Current Employees

Qualifying Life Events

Employees are permitted to change coverage elections outside of annual open enrollment if they experience a change in family status, as defined by federal law. A change of status happens when:

• You marry or divorce;

• You have or adopt a child;

• Your spouse becomes employed, loses his or her job (full-time employment) or involuntarily loses medical coverage;

• Your spouse or your dependent child dies;

• Your dependents become ineligible for coverage;

• You or your spouse have a change in job status from full-time to part-time or vice versa;

• You or your spouse take an unpaid leave of absence;

• You or your spouse have a significant change in health coverage due to a change in your spouse's employment.

Note: Health insurance carrier changes in your spouse's plan from another employer are not considered family status changes.

Limitations

You have up to 30 days from the date of the event to add/remove a spouse and/or dependent. Benefits will be retroactive to the date of birth, adoption, marriage, or date of loss of other coverage.

Contributions

You will be required to pay the employee portion of the premium for the entire month that includes the event date.

COBRA

Coverage under the health, dental, and vision plans terminates at midnight on the last day of the month of separation from employment. Should an employee separate from the University, he or she may continue membership by paying premiums directly to the Insurance Carrier (under COBRA regulations) or by transferring coverage to another employer.

Adding a spouse

• Family Status and Benefits Change Form
• Copy of Marriage Certificate
• Copy of spouse’s Social Security card
• Spousal Coordination of Benefits form
• Spousal Coordination Policy
• Additional Information Form
  Verification of loss of other coverage (if applicable). Verification must include: date for last day of coverage for each medical, dental, vision plan and include the spouse’s name along with name of any other dependents losing coverage.

Adding a dependent child

• Family Status and Benefits Change Form
• Birth notification with footprints (until the birth certificate is obtained)
• Copy of Birth Certificate
• Copy of Social Security card (upon receipt)
• Adoption order (if applicable)
• Verification of loss of other coverage (if applicable). Verification must include: date for last day of coverage for each medical, dental, vision plan, and include the dependent’s name.
   

Removing a dependent child

• Family Status and Benefits Change Form
  • Verification of other coverage. Verification must include: coverage start date for each medical, dental,vision plan, and include the dependent’s name.

Children may stay on medical, dental and vision coverage up to age 26 with no restriction on marital, employment, student, resident, or tax status. Children are covered through the end of the month in which they turn 26. Employees do not need to submit a family status change form for the purpose of aging off, as coverage will be automatically terminated.

Removing a Spouse

• Family Status and Benefits Change Form
• Supporting documents verifying change for:
  
  • Divorce - copy of divorce decree
    
  • Death - copy of death certificate
    
  • New employment - letter from employer indicating start date of coverage for each medical, dental, vision (dependent names must also be listed, if applicable).

Please submit all documents to hrhelp@udel.edu.