Any options for waiving eligibility waiting period?

[Guest rtx]

We have a new ee who negotiated immediate eligibility for health plans. However, plan states 90 day wait. Is there any way around it for this ee while still maintaining 125 status? Any options?

Thanks -

[Guest LMPett]

We have a new ee who negotiated immediate eligibility for health plans. However, plan states 90 day wait. Is there any way around it for this ee while still maintaining 125 status? Any options?

Thanks -

You cannot negotiate eligibility with your insurance plan. The carrier or TPA should not put anyone on before the 90 day wait and you should not fudge his date of hire. This has nothing to do with Section 125 cafeteria plans.

Can you pay for his COBRA coverage (if he has it) instead for 90 days? This fairly common.

[Guest Sieve]

Lots of reasons not to fudge date of hire. The practical one is that if this person has a major health problem that causes an audit by the insurance co., then nothing will be covered when they discover the hire date "disrepancy", so what you had hoped to protect against will occur anyway: uninsured medical expenses. Plus, you may find yourself without an insurance contract from that provider going forward. (For all I know, there may even be potential criminal charges in there somewhere. But I've been told I really don't know criminal law--which is correct--so I won't even go there.)