Your premiums for medical, dental, and vision insurance are deducted through a Cafeteria Plan established under Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) on a pre-tax basis. Under Section 125, changes to an employee's pre-tax benefits can be made ONLY during the Open Enrollment period unless the employee or qualified dependents experience a qualifying event and the request to make a change is made within 30 days of the qualifying event.

Under certain circumstances, employees may be allowed to make changes to benefit elections during the plan year, if the event affects the employee, spouse, or dependent’s coverage eligibility. Any requested changes must be consistent with and on account of the qualifying event.

Examples Of Qualifying Events:

• Legal marital status (for example, marriage, divorce, legal separation, annulment);
• Number of eligible dependents (for example, birth, death, adoption, placement for adoption);
• Work schedule (for example, full-time, part-time);
• You, your spouse, or other covered dependent become enrolled in Part A, Part B, or Part D of Medicare
• Death of a spouse or child;
• Change in your child’s eligibility for benefits (reaching the age limit);
• Becoming eligible for Medicaid; or
• Your coverage or the coverage of your Spouse or other eligible dependent under a Medicaid plan or state Children’s Health Insurance Program (“CHIP”) is terminated as a result of loss of eligibility and you request coverage under this Plan no later than 60 days after the date the Medicaid or CHIP coverage terminates; or
• You, your spouse or other eligible dependent become eligible for a premium assistance subsidy in this Plan under a Medicaid plan or state CHIP (including any waiver or demonstration project) and you request coverage under this Plan no later than 60 days after the date you are determined to be eligible for such assistance.

IMPORTANT: If you experience any of these qualifying life events during the year, be sure to reach out to your HR Department within 30 days to make changes to your benefit elections. If you miss that special enrollment window, you will have to wait until the next open enrollment period to make a change.