March 10, 2010

ATLANTA (AP) -- The University System of Georgia hopes to save up
to $4 million by auditing employees' health insurance coverage.

Tom Scheer, associate vice chancellor for life and health benefits, says this is first systemwide audit of the dependents that workers claim on their insurance. Scheer says that he expects to drop 5 percent of dependents, though that is considered a conservative estimate.

Reasons for ineligibility include children who are no longer full-time students and divorces that make a child a dependent of the other spouse.

Employees will get a one-month amnesty period to voluntarily withdraw their ineligible dependents from coverage. Those who do not will be dropped from the health insurance along with their entire family and can reapply for coverage in the fall.

(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)