Health Insurance dilemma

[hostage]

I generally get great feedback from this forum, so I decided to ask this question here.

Right now I am getting health insurance from my fiance for a great rate at her place of employement as a "domestic partner". We are planning on getting married in a year. Next fall she will be quiting her job and going to get her masters. Her college provides health insurance and even has insurance for "spouses" for a good rate. The only problem is we aren't married yet and we have been planning on doing a large wedding next Memorial weekend. We have been engaged since October and dating for 9 years. NY state is so regliated that very few companies offer insurance let alone an affordable option. The cheapest I could find was close to ($600) 3x more than what I can get through my fiance's college. Would it make sense to get married earlier to save about $5,000 in health insurance and that does not include the tax benifit of us filing jointly? The famlies were looking forward to a wedding, though $5,000 is a lot of money.

 

[southkogs]

Re: Health Insurance dilemma

Two completely different things: getting married & having a wedding. One doesn't necessarily require the other (oddly).

Get married now - legally, at the courthouse in a bland "get the job done" ceremony. Now you're legal. Then have the big ole' wedding ceremony like you planned on later. Except for the people who need to know, no one needs to be the wiser.

My sister-in-law and her husband did that a couple of years ago to solve a similar situation.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Health Insurance dilemma

You could just do a Justice O' The Peace or Courtroom marriage for officialdom's sake now (or whenever you need it for the insurance), then just not tell anyone else and have the big wedding party later on the original planned date.

 

[Maclin]

Re: Health Insurance dilemma

...or just do what Southkogs said...

 

[Bob_VT]

Re: Health Insurance dilemma

Dating for 9 years!!!

Marry NOW! Reduce the stress. Problem solved.

Hey, my anniversary is this coming weekend. We planned our wedding so we would always have a 3 day weekend around our anniversary time

My son's anniversary was last weekend for basically the same reason.

 

[hostage]

Re: Health Insurance dilemma

Dating for 9 years!!!

Marry NOW! Reduce the stress. Problem solved.

Hey, my anniversary is this coming weekend. We planned our wedding so we would always have a 3 day weekend around our anniversary time

My son's anniversary was last weekend for basically the same reason.

Almost 10 years 0_0

Thanks for the feed ball from everyone so far. Any reason people could see this as a bad reason. All I can see is the less "special part blah blah blah."

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: Health Insurance dilemma

I agree, find a JOP or Judge, make it official then you can have the ceremony you planned in due time. No laws saying you can't marry her twice...

 

[drrpm]

Re: Health Insurance dilemma

Go to the JP this weekend and have a big first anniversary party next year.

 

[rbh]

Re: Health Insurance dilemma

I wonder if JB is a JP so you can get it done right here and keep it on the QT?? :facepalm:

(sorry could'nt help myself)

 

[hostage]

Re: Health Insurance dilemma

I googled eloping first then wedding later. I got a lot of bridal forums and wow I am glad I am not a woman. A lot of those women were very offended that the girl was asking the question of a similar situation. Just blows me away how judgemental people are. We were about to say screw it and do a small destination wedding or something, then both parents wanted us to have a large wedding ><.

I am going to look into her college a little more and see if they have "domestic partner", though I didn't see anything like it the other day.

Edit: Looking into this further it looks like they do support domestic partners, I just hope they don't have any restrictions for people of opposite sex

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Health Insurance dilemma

hostage,

I am not a 100% certain but I believe that under the new laws you can keep the insurance you currently have even if your GF leaves her current employer.

Maybe through Cobra but it will be the full cost of the insurance which will be a lot more than what he is currently paying.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Health Insurance dilemma

hostage,

I am not a 100% certain but I believe that under the new laws you can keep the insurance you currently have even if your GF leaves her current employer.

You can under COBRA but you have to be terminated for reasons other than gross conduct to qualify.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Health Insurance dilemma

You can under COBRA but you have to be terminated for reasons other than gross conduct to qualify.

Voluntary termination is also allowed.

 

[Cadwelder]

Re: Health Insurance dilemma

No real good answer when dealing with insurance, it's a rip off as is the whole medical profession, but they have us by the ba***. I've found the futher you stay away from doctors (unless you REALLY need them) the better off you are.

 

[korygrandy]

Re: Health Insurance dilemma

No real good answer when dealing with insurance, it's a rip off as is the whole medical profession, but they have us by the ba***. I've found the futher you stay away from doctors (unless you REALLY need them) the better off you are.

Unless your working in the profession, then chances are your enjoying a comfy lifestyle. Medical billing practices are sooo hosed up, but that's a story for a different day.

Talk to a couple (with your fiance) who have immigrated from another country. They will tell you how unimportant the ceremony is, and how important the JOP is.

And for pete's sakes...stay out of those bridal forums!

 

[jkust]

Re: Health Insurance dilemma

The state of NY with its community rating mandate is one of the worst, read most expensive, states to be in your situation. The community rating model is what the entire country will be moving to under the Obamacare law. In addition NY doesn't allow things such as short term medical which is individual major medical individually underwritten for a short duration. It is truly an awful state to not have an employer sponsored plan. Thinking out of the box can you move to another state? Have you actually looked into how much cobra will cost you? Was the $600 individual coverage for just you? Are you healthy? Just wait until the individual mandate arrives and you will be required to purchase insurance likely from the exchanges in this situation. You will receive free money from the taxpayers if you are up to 400% of the poverty rate to subsidize you up to the impoverished income level of $89,000. Can you wait it out until 2014? You can be literally on your death bed and sign up for coverage during the open enrollment period if you can wait it out. In other words, your house can be on fire and you can still buy a policy to rebuild it as it is falling to the ground.

 

[dingbat]

Re: Health Insurance dilemma

Voluntary termination is also allowed.

Retiring is a voluntray termination. Handing in your resignation is not.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Health Insurance dilemma

Retiring is a voluntray termination. Handing in your resignation is not.

According to all I have read, You get Cobra if you hand in your resignation as well. You aren't going to get subsidized but you will get it.

Google the following: cobra voluntary quit

 

[RogersJetboat454]

Re: Health Insurance dilemma

According to all I have read, You get Cobra if you hand in your resignation as well. You aren't going to get subsidized but you will get it.

Google the following: cobra voluntary quit

Agreed.

Two Jobs ago when I quit, the mail box was getting stuffed regularly with offers to continue my insurance with a COBRA plan.

 

[bruceb58]

Re: Health Insurance dilemma

Now that you mention it, I received notification from my old company regarding Cobra when I resigned.

Dingbat, how would anyone really know if you were resigning to take another job or retiring anyway?