Are you preparing to join a company and already have supplementary health cover? A company health insurance waiver may be possible, but the grounds and timing of the request depend in particular on the type of cover you have. Individual health insurance may allow you to request a waiver, but only until the individual policy expires.
Before requesting a waiver, identify exactly what cover you currently have and the date on which you want to claim the waiver. The situations below will help you prepare for a conversation with your future employer.
You have individual health insurance
If you already have individual cover, you can request a waiver from joining the health expenses scheme set up by your company. The waiver applies only until the individual policy expires. The request must be made when you are hired or when the group cover is put in place.
To prepare your request, identify the expiry date of your individual policy and distinguish it from your hiring date. This will help you determine the period covered by the waiver and ask the company your questions before you start.
You are covered by another scheme, particularly as a dependant
A waiver may also be requested if you are already covered, including as a dependant, by certain schemes. Service Public cites, among others, another compulsory company group health expenses scheme, a so-called Madelin group insurance policy, the Alsace-Moselle local scheme, the CAMIEG supplementary scheme and a supplementary social protection provider for employees of the state or local authorities.
For the other compulsory company group health expenses scheme, family members must be able to join; it does not matter whether this cover is optional or compulsory. The name of your cover and whether you are a member or a dependant are therefore useful when assessing your situation.
In these cases, you can make the request when you are hired, on the date the benefits are put in place or on the date the cover that allows you to request the waiver takes effect. If your other cover takes effect after you start, it is therefore worth identifying that date.
You receive complémentaire santé solidaire
If you receive complémentaire santé solidaire, or CSS, you can request a waiver from joining the company health expenses scheme. The waiver applies for as long as you receive CSS.
The request can be made when you are hired, on the date the benefits are put in place or on the date the CSS that allows you to request the waiver takes effect. To prepare for your discussion with the company, note the effective date of your CSS and compare it with your start date.
On a CDD: also check the instrument establishing the cover
If you are on a CDD of less than 12 months, you can request a waiver from joining the group policy even if you do not have individual cover elsewhere. For this waiver to be possible, the legal instrument establishing the group cover scheme must provide for it. The employer is then required to accept the waiver.
If you are on a CDD of at least 12 months, you can request a waiver provided you supply all documents proving that you have supplementary cover taken out elsewhere for the same type of benefits. For this waiver to be possible, the legal instrument establishing the group cover scheme must provide for it. The employer is then required to accept the waiver.
A collective agreement or a unilateral decision by the employer are examples of legal instruments cited by Service Public. Ask the company which instrument establishes the cover and whether it provides for the waiver that corresponds to your situation.
Prepare your request without confusing health and provident cover
For cases involving individual cover and cover under one of the schemes mentioned above, the waiver applies only to reimbursement of health expenses (and not to incapacity, disability, death or supplementary retirement benefits). It is therefore useful to specify in your discussion which benefits your request concerns.
Before you start your job, you can follow these steps:
- Identify your situation: individual policy, cover as a dependant, CSS or another relevant scheme.
- Note the relevant date: hiring, implementation of the benefits, the effective date of the other cover or expiry of the individual policy, as applicable.
- For a CDD, ask which instrument establishes the group cover and check whether it provides for the proposed waiver.
- Present your situation to the company and ask about the practical arrangements for your waiver request.
These pointers provide general information to help you prepare; they do not replace an assessment of your situation with the relevant contacts. If you have questions, Service Public says that the departmental authority responsible for employment, labour and social solidarity can assist you.
