Benefits for a "One-day Worker"??

ritamcguire

Our company requires a new employee to work for 60 days before becoming eligible for health benefits. We recently had an employee get seriously hurt on his first day at work. He is drawing workers comp while recovering at home. He has a lawyer and is trying to get full disability.

Do we have to offer this individual our health package (medical, dental, vision, and life insurance) 60 days after his hire date?

marc

What a bummer!! Getting seriously injured on the first day.

If you have placed the EE is on some sort of leave status, you may need to offer these benefits because they are still an employee then, just on some sort of inactive status.

I would ask your insurance carrier and/or your legal for an opinion.

stilldazed

Check your contract verbiage. You have to offer as you would for any other employee who satisfies the waiting period, but coverage will probably not be effective until the employee is able to return to work. The logistical issue may be that you can't give a presentation to the employee until he/she is back to work. A standard limitation for insurance effective dates is that employees be able to work on their first day of coverage.

ritamcguire

Marc and Stilldazed:

Thanks for two good suggestions! Per Marc's suggestion, I'll run this through our attourney. Per Still's suggestion, I'm looking into your comment that he has to be actively working to start his medical plan. Thanks again.

Rita M

irenesmsaclaims

One caution: HIPAA's "discrimination on the basis of health condition" prohibition has affected a plan's ability to restrict coverage only to "actively at work" employees.