A question about ACA

[catrose]

The HR Dept of my contractor shop claims I have to provide them a copy of my marriage license to claim a spouse for dependent benefits. They say it's because of new "Obamacare" requirements. In googling, I find that ERISA allows employers to require people to submit marriage licenses (though it's the first time in 45 years of working that I've had to, but I don't see where the ACA requires it.

Does anyone have any better knowledge? I don't mind calling them on their "mistake."

[djean111]

1. I predict that there will be a LOT of things that employers have always wanted to do -

that they will blame on Obamacare.

[Squinch]

2. I agree. And I think catrose has the right idea to find out what REALLY requires it and set the guy

straight.

[catrose]

5. That was my feeling

This company, despite being located in New Jersey, has Indian employees. They read from a script and cannot answer if you ask a question off the script; their English isn't that good. I blame the invisible New Jersey executives.

[SharonAnn]

8. This has been required by some companies for years, AFAIK.

They didn't want to pay for anything they didn't have to.

[PoliticAverse]

9. Also claiming someone as a spouse who isn't to get health insurance is insurance fraud... n/t

[PoliticAverse]

3. It's not an ACA requirement, but as you point out they are permitted to do so to verify

that who you are adding is actually married to you.

[Demo_Chris]

4. Who are you going to call on this "mistake"?

The HR person just doing what he was told to do?

In any case you can expect a whole lot more of this. Obamacare is a ludicrously complex law, and no one seems to know what exactly is in it. What we DO know is that, thanks to Obama, purchasing private insurance is now a legal requirement for every citizen in America.

That part we know because that was really the only part that the Insurance companies and Obama cared about. You have to buy their product whether you can afford it or not. You have to buy it no matter how much it eventually costs or how little it covers. You have to buy it even if it never covers anything at all. You have to buy from these ghouls no matter how poorly they treat you. They can waltz into your hospital room, take a steaming crap on your bed, yank out your catheter, refuse to pay a dime, call you every profanity in the urban dictionary, and they are still legally ENTITLED to your money and business.

[catrose]

6. Yes, the HR person

Who, if she is spreading incorrect information, needs to know it.

[Hoyt]

7. Actually, millions of uninsured will be eligible for Medicaid, at least in states

with sense to sign up for federal money.

I choose to look at the ACA as a big step toward single payer, with private insurers taking most of the risk of this endeavor to insure most people.