Qualifying Life Event

Qualifying Life Event

Changes to benefit coverage outside of Open Enrollment

 
 

What is a life event?

A life event allows eligible employees to make changes to their current benefit elections. Experiencing a life event is the only time an employee can make these changes outside of Open Enrollment. 

Click on the topic links below to be directed to that area in this webpage. 

 

Do not delay - Life events are not accepted if submitted late

If you experience a life event, you have 30 days to inform the University (60 for birth/adoption - see below). After that, you cannot change your coverage or dependents.

If a dependent becomes ineligible and you miss the deadline, their coverage will end at the end of the pay period when the event dzܰ—but your premiums will not be adjusted, and you will still be charged even though they no longer have coverage.


 

Typical Life Events

Typical life events include:

  • Marriage or divorce of the employee
  • Starting or ending a relationship with a Financially Interdependent Partner (FIP)
  • Death of the employee’s spouse or a dependent
  • Birth or adoption of a child by the employee
  • Termination of employment (or the commencement of employment) of the employee’s spouse
  • Moving from a temporary to regular position (or vice versa)
  • Taking of an unpaid leave of absence by the employee or the employee’s spouse
  • A significant change in the health coverage of the employee or the employee’s spouse attributable to the spouse’s employment
  • Gain or involuntary loss of health care coverage of a dependent

Changes are limited to those in-line and consistent with that major life event. Enrollment changes are subject to the other terms and limitations of this program.

 

 

How to Make Life Event Changes

Review this page and submit a Life Event form .

Life Event Form

Are you a new employee electing benefit coverage for the first time?

Review our new employee benefit overview webpage on when and how to make these elections.

Who is eligible to make changes?

Any employee who is currently eligible for benefits (medical, dental, vision, etc) can make changes within 30 days of a life event.

What changes can be made?

  • Update medical, dental, and vision coverage
  • Update dependents
  • Update any supplemental life
  • Update Flexible Spending Account (FSA) contributions

Information on Dependents

Required Documentation
The University of Ƶrequires evidence of eligibility for all enrolled dependents. Supporting documents include birth certificate, marriage license, final adoption paperwork, tax returns showing claimed dependents, qualified medical child support orders, legal guardianship papers, etc. Court documents are needed to support removing a dependent from coverage, such as a divorce decree or legal separation. 


Spouse - The lawful spouse of an employee unless legally separated.

Financially Interdependent Partner (FIP) - Wherever “spouse” is stated in the health care plan, a FIP would also be included (provided all requirements are met as specified by the University of Alaska).

Health care deductions for FIPs are post-tax. 

    •  
    •  
    • View  to see how covering a FIP affects income tax. 

Child(ren) -

  • Under 26 years of age 
  • Natural offspring of either/both employee or employee's spouse
  • Legally adopted of either/both employee or employee's spouse
  • Granted court-appointed legal guardianship
    • Signed court order  granting guardianship to employee or employee's spouse of the employee as of a specific date.
    • When the court order terminates or expires, the child is no longer an eligible child.
  • Domestic relations order to provide medical benefits as directed by a divorce decree, a medical child support order, or other court-ordered dependent coverage
  • Foster child living with the employee
    • Signed court order (or other order) signed by judge or state agency which grants guardianship to the employee or employee's spouse as of a specific date.
    • When the court order terminates or expires, the child is no longer an eligible child.
  • Placed for the purpose of legal adoption in accordance with state law
    • Placed for adoption means assumption and retention by the employee of a legal obligation for total or partial support of a child in anticipation of adoption of such child.