In an attempt to cut health care costs, companies are conducting audits to determine which employees have ineligible dependents on their insurance plans. In some cases, companies are trying to recoup costs that they have incurred for these ineligible dependents. However, a full-scale audit can be a long and expensive process, and some consultants suggest targeting only a sample of the population to see if there is a problem.
See "Employers check family ties to cut health care rolls", Julie Appleby, USA Today, April 5, 2004