Where can I find information about the legal requirements for open enrollment? For example, do I have the right to switch from single to family coverage if I didn't just get married?

Hi Ellen,

It wasn't clear from your question if you were referring to Medicare-related coverage or coverage for someone not on Medicare.

If it's the latter, we checked our copy of the Medicare handbook and could find no reference to couples or families. In other words, everything centers around the individual.

We did some digging elsewhere in case you're not talking about Medicare and came up with this piece on open enrollment at NAIC, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, which says:

"Open enrollment is generally only held once a year. If you miss your company’s annual open enrollment, you likely will not be able to enroll in your employer-sponsored health insurance program until next year. Certain exceptions apply for new employees or employees with life changing events." (emphasis ours)

From every indication this varies by insurance company and there aren't any legal requirements per se, so you'll want to check with your current health insurance carrier or your company's benefits director to be sure.

Good luck!
Kevin

Thanks for the answer. I wasn't talking about Medicare, just an employer-sponsored health plan. It seems to me that the statement implies that during open enrollment, you can change your coverage, since the exception is that people with life changing events can make changes at other times. However, I thought that the law required open enrollment and the ability to make changes, including from single to family. I'll keep looking.

My question is related to Ellen's. This year it seams as my husband's employer is giving us 2 days to choose our plan. TWO DAYS. Their health care administrator is swamped by other deadlines, so the meeting for the new chosen plan is on Apr 22, and the decision needs to be made by Apr 24. Is that legal? Don't we have any right to have a reasonable amount of time to make the decision about our health care? Especially as we are paying through the nose for it?

As a retiree I received an open enrollment packet in the middle of November but didn't see it until one day after the enrollment period ended, which was only about a week long. What was really galling about this enrollment period is that in the body of the letter it said if you don't choose a plan by Nov. 21st, you will have NO coverage the following year. Is this legal? Also, is there a minimum enrollment period specified by law, or is it just whatever the employer says it is?

Hi Anonymous,

It looks like you, alongside many others, are stuck dealing with the complicated deadlines assigned by employers.

We couldn't find anything clear-cut regarding the length of time employers should provide you to select your health care package.

The social security administration has this to say about enrollment:

"When you first become eligible for hospital insurance (Part A), you have a seven-month period (your initial enrollment period) in which to sign up for medical insurance (Part B). A delay on your part will cause a delay in coverage and result in higher premiums. If you are eligible at age 65, your initial enrollment period begins three months before your 65th birthday, includes the month you turn age 65 and ends three months after that birthday."

Again, we were annoyed to see nothing regarding employers.

However, there is a government sponsored Medicare call center where you can reach a live person who should be able to answer all of your questions. The link to their website is here:

http://www.medicare.gov/callcenter.asp

and you can call this number:1-800-MEDICARE

Good luck and we hope you can get this straightened out to your benefit.