Waiting period and health insurance eligibility

HRAnnie

We have a 20-working day waiting period before new employees can be eligible for health insurance benefits. Under HIPAA, would a day off due to a health related reason count toward the 20-work days? Also, would a day off for a non-health related reason (pipes in the house froze, etc.) NOT count toward the 20-work day waiting period? Thank you for your feedback.

marc

If the EE was paid (holiday, well-day, etc) or on an approved leave, we count the day.

mushroomHR

We also count any approved day off towards the waiting period.

E Wart

This is an unusual number... I have heard of 2 weeks a month etc, but not 20 days!!
I don't know how many employees you have but you could be nit picking and cause you and supv a lot of time and head ache. I would say that you need to look at the policy and see how it is worded. If it says they have to be employed, I think that means they are considered an employee of yours, not whether they worked or were paid. I would say just their first 20 days of employment..
Also, I am sorry but don't follow your HIPAA comment. Do you mean FMLA? THey can't have FMLA if they have only been employed for 20 days?
E Wart

dynamite9551

you state 20 "working" days - if they are not at work they are not "working". perhaps you should amend your policy to state just "20 days". just out of curiosity why 20 days? why not 10 or 30 or such?

Don D

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 01-26-05 AT 06:34PM (CST)[/font][br][br]A better question for you is do weekends count? Twenty working days is typically a month. But, that wasn't your question. If your policy states 20 working days, that will have to be your criteria.

Our corporation covers employees the first day of the month following the month in which hired. Therefore, when I came to work here two years ago, I agreed to take the job on the 30th of the month so I had coverage the next day.

HIPAA doesn't control the effective date of your company insurance coverage.

irenesmsaclaims

I'm thinking that maybe the original poster was thinking about the HIPAA rule that a plan cannot deny or delay coverage due to a health condition. It would be different to delay the coverage due to a specific health condition than to add a day to the waiting period because an employee is out sick--which would not be a violation of this HIPAA rule. Not sure I've interpreted the original question correctly.