H4 insurance

[FFG]

Dear Sir/Madam,

I'm holding H1 Visa and my spouse came on the same day with me holding H4 Visa. I joined the group insurance of my company in April, but company told that they cannot enroll my spouse because he has no SSN. Until June, I keep calling and consulting with the insurance company, but still cannot enroll my spouse. Insurance company told the company should issue a letter of intent to pay back premiums to April for my spouse. Does the company NEED to do so as it's a part of employer's welfare? what can I do if the company is not willing to pay and enroll my spouse?

[inadmissible]

That's bollocks. Call your state insurance commissioner and file a complaint against the insurer. It would help your insurer if you wife got the "not eligible for SSN" letter from the Social Security Administration.

https://www.healthcare.gov/immigrants/immigration-status/

She may not be entitled to premium tax credit, but is eligible for coverage thanks to Obamacare.

[FFG]

Thank you for your reply.
Thanks to Obamacare, we may need to pay a lot for the penalty if my spouse doesn't have insurance.
At the very beginning, I think the insurer didn't instructed the company fully when noticing that my spouse has no SSN, they should have well instructed step by step how to enroll.
The situation now is that, it seems that my company doesn't want to pay back the premium for April and May. if I enroll my spouse now, company needs to pay back, if the company doesn't pay, we need to wait until next enrollment open.
My question is that, whether my company has full responsibility to enroll my spouse as it's kind of welfare, employee's benefit?

[inadmissible]

ERISA Plan benefits are enforceable by the United States Department of Labor. https://www.dol.gov/ebsa/contactEBSA...assistance.htm

[FFG]

Than you. I was told today that company just can help to enroll my spouse if I wish to, but all the premiums should be on my own. maybe hundreds of dollars?

ERISA Plan benefits are enforceable by the United States Department of Labor. https://www.dol.gov/ebsa/contactEBSA...assistance.htm

[benefitslaw]

Three Things About ERISA Employee Benefits Plan

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) enacted September 2, 1974, codified in part at is a federal law that establishes minimum standards for pension plans in private industry and provides for extensive rules on the federal income tax effects of transactions associated with employee benefit plans. ERISA was enacted to protect the interests of employee benefit plan participants and their beneficiaries by:

1.Requiring the disclosure of financial and other information concerning the plan to beneficiaries;
2.Establishing standards of conduct for plan fiduciaries;
3.Providing for appropriate remedies and access to the federal courts.

ERISA is sometimes used to refer to the full body of laws that regulate employee benefit plans, which are mainly in the Internal Revenue Code and ERISA itself.