Making and Changing Your Benefit Elections

As you make your benefit elections, please keep in mind that these elections and the related payroll deductions generally cannot be cancelled or changed until your next open enrollment period.  However, you may request to make a benefit election change if (1) you, your spouse, or your dependent experiences a Change-in-Status Event and the Change-in-Status Event affects your, your spouse's or your dependent's eligibility for coverage under this plan or another employer's plan or (2) you, your spouse or your dependent experiences another allowable situation as described below.

The Change-in-Status events are changes in:

• legal marital status, including marriage, death of spouse, divorce, and annulment.
• number of dependents due to birth, death, adoption, and placement for adoption.
• employment for you, your spouse or your dependent, including commencement or termination of employment; commencement of or return from leave of absence; change of worksite; or change in employment status.
• residence for you, your spouse or your dependent. (i.e., an HMO covering the individual ceases to be available in the area where the individual resides).
• eligibility status of your dependent due to attainment of age, change in student status, or any similar circumstance.

Other allowable situations for which you may request a change in your benefit elections include:

• entitlement to a Special Enrollment Right;
• taking of leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act;
• complying with a judgment, decree or order that requires you, a former spouse or another individual to obtain health or accident coverage for a child who is your dependent;
• entitlement to coverage or loss of eligibility for coverage under Medicare or Medicaid for you, your spouse or your dependent; or
• change of dependent care provider or imposition of a cost change for the dependent care provided.

You may request a change in your life insurance or disability income coverage amount if you experience a change in legal marital status or if your spouse or your dependent experiences a change in employment.

A request for a benefit election change will not be processed unless:

• you contact the Human Resources Department within 30 days of the Change-in-Status Event to request the change;
• you provide appropriate documentation to support the change requested; and
• the change is permitted under the terms of the applicable insurance contract.

All Change-in-Status Events and allowable situations, the change will be effective as of the date of the event once a benefit election change is received and approved by the Human Resources Department.

All changes must be made through your Human Resources Department and may not be done on-line.