John Garner serves as the national Legislative and Government Affairs advisor for the Disability Management Employer Coalition and writes most of DMEC‘s legislative updates.
Mr. Garner began his career in employee benefits in 1971. Before founding Garner Consulting in 1987 he was a Principal in the Los Angeles office of Towers, Perrin, where he worked for over 10 years. Prior to that he managed a group claim office for Lincoln National Life. Previously he supervised a claim office for Prudential, where he also served as an underwriter.
Mr. Garner received his B.A. from Occidental College in 1971, became a Chartered Life Underwriter in 1976, a Certified Professional Consultant to Management in 1991, a Certified Employee Benefits Specialist in 1993, Certified in Flexible Compensation Instruction in 2000, a Group Benefits Associate and a Retirement Plans Associate in 2001 and a Certified Management Consultant in 2005.
He is author of the Health Insurance Answer Book and co-author of the three-volume Medical/Disability Claims Handbook; additionally his articles have appeared in numerous publications.
I appreciate that you have chosen to enlighten people on how laws are aimed at offering assistance to Military members. Although I have not needed to take advantage of some of these laws, it is a subject that is important to me and I was glad to learn more about them.
Thank you
[...] Services (HHS) continues to require greater oversight of preventive care. (See the article by John Garner below) Pro Pharma’s clinical and management screens (Invoice Screening™) proactively [...]
Our daughter is on her fathers insurance thru Cigna. She will turn 26 On 1/15 & her child is due 3/9.
How will she get continued coverage u til she delivers the baby?
We are in VA
I started a new job last March 2012. I was told that the Union (Local 74) affiliated with my employers, offered a family medical health plan. Previously we had a family plan from Blue Cross Blue Shield, which covered my daughter. After 3 months of employment, I was told by the Union, that my 35 year old autistic, mildly mentally retarded daughter, would not be covered under my family plan because she was over the age of 26. Only employees who were enrolled in the medical plan before their children turned 26, were able to be grandfathered into the medical plan.. Isn’t this..discrimination?
Please help.
Pamela
Pamela,
The health care reform law requires that children be covered up to age 26, but not beyond that. Many plans will cover older “handicapped” children, but typically only if the child was covered at some specified age, such as 19 or 26. Starting in October, your daughter will be able to enroll in any individual health insurance policy, with coverage effective in January.