O.M.G. Unbelievable is right! As I read your post, my jaw actually dropped. What’s next, paternity tests?

Alison – I agree, unbelievable…

Well, it’s a good thing you HAVE John’s birth certificate and that it didn’t, say, accidentally get lost when he had to send it in to apply for a passport, thus requiring that it be replaced.

For the record, I did recently have to send a copy of Becca’s current registration at Yale to our insurance to prove that she is still a fulltime student at 23, but they accepted that pretty quickly.

One more thing. After 30 years, wouldn’t you be common-law spouses even WITHOUT that ceremony and the 500 witnesses thereto?

Absolutely scandalous! It just gets crazier and crazier.

Instead of innocent until proven guilty, they’re going with fraudulent until proven related? Nice, I don’t think.

My insurance is doing the same thing this year. I am in the much more tenuous position of my significant other being on my policy as a domestic partner. We do not have any sort of marriage license, and are scrambling to figure out what kind of paperwork we can possibly provide to prove it. Much fun is being had by all.

It seems to me that it is OK to ask for confirmation of student status on an annual basis, but asking for a transcript and quickly, at that, seems overkill and burdensome. Asking for marriage and birth certificates lest you be deemed fraudulent just seems like a sucker punch. So much for employer-employee trust – I guess they valued something else more.

The request seems ridiculous in the time-frame involved. Even a birth certificate is not all that easy to get these days because of identity theft.

Wow. That’s bordering on the absurd. Correction – not bordering, it is absurd. Makes me want to create a file of all this stuff…

Oscar’s employer did the very same thing last year.
It was a simple matter of faxing them the certificate, if I remember correctly, Of course finding the certificate was a bit more problematic.

Wow! When you think nothing else can surprise you with your insurance anymore… Boom! Another level opens up!

I hope you come across kind people to help you get the documentation you need.

WHAT?!

Hem. And here I was, cranky because the Knight’s dental “extraction” isn’t covered today because of the carrier change and waiting periods.

so–who should be divorced and kicked to the curb–the employers or the health insurance companies?

I actually have all that stuff in one place–a fire-proof locked box, actually, because we are both Virgos and we’re like that–but I’d have a very difficult time sending off my children’s birth certificates to some anonymous employee for processing. Or even faxing it over. All that information in one place? After we sent it off for the kids’ passports, we started getting credit card offers in my younger son’s name and were advised to contact the credit bureaus to check for identity theft. The passport application passed through who knows how many hands, any of whom could have copied down his information.

It seems like California, of all places, might have a law against this–or be open to having one. Have you called your state reps yet? It’s on my list to call mine to complain that the state-mandated lead test for my daughter is not fully covered by insurance. (I think the state should mandate coverage, too.)

I had to wait a minute before I started typing, because I tend to let loose with a barrage of unfortunate vocabulary when confronted with such obstructive tactics. (I just deleted a sentence peppered with expletives. I’m sorry.)

I would definitely report this to the Insurance Commissioner’s office, and every single representative you have, as well as maybe consulting an attorney.

Health care reform, my, uh, oh, ELBOW!

I agree, that is absolutely unbelievable. What a crazy mixed up system. And it must be frustrating beyond belief.

amazing — frightening — what can I say?

and this is, as we well know, because the costs of insurance are soaring and it doesn’t look like we have a snowball’s chance in hell to get it fixed!

Holy.. What the… are they…

Nope, can’t come up with anything PG in response to this.

big sigh. it would be nice if we could choose to “fire” them.
mine also just raised rates significantly, and cut what they are willing to cover.
i also tried to find out what exactly the cost of one of my spendy meds would be and could not. talked to the insurance people, the specialty pharmacy, and the drug manufacturer. they all had different guesses. i just wanted to know for sure that i could pay my share before i ordered it.
impossible.
big sigh.
can you imagine if grocery stores operated this way?

I’m really angry on your behalf, Alison… and well, Canada isn’t perfect, but in this regard? I’m very happy. I walk into the doctor’s office. They welcome me. I am treated. I go home. No charge. Ahhh.

I cannot disagree with any of the above comments. And I certainly agree with Patricia that you should contact the Insurance Commissioner’s office. Isn’t that Poizner’s office? And isn’t he running for Gov?

Another thought — Is Richard’s company asking for this information of ALL employees? I know the insurance companies want to drop the ones they have to pay for, and keep the healthy ones.
Aaarrrghhhh!!!

Absolutely time for a bit of humor —

A woman walking past the veterinary clinic saw a small boy with his dog waiting outside. “Are you waiting to see the vet?” she asked. “Yes,” answered the boy, “I’m having my dog put in neutral.”

***
It was the usual busy day at the bank. A woman came up to the customer service desk and demanded, “What do I have to do to change the address on my account?” Without looking up the clerk responded, “Move.”

THANK YOU to Don — we needed that. And yes, I’m appalled about the requests for marriage licenses and birth certificates.

On the other hand, I recently was stunned in a positive way to open the EOB from my ins co for my mammogram and they had paid it 100% as preventive care. They also paid 100% for both flu shots. We’re both scheduled for colonoscopies. Wonder if that’ll be covered 100% since I can guarantee you nobody would go through that prep if it weren’t so clearly preventive. (Yeah, I know, Alison, you’d much prefer to be able to go through that prep. I agree.)

!!
How wretched. How on earth do these people sleep at night?

The military healthcare system certainly isn’t perfect, but as long as I’m listed as Justin’s wife in their info system, I’ve covered. Everything’s covered, as long as you’ve gotten approval.

However, back before we got married, I always worried about health insurance. I had good insurance, but… You know, that at any time, they can change coverage, premiums, with little to no recourse.

Hope you can get it straightened out ASAP. That’s beyond stupid, after 30 years of marriage. Honestly.

Hmmm. You mean there actually is some advantage to working for a tiny company? Wait, no there’s not. The insurance is awful. Ours, for example, just cut out-patient mental health care coverage in half. Last year our coverage was just under the standard of care for treating chronic conditions. Now, we get ten visits a year — ten — and the doc wants to see the child every other week.
I guess they’d rather pay the inpatient charges, and for all the other health problems that go with untreated depression and anxiety disorders. Sigh.

Big insurance, big business, big mess.
Luckily, the world has folks like you in it. (Have I thanked you lately for inspiring me?)

Just had to do the same for Neil’s insurance. Thank G-d the man is the most organized person I have ever met and I could put my hands on the birth certificates right away.

Still stupid.

Well, now that you have the marriage certificate, you should renew your vows for your 30th! Isn’t life funny? 😀

Large company probably is self-insured, and so has more control than they are willing to let on. DEFINITELY call/write the Insurance Commissioner. Short time frame is unreasonable, but checking things, I can understand. Way too much fraud out there these days. (including identity theft, fraudulently using someone else’s health coverage is rampant) We just had to go through the I-9 process via e-Verify. Prove we are legal to work, and on short timeframe. We proved it when we started working here, but had to do it again.

Relax. Breathe. If they kick folks out, they have to reinstate coverage back to date of termination of coverage once proof is given. Just one more reason to keep all your documents in order. Fireproof box is what I do with all that stuff, too. Worth spending the money to have it all in one place–at your fingertips.

In DC, you can walk in to the bureau and pay your money (after waiting in line, of course) and get your certificate right then and there. And DC is known for taking their jolly sweet time about *everything*.

I’ve got my divorce docs just as readily available, now, too. Scan ’em and keep an electronic (pdf) version, too. (If you are faxing it, they won’t know the difference!)

Still, contact the Insurance Commish. They should be kinder to their own employees. Nobody is making them do it with a short turnaround.

This just makes my blood boil. Indefensible. And hey what- people are *gasp* fraudulently using the healthcare coverage of others? Could that be because our healthcare system is ^%&&$#@!! broken.

You’re lucky they will accept birth certificates, and don’t demand a genetics test…….

for new registants, that seems reasonable. for long timers? WTF??? sorry, but I’m fonna say it-healthcare mafia bastards

That’s unreasonable to demand new documentation for existing clients. A self-insured company falls under US Dept of Labor’s Benefits Assistance (ERISA). US Dept of Labor’s Employee Benefits Security Administration
The fed phone is 866-275-7922

San Francisco office: Joe Chianese at 415-625-2447 or email chianese.joseph@dol.gov