Can your employer deny you insurance because you are married?

Question

IN THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA

I am getting married soon and found out my employer policy if you are married you can't get your free insurance through them anymore, you have to go through your spouses employer even if you have to pay there. It doesn't matter if you are the husband or wife or who's oldest....

So when single I get free health and Eye....once married they won't cover me and I have to go to my husbands employer and pay over $300 a month to be added?

Is this legal? I know all the married employees are mad because they all have to pay through their wife and husband employers. If this is or is NOT legal can some one please provide me a link to where I can print it out? Thanks in advance.

This is ONLY if your spouse work has insurance....if they don't then you can get the insurance through here, but just for yourself and Kids not spouse??

NO just NO answers! I need proof for this answer please!

Answer 1

of course its legal... Its a BENEFIT. They don't have to offer you insurance at all. & They can make up their own entitlement rules, as long as the rules apply to all employees.

You're prolly  not going to find something that says its legal.

Try the pa department of insurance website. Or the department of labor's web site.

Answer 2

If you don't get a definitive answer, I suggest you contact your state's insurance board. They're a valuable resource and will tell you the real deal.

Answer 3

That is not legal, are you sure you haven't misunderstood something?  Your company can charge for your spouse if they are eligible to be covered under their own employers policy, but they can't put that on their own employee.  

The only time where the rules might be different is if your employer plan is self insured, then they don't have to follow the same stringent laws as a fully insured plan.  

Like they said above, contact the Insurance regulator.

Answer 4

it is illegal, though the specific terms that have to be changed need to go through the state insurance secretary.  Basically the law works like this they cannot change their policy of elligability for coverage based on married status.  However they are free to pass along the FULL cost of any additional people (spouse kids etc) to you but if you were free as a single person they have to continue that coverage when you are married.

www.state.pa.us   look for "insurance" then "file a complaint"