Health plan changes

[Guest joeydell]

Are health insurance premium increases a qualifying event in order to change from your plan to your spouse's? I have a situation where the wife did not take her insurance at open enrollment (March) due to higher costs. However, her spouse's plan will not let her enroll until open enrollment (July).

If this is the case, she would technically need a qualifying event to disenroll from her plan in order to come on her husband's since Section 125 POP plans require a "qualifying" event to change at any other time other than open enrollment.

Any help is greatly appreciated.

[Mary C]

Joey -

Under the most recent final regulations, an employee may change his or her election in response to changes made during another employer's open enrollment season. In your situation, if the wife canceled coverage in March during her open enrollment for any reason, it can be considered an event to allow the husband to enroll her in his employer's plan within 31 days.

Mary