Q: If an enrolled employee’s dependent loses coverage and needs to enroll under the employee, is that an opportunity to switch medical plans and carriers, or are they restricted to their current plan?
A: The employee can enroll the dependent in any plan option offered by the employee’s employer. This is a HIPAA special enrollment right and the right extends to any benefit plan option, even if the employee was not previously on that option.
Here is an example from the HIPAA special enrollment regulations:
Facts. Individual A works for Employer X. X maintains a group health plan with two benefit packages—an HMO option and an indemnity option. Self-only and family coverage are available under both options. A enrolls for self-only coverage in the HMO option. A’s spouse works for Employer Y and was enrolled for self-only coverage under Y’s plan at the time coverage was offered under X’s plan. Then, A’s spouse loses coverage under Y’s plan. A requests special enrollment for A and A’s spouse under the plan’s indemnity option.
Conclusion. In this example, because A’s spouse satisfies the conditions for special enrollment under paragraph (a)(2)(ii) of this section, both A and A’s spouse can enroll in either benefit package under X’s plan. Therefore, if A requests enrollment in accordance with the requirements of this section, the plan must allow A and A’s spouse to enroll in the indemnity option.