Making Changes to Your Benefits

Submitted by mgmarti on
Introduction
If your family or job situation changes, you may be able to make changes to your benefits without waiting until the next Open Enrollment period. This is called a qualifying event.
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Situations where you may be able to make changes include:

  • Birth/adoption (or placement for adoption) of a child.*
  • Marriage/divorce/change in domestic partnership.*
  • Change in Medicare eligibility.*
  • Change in Medicaid/CHIP eligibility.**
  • Death of a spouse, domestic partner or dependent.*
  • Eligible child loses or acquired group medical or dental coverage.*
  • Change in spouse/domestic partner's employment status resulting in a loss/gain of other group health coverage or Open Enrollment at spouse/domestic partner's employer.*
  • Change in status from full-time (90-100% FTE) to  part-time benefits eligible (60-80% FTE) or vice versa.

In addition to the situations listed above you may make changes to your Dependent Care FSA:

  • When your child turns 13 and ceases to be an eligible dependent.
  • When you experience a change in day care provider, you may change your enrollment or contributions.*

In the above situations, you can change your benefits coverage level for medical and dental benefits, but you cannot switch between plans. For example, you may change from Employee Only to Family coverage during the year, but you can't switch from the Basic to Comprehensive Dental plans. You will need to wait until Open Enrollment to make plan changes.  There are certain qualifying events that may allow you to enroll in or increase your contributions to your Healthcare FSA.

  • To make changes to your benefits, you will need to log into Workday.
  • You have 31 days from the qualifying event date to make changes to your benefits.
  • You will need to provide documentation confirming the eligibility of any dependents (.pdf) you enroll in the plan as a result of a qualifying event. You have 31 days from date of hire or date of qualifying event to provide the required documentation supporting the event. The required documentation will be uploaded in Workday. These documents must be uploaded before benefit changes take effect.
  • You will be required to confirm or update your tobacco-use status when you make benefit changes due to a qualifying event. This pertains to the Critical Illness voluntary benefit only.
  • When you drop a dependent due to a qualifying event, this may make the dependent eligible for COBRA coverage.  Once the change has been made in Workday, a COBRA packet will be mailed to your home.  (Waiting until Open Enrollment to drop a dependent does not make them eligible for COBRA coverage.)

*Documentation to support the qualifying event is required and benefit updates are not entered until the documentation has uploaded in Workday and received by human resources.
**A change in Medicaid/CHIP eligibility allows up to 60 days to change your benefits with proper documentation.

For more information, contact Human Resources through Employee Center