Step-Mom Needs Help (average, parent, girls, children)
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I don't know how Obamacare may have changed this, but here's the scoop.
It IS possible for a stepmother to have her stepkids on her policy, if the policy covers both herself and her husband and is the only insurance coverage the husband has, and if the husband is required by court order to also provide coverage for his children by a previous marriage.
This was true even 25 years ago.
Legal documents have to be filed with the benefits manager of the company for which the wife works to prove that the insurance coverage is a requirement by a court of law, but yes, this CAN happen and in fact, is not that uncommon. I know this for a fact because I have written protocols and policies for companies that handle insurance reimbursement.
Frequently it is outlined in a divorce decree who is responsible for providing Heath insurance to the children. Some no custodial parents pay less support because they have agreed to provide the health insurance. In all likelihood dad is supposed to be providing health insurance in this way.
Now dad is disabled so not getting any through his job. The problem is like many things buying private insurance is going to include the income of the HOUSEHOLD not just the dad, so new wife's income will count. It will be even harder to find a policy as I suspect dad is on his new wife's policy.
So if they really don't want to pay ($300 a week for just the difference between a couples vs family plan sounds extreme btw) than they can go to court and ask for a change in the order. But in all likelihood that means dads (and really the households) support obligation will be increased.
Unless, you have some type of unusual private insurance I do not see how your husband's children even can be on your insurance because they are not related to you. Even with private, not job related, insurance how can you possibly cover children that you are not legally responsible for?
Quote:
Originally Posted by germaine2626
Maybe, I am misreading or misunderstanding her post, but when she refers to HER insurance policy, HER policy (such as a policy through her employer) would only cover her husband and her children, not his children from a previous[/b] [b]marriage no matter where they lived. A health insurance policy through an employer would (at least in my experience) also not cover her parents or her nieces or nephews or grandchildren even if they lived in her house. Perhaps, it is different in the military or in different states or with different health insurance companies, if it is, I am not aware of that.
Now, if step-mom is taking out and paying for a private, separate insurance policy just for his children that is a different matter. I agree that her husband should check out coverage through the Affordable Health Care Act for his children.
Paying for someone else's (like your husband's) children's insurance is a different matter than having someone else's children covered on your policy.
Germaine, you're absolutely wrong. Stepparents can cover stepchildren on their health insurance policies, even on employer provided health insurance. My husband has been covering my children for over 20 years on his policies provided by his employers. We have to provide a copy of our marriage certificate and all birth certificates to prove they are stepchildren. The law requires employers and insurers to allow stepparents to cover stepchildren, but stepparents are not required to provide health insurance for stepchildren.
Legal documents have to be filed with the benefits manager of the company for which the wife works to prove that the insurance coverage is a requirement by a court of law, but yes, this CAN happen and in fact, is not that uncommon. I know this for a fact because I have written protocols and policies for companies that handle insurance reimbursement.
Court orders aren't required in my state. We have no court order. I never went to court about custody, child support or anything.
Court orders aren't required in my state. We have no court order. I never went to court about custody, child support or anything.
I think this is going to vary by state. In mine (and I work for the state) you cannot insure anyone besides bio kids without a court order. Even adopted kids, you are supposed to show court decree of adoption (which I think is ridiculous but that would be another thread.)
Court orders aren't required in my state. We have no court order. I never went to court about custody, child support or anything.
But you provided marriage certificate, etc. Those are legal documents.
In any case, I think we agree that stepparents CAN indeed cover their stepchildren on their policies.
OP needs some advice as to what other coverage may be possible and if she can legally seek some kind of remedy to what sounds to be a very high monthly premium she is no longer able to pay.
Germaine, you're absolutely wrong. Stepparents can cover stepchildren on their health insurance policies, even on employer provided health insurance. My husband has been covering my children for over 20 years on his policies provided by his employers. We have to provide a copy of our marriage certificate and all birth certificates to prove they are stepchildren. The law requires employers and insurers to allow stepparents to cover stepchildren, but stepparents are not required to provide health insurance for stepchildren.
Obviously, I was not aware that health insurance companies can, and do, cover step-children. I really did not know that.
In the couple of cases where co-workers mentioned (complained) that our group health insurance policy did not cover their step-children there was probably more to the situation than they said. We had excellent, top of the line health insurance where I used to work. Many of my co-workers had family policies because their spouse's insurance through the spouse's job was either poor quality or too expensive. Perhaps, because the fathers had insurance through their jobs, their children wouldn't be covered under the step-mother's policy? Or perhaps, I live in a state that required court orders or perhaps there were other reasons? (or perhaps the couples were just living together and not actually married? just kidding on that last one)
Thank you, I learned something new today.
Last edited by germaine2626; 08-17-2014 at 09:36 AM..
What we do know is they are currently on her policy. If she can legally drop them, she won't be able to drop them until her next open enrollment period. I can't imagine the courts requiring HER to provide health insurance for her husband's children, but if he is required by the court to provide it, they might not save money if he has to get a separate policy to cover them. They can easily determine that by shopping around to find out what another policy would cost.
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