SSN and open enrollment deadline for health insurance

[green_rabbit 69]

Hello, 

 

 I have had some problems getting an SSN for my husband. We tried when he arrived, but there was some mismatch and it never got approved in time. 

Then we checked the box on the EAD form to get an SSN through that, but it's been 7 business days since the EAD card arrived, and no SSN yet. I called the local SSA office, as recommended, but didn't get through to anyone yet, and I am still trying. 

 

My main concern is that I wanted to add my husband to my health insurance plan at work during the open enrollment period. I tried to do this right after our marriage, but the HR rep said it wasn't possible without an SSN. 

I sent HR a link (https://www.irs.gov/affordable-care-act/questions-and-answers-about-reporting-social-security-numbers-to-your-health-insurance-company) saying it was possible to add people to health insurance plans without an SSN, but I never heard back from her and just got a crappy/expensive private insurance for my husband up until now. I was really hoping I'd be able to add him easily this year. I explained the situation to the HR person, and asked again if it would be possible to add him without an SSN for the moment, since even if all goes well this time for once, it may take longer than the remaining open enrollment time for him to receive the card. Her response was that the health insurance providers are "lenient with us, but not so lenient that they'd take someone without an SSN, lol." 

 

So obviously, ideally, everything goes well at the SSA this time and he gets the number in time to be added, but what can I do to prepare if not? Does anyone know of any other links I can show that he can be added to a plan without an SSN? Can I call the health insurance providers myself to ask about it?  How have other people convinced their HR representatives to add someone to a plan without an SSN?

[Mike E 11,739]

What happens when you try to enroll him with an ssn of 000-00-0000?

[Adventine 3,196]

Hindsight is 20/20 but you should have escalated to an HR supervisor who knew what they were doing. 

 

Until very recently, I was on my husband's health insurance without any SSN. He only had to enter my name as his spouse on his employer's online HR portal. When my SSN arrived recently, we added it to the HR portal ourselves. It was funny seeing the placeholder SSN number as 999-99-9999.

[green_rabbit 69]

1 hour ago, Mike E said:

What happens when you try to enroll him with an ssn of 000-00-0000?

 

1 hour ago, Adventine said:

Hindsight is 20/20 but you should have escalated to an HR supervisor who knew what they were doing. 

 

Until very recently, I was on my husband's health insurance without any SSN. He only had to enter my name as his spouse on his employer's online HR portal. When my SSN arrived recently, we added it to the HR portal ourselves. It was funny seeing the placeholder SSN number as 999-99-9999.

 

There is no HR portal here. To make any changes, I have to call this person (head of benefits) in HR and she makes any changes in their system. She says she called the provider for me and they confirmed they won't accept anyone without an SSN. I think the only way is for me to somehow convince her to put it through with a dummy number or to keep calling higher-up people at the provider. But she doesn't seem too motivated to do either. 

 

There is a head of HR who I guess might help, but in the past when I had a different problem, she just deferred to the benefits specialist... 

[Mike E 11,739]

1 hour ago, green_rabbit said:

 

 

There is no HR portal here. To make any changes, I have to call this person (head of benefits) in HR and she makes any changes in their system. She says she called the provider for me and they confirmed they won't accept anyone without an SSN. I think the only way is for me to somehow convince her to put it through with a dummy number or to keep calling higher-up people at the provider. But she doesn't seem too motivated to do either. 

 

There is a head of HR who I guess might help, but in the past when I had a different problem, she just deferred to the benefits specialist... 

per https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_Security_number numbers between 900–xx-xxxx and 999-xx-xxxc are  not available for assignment.  

Edited November 18, 2021 by Mike E