800 teachers in Paterson, Newark went 4 months without insurance due to paperwork problem

[proud2BlibKansan]

I found this interesting because my insurance was canceled this summer. I had to go in for some tests and the lab called me to pre-register over the phone the day before my appointment. She had me read my policy numbers to her three times and then said "Well that's odd. You are coming up as not covered." I said as far as I knew, my employer had not changed our providers. She said "And your district just laid off a bunch of teachers, didn't they?" I said yes and she said "Oh this happens a lot when an employer has layoffs. They temporarily cancel ALL the policies." She went on to say that I should still keep my appointment, it was just a paperwork error that would be straightened out by the time the lab billed the insurance company. And I am assuming it was, since I received a notice from my insurance company that they did pay the lab.

Just one more way teachers (and other workers too I am sure) get screwed.

As many as 800 teachers and school employees in Newark and Paterson were without health insurance for four months because of a paperwork problem at the state level.

The problem primarily affected staff rehired this summer following last spring’s cuts in education budgets, though it also touched new hires and teachers trying to add dependents to their policies.

Six-hundred Paterson Public Schools employees got back on the state’s health insurance rolls this week. Up to 200 Newark teachers and staff have not been as lucky and are still without coverage.

A spokesman for the Treasury Department said the state health benefits commission is aware of the problem, but he is not sure how many public school employees are affected. The insurance problem could affect teachers throughout the state who were laid off and then rehired by their districts before the start of the school year.

"The state health benefits commission is making every effort to process them quicker and put them on the front burner, now that they know this is happening," said Treasury spokesman Andy Pratt. "Now they realize this is something they can expedite and will expedite."

more . . . http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/10/800_teachers_in_paterson_newar.html

[donco6]

1. We've laid off teachers, but I can assure you -

We have NEVER EVER canceled "everybody." It's not something you can even do en masse. You have to touch every single employee's file to make that kind of change.

This isn't the first screw-up your HR has made - I recall something else a while back. Are they just that kinda incompetent or what?

[proud2BlibKansan]

3. LOL Yes.

Our HR is pretty dysfunctional.

We just hired a new para. She was laid off in July, and her insurance was canceled in June.

[donco6]

2. Oh, and also -

After the first month, wouldn't someone notice they didn't get a bill for hundreds of thousands of dollars from your health insurance carrier? WTF?