Enrollment period

GLC

Our company went through open enrollment in Sep 03. We have an employee whose husband is going through open enrollment at his company in December. He is wanting to come on our plan in Jan 04. Can we legally do? I thought we could since the two open enrollment periods are at different times. Also, the husband's daughter would come on also, which is the STEPdaughter of our employee. Can our employee bring on a stepchild to our insurance.

LindaS

I don't think the two different open enrollment periods matter. In absence of a qualifying event the employee should not be able to make any changes to her coverage until the next open enrollment. As far as the step child, you will need to look at your plan to determine the definition of "dependent". Some plans, ours for example, doesn't allow for stepchildren unless they spend more than 50% of their time with the employee and are financially dependent on the employee. Make sure you find out of the stepchild would qualify before the husband drops coverage.

GLC

Well how will the spouse ever be able to come on our plan because the open enrollment periods will always be different. When our enrollment period rolls around again in Sept., does his company have to let him drop since his open enrollment period is in Dec.?

Betty I_O

He should be able to opt out of his plan outside of his open enrollment period.

Betty I_O

The two open enrollment periods have no relationship to each other nor to whether this employee's husband can come into your plan. Linda is correct--it has to be a qualifying event to allow him to enroll before your next open enrollment. She also is correct about your determining if the stepchild would even qualify as a dependent under your plan. Your plan document and its eligibility/enrollment provisions govern this situation. We've even had employees attempt to pick up their spouse on our plan outside of open enrollment because the cost sharing for the spouse's plan went up. Unfortunately, that's not a qualifying event either.