Generally insurance coverage should be offered to an employees spouse. It does not matter if they are offered coverage from their employer whereas it provides an additional option in case 1 plan is more affordable than the other.
Not in the United States or Canada, unless the employer also refuses insurance coverage to opposite-sex spouses.
Assuming the employer offers coverage to spouses, then the employer would not have the right to turn a spouse away. The spouse's loss of coverage is a "qualifying event" and the employer's insurer would allow the spouse to join.
The employer does not have to pay for the spouse's coverage. It can be offered to the employee and the cost taken from his/her paycheck to cover the spouse. There is no legal requirement for the employer to offer coverage for spouses -- even at the employee's expense. However, it would be very unusual for a plan to cover only employees and not have coverage available for spouses and children.
They can choose not to provide coverage for a spouse. US law states employers have to provide insurance for employee's children under the age of 26, but does not say anything about spouses, so they can choose to stop covering employee's spouses.
some patients have two insurers because both spouses receive coverage through their employer or because they have purchased an HMO policy to supplement the deficiencies of a basic polic, such as Medicare.
some patients have two insurers because both spouses receive coverage through their employer or because they have purchased an HMO policy to supplement the deficiencies of a basic polic, such as Medicare.
If you mean can they buy insurance jointly or insure each other, then the answer is "yes" in states where same-sex marriage is legal. If you mean to ask if an employer will give health, dental, optical insurance benefits to the same-sex spouse, then the answer is this: In states where same-sex marriage is legal, if an employer gives any benefit to the spouses of its workers, then it cannot legally deny that benefit to the spouse of one of its workers merely because his marriage is a same-sex marriage. So the answer is yes. If they extend insurance coverage to spouses, then they must do so to ALL spouses.
yes they can
You can but it is unwise because you need to know when you would be covered by the spouse's health plan. Some plans have 3 and 6 monthj waiting periods. So it is wise to keep your insurance, sign up on the spouse's insurance then later on after you have your new coverage in effect you could drop your employer's plan. Some employers however "require" their employees to be covered or are paying for the coverage. Check with your employer about that. Some employers will also refuse to cover you again if you lose your husband's coverage. If the marriage is not is good shape it is a foolish to drop your own coverage in case there is a divorce. Sorry to mention it but is true.
Yes, they do.
You would have to sign a waiver on your insurance stating that you have prior coverage. Your application that your employer gives you should have that on it. The above answer assumes that you have the right to opt out. Here in CA if your employer pays 100% of the premium you can not opt out even if you are eligible for other group coverage. Often the employer will tell you that they pay 100% (and they actually do) but the plan documents will say that they only pay 99%. This would then allow you to decline coverage.
If both you and your spouse have full medical coverage then the insurance compnay will revert back to your and your spouse's date of birth. Whoever's birthdate is first in a calendar year, then that is the primary insurance. For example, if your birthday is November 1, but your spouse's birthday is February 12, then your spouses insurance is primary for both of you.