I work for a startup company that just acquired 15 other companies.  I
was an employee of one of those 15 companies acquired.  I had company
subsidized health care.  Once we were acquired they took that away,
but my group plan didnt change!  Just all the sudden the company said
from now on 100% of the premium would be deducted from my check.

After about 5 months, the company got a new policy, company wide, all
130 employees under it.  They have us pay 100% of the premium.  I
don't believe the policy between this company and the insurance
company says that the employee pays 100%.  Does anyone even write such
policies? I mean for group health care (with decent premiums) to work
for the insurance company, you really need the company to subsidized
it, so the young, healthy, low paid people come on board and make the
numbers work.

In any case, the insurance company is United Healthcare, the premium
isn't too bad, and the coverage is generally good.  None of the young,
healthy, low paid people will take it however, only the mid/upper paid
employees and unhealthy ones sign up.

How can I find what the contract is between United and my employer to
verify the policy is such that the employee is to pay 100%?  If United
has a policy with my employer where the employer is suppose to be
paying say 50% or whatever, yet my employer is telling its employees
that they have to pay 100%, isn't that fraud?

How can I go about investigating this, and who can I report it to if I
indeed uncover some mismangement of the plan?

Risky Risky Risky, but if you are really interested in finding out
this info. You could try your state insurance commissioner and ask
them to investigate.

Maybe your state has some law about employers paying some portion of
your insurance or offering insurance based on their size, I doubt it. 
If it doesn't the company does NOT have to offer any insurance at all,
let along pay for it.  Most companies offer insurance to retain
employees, that does not mean that they have to pay for it - just
offer it.  The rates they can get are lower with better coverage then
you can get on your own, that's the benefit.

I hope this help.

I am not saying there is a state law or anything like that.  I just
don't believe that a healthcare company would offer a group policy,
with a decent premium, for 130+ employees if it was not subsidized. 
In order for group policies to work (in the favor of the insurance
company), it has to be subsidized.  I don't even believe companies
like United, etc would write a policy for that large a group without
it being subsidized.

Also, true, the company does not have to offer healthcare at all, no
doubt.  But if you sign a contract with the insurance carrier based on
the fact your subsidizing the premium, and then you dont actually
subsidize the premium, that would have to be actionable, not just
civilly but perhaps criminally.

Brian

I don't understand the subsidizing the premium as being a requirement
to the issuance of insurance to your company.   The premium is the
premium - they will not care who pays it.  The insurance company does
not really care that 130 employees may or may not sign up for the
insurance.  My experience with this is the insurance company does NOT
look at a small company and then issue a new group policy for just
that company.  The group policy you have has many, many companies with
1,000s of employees. Your 130 employees just fall through the cracks. 
In other words, more than likely, the success or failure of that group
policy does not ride with your company.

just4fun2,

when an insurance carrier issues a group policy to a company, it is a
contract between that company and the carrier.  Group policies specify
a minimum employer contribution and a minimum employee participation. 
These numbers must be met or they are dealbreakers.

I am really looking for someone with legal experience or insurance
investigation experience to chime in and tell me their take.

Brian

sounds somewhat similar to my question and problem.  when our health
insurance changed from one company to another the paper that comes
with the new company was broken down to what the employee has to
contribute, how much the insurance would cost for the spouse to be
added on and how much it would cost for the whole family. The company
was to pay 100 percent and for my spouse to be added on it said one
amount.  however they deducted 70.00 more a month for my spouse then
originally stated plus 40.00 monthly was deducted also under misc. oh,
sorry let me clarify. the 253.oo/monthly that was deducted for my
spouse was listed under insurance and the 40.00 deducted was listed
under misc. This went on for a year and in 2003 they changed to a ppo
and 389.oo was deducted for spouse and then first it was told to us
that they couldn't afford it and now we're paying half of ours which
is 150.00 /month. also we can't access that paper from the insurance
company that tells you how much the employee costs, the spouse added .
 if you want to see this you can't.  you have to call the boss and she
will tell you. an employee was told recently that to add her husband
onto the policy it would be over 500.00 /monthly plus the additional
150.00 for her.  this is also a large company, probably way over 130
people taking the insurance.  I think the boss is just telling us the
insurance costs that much so she can deduct it and run away with our
money. any comments? I have to go but I'll check this site tomorrow or
the next day.