Qualifying Mid-Year Events

Health Insurance and Flexible Spending Accounts

Qualifying mid-year events are events that allow faculty and staff to make certain changes to their health benefits during a non-open enrollment period, within 60 days of the event. For example, some events may allow an employee to add/drop dependents, or make certain health care plan or Flexible Spending Account changes, as appropriate.

Examples of qualifying mid-year events include:

• changes in employment;
• changes in marital status;
• changes in the number of eligible family members; and
• changes affecting the employment of a covered family member.

Change requests must be received within 60 calendar days of the event and be on account of and consistent with the event. Required supporting documentation should be sent to the HR Service Center. Supporting documentation can be submitted after the 60 calendar days have passed, provided the change request was submitted within that time frame.

A complete list of qualifying mid-year events, including the required supporting documentation, is available on the Department of Human Resource Management’s website and the State Active Enrollment Form.

Optional Life Insurance

The following are considered qualifying events for the purpose of enrollment in the Optional Life Insurance plan: marriage, birth or adoption of first child, and retirement of spouse when both employee and spouse are covered (except for disability retirement).

Enrollment must occur within 31 days immediately following the qualifying event in order for insurance to be provided under the Optional Life Insurance Plan. If enrollment is made more than 31 days after the event, the insurance company requires "evidence of insurability" to be submitted for the individual(s) being added to the policy before they will make a determination as to whether or not they will insure the person.