top o' the mornin'®

[earendel]

elwing got word yesterday that she is indeed eligible for unemployment benefits. The good news is that the "take home" amount is roughly the same as she was bringing home before. However since no taxes are being deducted, no retirement, no benefits, etc., there could be complications later. The bad news is that she was told that her medical benefits card was cut off the day she was terminated, even though the fund includes money that she contributed. So she's going to have to fight with the company about getting what she's owed.

[MarleysGh0st]

She should be able to continue her coverage under COBRA, although she'll have to pay the full premium, herself.

[earendel]

She should be able to continue her coverage under COBRA, although she'll have to pay the full premium, herself.

We're going back under my health insurance (we changed because of better dental coverage and prescription drug benefits), which we can do even though it's not "open season" because we have "experienced a life-changing event" (according to the benefits counselor in our personnel office). So we won't be uncovered, but elwing does want to get everything that she's owed.

[peacock2121]

She should be able to continue her coverage under COBRA, although she'll have to pay the full premium, herself.

We're going back under my health insurance (we changed because of better dental coverage and prescription drug benefits), which we can do even though it's not "open season" because we have "experienced a life-changing event" (according to the benefits counselor in our personnel office). So we won't be uncovered, but elwing does want to get everything that she's owed.

What is she owed?

Are you asking for coverage through the end of January or something different?

[earendel]

She should be able to continue her coverage under COBRA, although she'll have to pay the full premium, herself.

We're going back under my health insurance (we changed because of better dental coverage and prescription drug benefits), which we can do even though it's not "open season" because we have "experienced a life-changing event" (according to the benefits counselor in our personnel office). So we won't be uncovered, but elwing does want to get everything that she's owed.

What is she owed?

Are you asking for coverage through the end of January or something different?

Her medical coverage involved a "medical savings plan" into which she put contributions from her paychecks. That money was put onto a debit card which we used for copayments, prescriptions, etc. Now they are telling her that her card has been cancelled effective the date of her termination, despite the fact that there's still money on it. She either wants the card reactivated or the money returned to her.

[Rexer25]

We're going back under my health insurance (we changed because of better dental coverage and prescription drug benefits), which we can do even though it's not "open season" because we have "experienced a life-changing event" (according to the benefits counselor in our personnel office). So we won't be uncovered, but elwing does want to get everything that she's owed.

What is she owed?

Are you asking for coverage through the end of January or something different?

Her medical coverage involved a "medical savings plan" into which she put contributions from her paychecks. That money was put onto a debit card which we used for copayments, prescriptions, etc. Now they are telling her that her card has been cancelled effective the date of her termination, despite the fact that there's still money on it. She either wants the card reactivated or the money returned to her.

From what I know of these plans, and the way they are administered, I don't think she will get her money back. The money left in her account is used to cover shortfalls of people who use more of their fund than they've paid in, and then leave the company. It's far from fair, but it's the mechanism used to try to keep the funds relatively stable. I'm sure that this is all explained in her benefits information, which I think is kept in a cellar with a broken stairwell in a nondescript bungalow outside of a small village in Kamchatka.

[peacock2121]

We're going back under my health insurance (we changed because of better dental coverage and prescription drug benefits), which we can do even though it's not "open season" because we have "experienced a life-changing event" (according to the benefits counselor in our personnel office). So we won't be uncovered, but elwing does want to get everything that she's owed.

What is she owed?

Are you asking for coverage through the end of January or something different?

Her medical coverage involved a "medical savings plan" into which she put contributions from her paychecks. That money was put onto a debit card which we used for copayments, prescriptions, etc. Now they are telling her that her card has been cancelled effective the date of her termination, despite the fact that there's still money on it. She either wants the card reactivated or the money returned to her.

I can see her point.

I wish her luck.

[ghostjmf]

They have that "before taxes taken out" medical spending account where I work, & I've only used it once (for my eyeglasses) shaking with fear of rejection of my receipt all the time. I decided it just wasn't worth the fear-factor, & I've since paid taxed income for stuff I could have paid on this account. I know someone who set the money aside for dental repairs the dental plan either didn't cover or had a sizeable patient-payment on, then was told by the dentist that their mouth was in such bad shape the repairs could not be done (until infections subsided or were dealt with by procedures that were covered by their dental plan). They tried to get the money (quite a lot) back from the account. I don't know if they ever did.

This account where I work is farmed out to a seperate entity that takes these on just in case money gets left at the end of the year; they get to keep it. They really do not like to let it go.

[SportsFan68]

Her medical coverage involved a "medical savings plan" into which she put contributions from her paychecks. That money was put onto a debit card which we used for copayments, prescriptions, etc. Now they are telling her that her card has been cancelled effective the date of her termination, despite the fact that there's still money on it. She either wants the card reactivated or the money returned to her.

This is the sort of thing that used to make my head hurt when I was in HR, and sometimes my heart. I would call up the plan administrator and demand an explanation, and they would give me some baloney which almost didn't say anything, and it's a good thing I always made a note of the person I was talking to, because I would ask for a name to call in case the employee had questions. I would also ask what we could do as employer to ameliorate the situation. Sometimes there were things we could do -- add the employee's vacation time to the actual termination date, for example. Sometimes not.

Always, the people at the company wanted me to be the bearer of bad news so I'd get yelled at and not them, even though it was right up front in the contract, not at the bottom in the fine print, that the company was responsible for complete and understandable explanations.

I have no experience with MSAs, only with FSAs, so I don't have anything to speak from on the problem. I wish her the best of luck.