Pre-enrollment "catch-up" payments?

As a temp worker, I was just informed by my employer that I've accrued enough hours to get health insurance. I got the notification on June 25 and enrolled a couple weeks later.

Today, mid-July, they told me that my enrollment was approved, and that my benefit is effective June 1 and that I would have to make up payments as of that date.

I got on the phone with the Benefit Specialist right away and told her that paying for a full month of benefits that I don't have access to isn't in the cards for me. She then went to her boss and they agreed that the June 1 effective date could be moved to July 1.

However, today is July 16… I don't want to make a full payment for 2 weeks that I didn't have access to benefits. I asked if my effective date could be in the future, ie, August 1st.

Her response was, "No, it's got to be July 1st. [The company] must abide by IRS regulations."

Is this fair and/or legal?

submitted by /u/Remote-Exam-8674
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