Workplace Health Insurance

[ivyopposite]

Hi everyone,

DH has private health insurance through his employer, which is an American company.

It only covers him which I thought was standard - however, a friend of mine expressed surprise that it doesn't cover me and our kids, particularly as it is a US company.

I am wondering if this is anything to do with the fact that, while DH now works for an American employer, he was originally working for a European company (which was then acquired by the US company). European company had a bit of a reputation for being tight, and there are still issues surrounding salaries and benefits for the European employees not being given equal benefits...

Does anyone have any idea? Is it standard for health insurance in the US to cover families?

Is he in the UK? My experience was that the default was to just cover the employee but you could usually pay more to include a partner/children. I think it would be unfair if they covered family members as a blanket rule because that would surely push the basic price up for everyone, whether they had a partner/kids or not? But my DH also works for an American company and the benefits, including health insurance, are pretty terrible so I wouldn't assume much either way.

I work in health insurance and the standard is employee only but you can pay extra to add your family. To have company paid for the whole family is quite rare and mainly top executives

If he’s in the UK then employee only is more common though depends on seniority

It is unusual now in my company, but I asked for it as others on my level had it and we are all covered, but this is in the UK for British employer

UK employee here but company I work for is American. We have employee only as standard but I can pay more to add partner / children if needed via salary sacrifice

It depends on grade in my company my previous grade just covered me and I could pay to add family.

My current grade covers me and my children - it's great to know we all have cover.

Thanks all! He is in the UK, yes - but employed by an American company. Friend seemed to think most US employer policies cover families as everyone has to have insurance and it’s regarded as part of the overall package, but maybe she’s wrong.

I was also talking to another friend and was really surprised when she told me her work health insurance in the UK covers her DH and kids. She’s not at some investment bank or law firm, and her job is mid-level, so I was really surprised by this also!

US companies will have to offer it to US employees but not anyone else. DH gets other benefits from being based in the UK (eg more paid holiday) so his company's argument is that it all evens out.

@Fluffycloudsfloatinginthesky - that’s interesting. My DH is upper-middle management here. Not C-level, but one notch down, so still pretty senior…

I’m just trying to look into it as the company unfortunately has form for not being quite fair/seeing what they can get away with in terms of what they do or don’t offer employees in non-US countries!

I don't manage anyone. Guess I'd say I'm mid level.

@mynameiscalypso - thank you. hmmmm I am not sure about that! DH has to book all his holiday time in hours off on the US company website, I think they all get the same amount.

@ivyopposite But he presumably gets the statutory minimum holidays in the UK (20+8)? That's usually more than US colleagues will get although it does vary from company to company.

@mynameiscalypso - thanks again . I think he does get the UK minimum with holidays. That said, I don’t think a few extra days holidays makes up for private health insurance for your spouse and kids, if that’s the trade off?

@ivyopposite Oh I totally agree! It's just the logic that my DH's American company use. They're generally super stingy in my experience!