Virginia health insurance...spouse NEVER covered?

[AllyCat]

My recently-married sister just told me that she cannot get insurance through her husband's employer because of Virginia law that changed (of COURSE, they are blaming it on Obamacare). She is self-employed and, of course, major-insurer decided to raise her rates ("because of Obamacare&quot . I could not believe that if her employer (her) does not offer insurance, she cannot get on her husband's plan. Because he makes so much money, she does not qualify for subsidies and the cost of a plan on the exchange that matched what she had is so high, she can't afford.

Is this the law in VA? No insurance for a spouse?

Her new husband is a penny-pinching Republican and I can believe he just doesn't want to pay the additional premium to cover her and her kid. But before I start pushing, would love to have some facts.

[msanthrope]

1. Ask her to cite the VA law. She's married to a liar, and here's the thing the penny-pincher wants

to avoid--once she and her kid are on the insurance, and if she breaks up from him, she has a right to remain on that insurance.

Let me guess---did new husband divorce the last wife?

[AllyCat]

2. Actually, yes, but I don't know the circumstances

I will ask her to find the law, but that is not something she is likely to do on her own.

[msanthrope]

3. Yep--and I bet Mr. republican penny pincher is required by his past divorce

settlement to carry the ex-wife (and possibly any kids?) on his insurance. He doesn't want to repeat that.

She needs to look at this prior divorce settlement.

Ask her who owns their house.

[AllyCat]

4. That might explain a lot of things actually. No wonder he wanted a pre-nup.

[dawg]

5. Here's the thing. She's rich, but she still wants someone else to pay ...

for her health insurance. That's not going to happen now.

Many employers are deciding to stop covering spouses on their insurance plans. That is the employer's decision. It's nothing the ACA is forcing them to do.

The employers are thinking that their poorer employees will be able to obtain subsidized coverage for their spouses through the exchanges, and their richer employees are, well, rich enough to fend for themselves. Ultimately, it's a greedy move by the employer.

Some employees, however, are actually helped by this sort of thing. Lower income employees who were having to pay a major portion of their spousal coverage out of their paychecks may wind up paying less through the exchange. Still, it's an example of the corporations being greedy, but it may work out for some.

They blame it on Obamacare because spouses are ineligible for subsidies if they are eligible to participate in an employer plan. The corporations say they are graciously kicking spouses off the plan in order to make them eligible for ACA. Of course, this only makes any real sense if the employer plan required the employee to pay the full amount of their spouse's additional premium. But it's fun to blame Obama for things.

[AllyCat]

6. Actually, no, she isn't rich.

The rest of your post is helpful. Accusing her of wanting to soak the taxpayers is untrue and wasn't necessary.

[dawg]

7. She's relatively rich, like me.

Too rich to qualify for the subsidy. She'll have to pay the full price for an insurance policy on the exchange. Like me.

I don't consider "rich" to be an insult. And I know she isn't filthy rich and won't feel any pain at all.

I sympathize with her. Believe me, I do!

But I know how fortunate I am to have enough income to not qualify for a subsidy. So I'm not going to complain if I wind up having to pay a couple hundred dollars more a month. I know that I can never be denied coverage if I get a pre-existing condition, and more importantly, neither can my children (who already have conditions).

I'm sorry I sounded a little harsh. I have grown ... impatient ... with the complaints of people who are already pretty fortunate and should realize that they have it pretty damn good compared with the rest of the country.

Also, I didn't mean she wanted to soak the taxpayer. I meant that she wanted her husband's employer to continue subsidizing her insurance. That's the "someone else" who has been helping with her insurance. Now, she's going to have to pay the entire burden herself. Which is bad, but really, she is still one of the lucky ones.

[solarhydrocan]

8. Lookout for the term "Freeloader"

It's been focus group tested and it works.

Even though it's fundamentally a Republican concept and that concept (not the word) was used in the paper that started this new Insurance Gold Rush, the New Democrats love it along with every insurance company on the planet.

[dawg]

10. Wait.

My reading comprehension skills seem to suck today. On re-reading your post, it now seems to me that your friend was never on her husband's plan. It's just that either they won't allow him to add her, or he's not willing himself.

I think I mischaracterized the situation entirely. Especially if she isn't really seeing much of the benefit of the joint "income" she and her husband earn.

I forget sometimes that spouses don't automatically benefit from the high incomes of their significant others. That makes it really unfair when someone else's income is used to deny you a benefit that you otherwise would have a right to. The whole skinflint spouse thing is something I forget about from time to time. I probably owe your friend an apology.

[elehhhhna]

12. I'd divorce his sorry heinie and take the subsidy

and she may have more rights to his house as a squatter than a spouse with a tight prenup.

Lay down with a reep, get up with jack shit. old story.

[AllyCat]

13. Okay, that makes sense. Disregard post above.

She has never been on his plan. And now he says he "can't" put her on it, even though she has no insurance through her own business.

[GladRagDahl]

9. It's Not a Law but

it is related to Obamacare somewhat. Employers are trying to keep their insurance costs the same while having to include more coverage in order to comply with ACA. They are doing this often by dropping spouse coverage. The media has covered this extensively. Here is one article with more information. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/why-your-boss-is-dumping-your-wife-2013-02-22

[GladRagDahl]

14. So?

All she has to do is get on healthcare.gov where she can buy a high quality plan for herself. Problem fixed.

[AllyCat]

15. No. They lump her income with his.

She can buy it cheaper for similar quality on the open market. She gets no subsidies because of him. He helps her not one iota.

[GladRagDahl]

16. Of course they do

They are married. If he makes big bucks they can afford to buy her a policy without sweating. (I really don't get why this is an issue.)

[AllyCat]

17. Because he is a GOP tightwad that won't part with his money

He would rather she struggle to make ends meet than lose any of his precious, hoarded income. A real gem, eh?

[Paulie]

18. That's not a marriage then.

If you care enough to marry someone then don't give a shit if they are insured? That's not a tightwad that's a douchebag.

[AllyCat]

19. Love is blind. However, I am trying to help her with insurance questions

until she sorts out the other thing on her own. So, I am wondering if this is a law in VA.

[GladRagDahl]

21. Virginia is a community property state

His money is hers if they are married. That's the law here.

Apparently I'm wrong. Virginia is no longer community property says my husband. (Go figure a man would know). I don't understand the concept of a marriage where there is "his" and "hers" money. If you want some unsolicited advice, however, it would be to stay out of it. You will bring nothing but unhappiness on yourself getting between her and her husband -- especially a relatively new husband.

[Ms. Toad]

20. In Ohio, there are only certain times you can be added to employer health care -

during open enrollment (once a year), when you start work, or when a person eligible to be insured has a change in status (like you get married and have a new wife, when a child is born, or the person eligible to be covered loses insurance).

I am not sure that voluntarily dropping self-insurance would qualify, and depending on how recently married - it may not be recent enough to be a qualifying event (it is a relatively short window).

Nothing to do with the ACA - that's just how insurance works in Ohio (and I'm pretty sure elsewhere as well).