Is it legal to change the effective date after medical insurance has been used?
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Is it legal to change the effective date after medical insurance has been used?
My husband signed up for insurance through his employer. We received insurance cards within a week or so of starting employment. I created an account online through the insurance’s website and it’s there that I learned that the insurance was effective on the first of last month. Then I suddenly began receiving bills and phone calls from the doctor’s offices requesting payment. I learned via the insurance company that the employer had changed the effective date to the 27th of this month. I now have close to $2000 in medical bills. Is this even legal? We would have never used the insurance had it not been effective.
Asked on May 4, 2012 under Employment Labor Law, New York
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 12 years ago | Contributor
Yous husband need to consult with the human resources department at work regarding why he and you were given insurance cards where your medical insurance did not become effective until much later for such benefits. Consulting the insurance carrier would also be a good idea as well.
What you have is not a situation of legality or illegality but rather a situation when your insurance became effective with your husband's employer. Potentially you received a written notice about your effective date of enrollment in this insurance plan and failed to read the operative date.
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