Changing benefits
You may change your benefits once a year during the fall open enrollment period or within 30-days of a family status change.
Open enrollment is held once each year in the fall. During this time, you can change your benefits plans, add and drop dependents, and add or drop coverages.
- If you make changes during open enrollment, your new coverage is effective on January 1 of the new plan year.
- Enrollment for Life insurance is subject to the approval of your Medical History Statement by the carrier.
- This is also the time to enroll in the Flexible Spending Account program (Health Care and Dependent Care). You must re-enroll every year, even if you had an account the previous year.
Qualified life events
You may make benefit changes during the plan year if any of these qualified life events occur:
- Birth, adoption or placement for adoption of a child (within 60 days of birth/adoption)
- Employees who waived medical may enroll within 30 days of losing coverage under their spouse's or domestic partner's health plan
- Loss of a child's, spouse's or domestic partner's eligibility under another health plan (within 30 days of loss of eligibility)
- Marriage or formation of a domestic partnership (within 30 days of marriage/formation of domestic partnership)
- Divorce or termination of a domestic partnership (within 30 days of divorce/termination of domestic partnership)
Any change you make must be consistent with the change in status. Here are several examples:
- If you adopt a child, you may add coverage for that child. (within 60 days of birth/adoption; however, you may not add coverage for your other children at that time)
- If your child loses coverage under your spouse's coverage, you may add this child to your healthcare plans. (within 30 days of loss of eligibility)
- If you get married or form a domestic partnership, you may enroll your new spouse or domestic partner and his/her eligible children. (within 30 days of marriage/formation of domestic partnership)
- If you divorce, you must discontinue your (ex)spouse's coverage. (within 30 days of divorce/termination of domestic partnership to avoid paying premiums after coverage is terminated)