Can I change my benefits mid-year?
There are only certain times and reasons when you can change your benefits during the year.
- Life Events - If you experience a Qualifying Life Event that allows you or requires you to make changes to your benefits.
- Open Enrollment - this is the time of year when everyone is eligible to make changes to their benefits. This happens every year in May.
What is a Qualifying Life Event?
Life Events are major changes in your personal or family situation - like getting married, having a baby, or moving - that can affect your benefits. These events give you a special window of time to make changes to your health insurance, add or remove dependents, or update other benefit elections outside of open enrollment.
- Birth or Adoption
- Marriage or Domestic Partnership
- Divorce, Legal Separation, or Termination of Domestic Partnership
- Loss of Coverage
- Eligible for Other Coverage
- Guardianship or Legal Custody of Child
- Military Leave
- Reduction or Increase in Work Hours
For a complete list of Qualified Life Events please see the Qualified Family Status Changes section of our Summary Plan Description (SPD).
Your responsibility to report changes
You may report life changes online in your Benefits Portal within 60 days of the event date and upload supporting documentation of the qualifying event.
Some life changes require you to report to our office.
Divorce: Employees are required to actively remove a former spouse from their benefits after a divorce. Former spouses are not eligible dependents under plan provisions. If the spouse is not removed, the employee may be responsible for paying any premiums and costs charged to the plan during that time.
You do not need to report dependents who age out of the plan. These dependents are removed from coverage automatically based on their date of birth.
How do I report changes?
You can report life changes online in your Benefits Portal within 60 days of the event date and upload supporting documentation of the qualifying event.
Once you're logged in to your portal, select "Change My Benefits" on the homepage. Then, select "Life Events" and chose the appropriate reason for your change.
Seasonal and Casual Employees who do not have access to the Benefits Portal can complete a CityBasic Dependent Enrollment or Opt-Out form to our office.
Seasonal or Casual Employees - learn more about making changes to your benefits
What kind of documents do I need to provide?
Here’s a table that references supporting documents and effective dates of Life Events that allow you to change your benefits.
| Qualifying Life Event | Supporting Documentation | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|
| Marriage | Marriage Certificate | 1st of the month after notification |
| New Domestic Partner | 1st of the month after notification | |
| Divorce or Termination of Domestic Partnership | Divorce Decree or | 1st of the month following date of divorce |
| Birth, Adoption, Legal Custodianship or Guardianship | Birth Certificate, Adoption Paperwork, Court Documents | 1st of the month following birth, adoption, or legal custodianship or guardianship. |
| Death | Death Certificate | 1st of the month following date of death |
| Gaining Other Coverage | Proof of other insurance coverage | 1st of the month after notification |
| Loss of other Coverage | Proof of loss of coverage | 1st of the month after notification |
Who is an eligible dependent?
Your eligible dependents can be the following:
- Spouse
- Domestic Partner
- Children under the age of 26
- Domestic Partner's children under the age of 26
- Disabled children over the age of 26 with a Determination of Disability from the Social Security Administration
- Grandchildren (child of your dependent child); both child and grandchild must reside at your address
I don't have a Qualifying Life Event, but I want to change my Benefits mid-year.
If you have not experienced a Qualifying Life Event, the next time you can make changes to your Benefits is during Annual Open Enrollment, that takes place in May each year. Mark your calendars so you're ready to make any changes you need during this Open Enrollment window.
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