Question about health insurance plan provided by employer in Washington state (employees, apply)

[dc2000]

Hi everyone:

This is my first post, so please bear with me.

I've been working with this company for almost 10 years. This is a small private company of about 10-12 employees located in the Washington state. Obviously we don't have a union and have to fend for ourselves. About 2-3 years ago I approached the owner and asked for a raise. After some deliberation he relented and said that instead they'd put me on their health insurance plan (again this happened about 2-3 years ago).

Right then I've been also told by a controller of the company that this won't happen for a month or so because that's when they renew all the paperwork with the insurance company. OK. I waited. When time came, I called him and he apologized and said that he forgot to pencil me in and that I'll need to wait until the next time they send in all the health insurance paper work again.

OK, several months later, I approach him again. Now his tone changed completely as if he didn't hear about the previous deal at all. This time he told me, and I quote, "We all pay for health insurance out of our pockets."

I got so disgusted that I thought of quitting.... then this economy went South.

Now, about a month ago, I brought up my promised health insurance again. This time the owner said that they'd do it. Again, it took them about a month to get to it. But this time I was called up to a lunch with the owner and the controller.

At the lunch, they told me that they normally don't do this for other employees but they will do it for me, but to pay for an extra expense associated with my health insurance they have to add one more responsibility to my job that I was currently performing with them. It's not a big deal, but still requires more work to be done (note, for the same amount of pay.)

I had no other choice but to agree to that...

OK, now I got to my question. When the time eventually came for me to fill out the health insurance forms, the controller approached me and said that he had to, (I quote again), "change it a little bit" and he pointed to the field that said, "Date of hire: 9/20/11", which mind you, almost 10 years off!

Why did he do this? What is the reason to make me look like I was just hired recently? And is it legal to do so?

[_TwentyTwenty_]

Originally Posted by dc2000

Hi everyone:

This is my first post, so please bear with me.

I've been working with this company for almost 10 years. This is a small private company of about 10-12 employees located in the Washington state. Obviously we don't have a union and have to fend for ourselves. About 2-3 years ago I approached the owner and asked for a raise. After some deliberation he relented and said that instead they'd put me on their health insurance plan (again this happened about 2-3 years ago).

Right then I've been also told by a controller of the company that this won't happen for a month or so because that's when they renew all the paperwork with the insurance company. OK. I waited. When time came, I called him and he apologized and said that he forgot to pencil me in and that I'll need to wait until the next time they send in all the health insurance paper work again.

OK, several months later, I approach him again. Now his tone changed completely as if he didn't hear about the previous deal at all. This time he told me, and I quote, "We all pay for health insurance out of our pockets."

I got so disgusted that I thought of quitting.... then this economy went South.

Now, about a month ago, I brought up my promised health insurance again. This time the owner said that they'd do it. Again, it took them about a month to get to it. But this time I was called up to a lunch with the owner and the controller.

At the lunch, they told me that they normally don't do this for other employees but they will do it for me, but to pay for an extra expense associated with my health insurance they have to add one more responsibility to my job that I was currently performing with them. It's not a big deal, but still requires more work to be done (note, for the same amount of pay.)

I had no other choice but to agree to that...

OK, now I got to my question. When the time eventually came for me to fill out the health insurance forms, the controller approached me and said that he had to, (I quote again), "change it a little bit" and he pointed to the field that said, "Date of hire: 9/20/11", which mind you, almost 10 years off!

Why did he do this? What is the reason to make me look like I was just hired recently? And is it legal to do so?

I see a few problems with that. Did you actually get a paid check with the company's name on it or wired transferred from the company's bank? If so and if WA state law requires business with certain # of employees or certain gross revenue to have health insurance for its employees, then the company is in big trouble!!! Every single transaction, check cashing or electronic transfer is being recorded by the IRS. Look at the back of the next check you write. You'll see IRS and a long number identifying the uniqueness of that transaction. If they try to coerce you to accept that the hire date is 9/20/11 when it's not, IMO, that's illegal. You might want to contact the IRS, disability, and social security benefits. I'm sure you've been paying for all that in past 10 years. Especially if they suddenly decide that you're no longer worth paying your current salary, with that hired date, I don't know how you can justify to get unemployment. BTW, with that sudden change in tone, I wouldn't be surprised if they decide to let you go. I hope you haven't sign that paper yet!!

Also, check this out
and this

[Hemlock140]

I can't see why the hire date on a form to start health insurance would make any difference to you, while perhaps it gives them some kind of better rate with the provider to new employees as opposed to existing.

With only 10-12 employees your employer is not subject to any laws requiring health insurance, nor many other employment laws that apply to those with 50 or more.

In these times I would take what you can get and if you feel like you are not being compensated fairly look around for something better but hang in there until then. Small businesses like yours are having a hard time, and adding additional benefits or raises can help put them under.

[mash potato]

Originally Posted by dc2000

What is the reason to make me look like I was just hired recently?

The insurer may have had a mandatory form that you were supposed to sign when you were hired saying that you either choose to have health insurance through them or you do not choose to have health insurance through them. Since you were never given the opportunity to accept or decline coverage, the employer would be in trouble with the insurer (if the company does have that mandate). Perhaps you can call the insurer anonymously to ask that general question.

Originally Posted by _TwentyTwenty_

I'm sure you've been paying for all that in past 10 years.

I am curious what you meant by "all that". Did you mean taxes?

Originally Posted by _TwentyTwenty_

Especially if they suddenly decide that you're no longer worth paying your current salary, with that hired date,

Same question (what did you mean)..

[dc2000]

Thank you all for your input. No, I'm sure the company diligently pays taxes. They withhold a certain amount out of my paycheck every month. This question was only about the insurance form and why they'd want to "adjust it" to make it look like I was just hired.

[STT Resident]

I'm assuming that you went ahead and signed the form with the date which the controller put on it? In any event, I'm curious as to why you just didn't ask him about the date ...

[dc2000]

Well, that would eliminate this post, wouldn't it

And, yes, I had to sign the form. What other choice did I have? (Get nothing.)

[STT Resident]

Originally Posted by dc2000

Well, that would eliminate this post, wouldn't it

And, yes, I had to sign the form. What other choice did I have? (Get nothing.)

Just because a piece of paper is put in front of you doesn't necessitate you sign it immediately - a mistake that way too many make where contracts are concerned. You waited for years for the opportunity to have coverage, and 24 hours to both read the paperwork and ask appropriate questions surely wouldn't have been any sort of a deal-breaker. My apologies for having worded my question such that a sarcastic response was apparently necessary. Glad to know that you now have coverage!

[dc2000]

Oh, oh. No, what I signed is the health insurance form, which is just one page long (with my info, SSN, etc.), and not any type of a contract with the company. There's technically none. What we have is a verbal agreement between them and me.

[MaryleeII]

I'm not sure, but they might be trying to do you a favor. Most companies have a time limit which you can enroll in their insurance, usually something like 60-90 days. They might be trying to stuff you into their program........I woudn't worry about back taxes, etc, assuming you've paid them!

Do you have previous existing health conditions? If so, group plans must take you without restrictions on previous existing conditions if there's been no more than 63 days gap from one group policy to another (being in an individual plan doesn't count for the 63 days). So.....perhaps they are trying to work something around that angle?

Just some thoughts---look into HIPPA = Health Insurance Privacy AND Portability Act.

Everyone thinks of HIPPA as those privacy laws, but also included with that is the portability part. Basically, if you change from one GROUP coverage to another GROUP coverage, you cannot have a gap of more than 63 days between GROUP policies. Counting the dates, it looks like perhaps they are trying to do something with the 63 day window?

BTW, you can enroll in group plans whenever, but unless you come with prior continous coverage, they can ---and do---limit coverage for previous existing conditions for as long as 2 years.


If you already know all of this, sorry, perhaps it might be of interest to someone else. Good luck!