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. 

 

 

Typical Life Events

Typical life events include:

  • Marriage or divorce of the employee
  • 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 Changes Form.

Deadlines

Submit within 30 or 60 Days
 If an employee experiences a qualifying life event, a form must be submitted within: 

  • 30 days from the date of the event 
  • 60 days from the birth or adoption of a child 

Forms Submitted after Deadline - Not Accepted
Forms that are completed and submitted outside of these windows will not be accepted. Changes to benefits will have to be completed during the annual Open Enrollment period.

Do Not Delay! If documents are late, submit the form within the 30 or 60 days regardless and email ua-benefits@alaska.edu to let us know! 
If there is a delay in receiving documentation (i.e. a birth or marriage certificate) do not delay in submitting the life event form. Upload any temporary documents and reach out to ua-benefits@alaska.edu after submitting the form. Forms that are submitted after the deadline are not accepted. Please do not delay submitting the life event form.

Life Event Form

Life Event Changes 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 Alaska requires 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. 

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.

Welcoming a new baby

How to add your new baby to your coverage

Deadline

Form must be submitted within 60 days of birth. Late forms will not be accepted.

SSN and Birth Certificate

Do not wait for the social security number or official birth certificate before submitting the Life Event Changes Form.

Submitting the Form

When completing the Life Event Changes Form submit

  • the temporary birth certificate from the hospital, and
  • use 0's for placeholders for the SSN.

Once the SSN is received, please reach out to us at ua-benefits@alaska.edu for instructions on how to add the SSN. Do not send any SSNs through email. 

Premera Temporary Card - Expires After 30 Days

Premera will mail a temporary card for the newborn's first 30 days. This does not confirm coverage beyond the initial 30 days. A form must be submitted within 60 days of birth for coverage to continue beyond the initial 30 days.  

 

Coverage Effective Dates

Major Life Event - Day of Life Event
Coverage can begin on the day of the life event. To qualify for first-day coverage, a new employee must submit their health care form by 5:00pm on the Thursday prior to the end of the pay period in which the life event occurs.

Major Life Event - Other Coverage Begin Dates
If a form is not submitted by the deadline listed above, coverage will begin on the first day of the pay period in which the form is submitted.  Forms submitted after the deadlines will not be accepted. 

Day of Birth / Finalized Adoption
For birth or adoption, the coverage is effective the date of birth or date the adoption was finalized. Arrears may be collected, if applicable. Reach out to ua-benefits@alaska.edu if there are any questions on arrears. 

 

 

Other Benefit Considerations

Supplemental Benefits

All but Corestream are provided directly in the Life Event form.

Employee Leaves

  • Family Medical Leave (FML) - provides job protected leave for eligible employees. 
  • Parental Leave - employees on approved FML for the birth of their child receive up to 5 paid days of leave that is separate from all other paid leaves. This leave balance is provided automatically by UA HR and must be used in the first 6 months.
  • Short-term Disability (STD) - helps replace income for eligible employees who are absent from work up to 11 weeks due to their own disability.  

Employee Support

  • TouchCare - assists employees with questions about their medical, dental, and vision coverage including helping families decide what coverages work best for them.
  • Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - an employee support system that is available to help with finding childcare, short-term counseling, legal and financial advice, and more.

Beneficiaries

Now is a great time to make sure beneficiaries are up to date. Below is a list of accounts that require a beneficiary and how to update.

Non-benefit Considerations

Additionally, the Benefits department has put together a list of a few other items that may need to be reviewed during this time. Many of these require assistance outside the Benefits department.