check with the insurer. The BCBS PPO insurance is excellent.</p>
<p>The paperwork now for covering dependents is first to prove people have insurance, a requirement under the reform plan starting in 2014–you will see your health benefit on your W-2 as well. It also helps companies so they are not covering people that they should not (thus the SS#'s). As for turning in the tax return, companies are establishing how old your kids are now and they can track that in their system vs you just saying my kid was born on whatever date. Asking for the birth certificates, marriage certificates, etc. is a bit over the top but there are people out there that cheat the system and my guess is that your company is either being proactive or they’ve had problems in the past.</p>
<p>Busdriver–if your sister’s plan has less than 50 people or it is a grandfathered plan, they may not be required to keep kids on to age 26. She needs to take to her HR department or call her insurance plan administrator to get clarification on her plan.</p>
<p>My sister would have liked to keep her daughter on her insurance till age 26. But she thought that was not allowed if the child had health insurance available at their place of work (even if it was crappy coverage). She didn’t think you were allowed, by the law, to keep them on your insurance just because if was a better deal, but only if they didn’t have the option to get it at work. Anyone know if that is true? </p>
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<p>She needs to check with her benefits office to find out whether or not the insurance is considered “grandfathered.” Actually, that information should have been part of the open enrollment materials, but it’s easiest just to ask in order to know for sure. If the insurance is grandfathered, the company does not have to cover the dependent if she has coverage available through her own employer … but some companies will allow it even though they don’t have to, so she should ask. </p>
<p>If the insurance is NOT grandfathered, her D can be covered even if she has her own insurance. This is part of the new healthcare reform law. However, she should have been added during open enrollment … they probably won’t allow her to be added outside OE, but it’s worth asking. If she just lost insurance, she could be added outside OE - but if she just chooses to give it up to be on her parents’ insurance, that is not the same thing.</p>
<p>kelsmom–she can be covered IF the group size is big enough and IF they are covering dependents. Do you work in HR Kelsmom?</p>
<p>I would assume the sister knows if they are covering dependents. And all plans that offer dependent coverage must offer up to the age of 26 (unless grandfathered). </p>
<p>I work for an employee benefits consulting firm.</p>
<p>Do you know if they are keeping the SAME plan though…dependent care may price some companies out of offering dependent care in the future. The point is, there is no ONE right answer like you seem to want to put out there for everyone and you are confusing people. They NEED to talk to their HR department, broker (you) or their insurance company to get the specifics.</p>
<p>Whatever. I will defer to the expert.</p>
<p>“Busdriver–if your sister’s plan has less than 50 people or it is a grandfathered plan, they may not be required to keep kids on to age 26. She needs to take to her HR department or call her insurance plan administrator to get clarification on her plan.”</p>
<p>It’s actually too late for all that, the child is now 27 and is getting benefits though her company, crummy as it is. I was just trying to offer information and get answers to questions. In this case, I think what happened is that the kid turned 23 before the health care law was passed, and had to go off her parents insurance. Had no insurance for awhile, then got hired at a company that offered crummy insurance. Parents thought she was ineligible to go back on, and maybe that is company specific or maybe they just didn’t understand. The company is huge, over 200K employees, and they offer a fantastic insurance plan. I work for the same company, and I hope to keep my kiddos on it as long as possible, so I’ll definitely check into it closer instead of taking that information as accurate.</p>
<p>Steve, I don’t find kelsmom’s statements confusing at all. Her statements jive with what I know about the subject, from working on my company’s payroll and benefits. But I’m no expert, and when I have questions, I rely on the same kind of benefits consulting firm that she works for. </p>
<p>It’s not just this topic, though. You’re new, so maybe you don’t know the rep that kelsmom has around here. She has expertise in a number of areas, and she doesn’t just throw stuff out there. If she says something is so, it’s so.</p>