Employee Benefits

A Qualifying Life Event (QLE) is a specific change in your personal or employment status that allows you to make changes to your benefit elections outside of the annual Open Enrollment period.

Changes must be consistent with the qualifying event and must generally be requested within 30 days of the event.

Qualifying Life Events Include:

Change in Marital Status

• Marriage
• Divorce or legal separation
• Annulment
• Death of a spouse

Change in Dependents

• Birth of a child
• Adoption or placement for adoption
• Death of a dependent

Change in Employment Status

• Beginning or ending employment
• Change from full-time to part-time status (or vice versa)
• Approved leave of absence, including FMLA
• Return from an unpaid leave of absence

Change in Dependent Eligibility

• A dependent gains or loses eligibility under a benefit plan
• A dependent gains or loses other group health coverage

Change in Coverage or Cost

• Significant change in the cost of coverage
• Significant reduction or improvement in plan benefits
• Discontinuation of a benefit plan

Other Qualifying Events

• Court orders requiring coverage for a dependent
• Loss of other health coverage and HIPAA special enrollment rights
• Gain or loss of Medicare or Medicaid eligibility

Important Reminder

Requests to change benefit elections due to a Qualifying Life Event must be submitted within the applicable deadline and must be directly related to the qualifying event. Requests submitted after the deadline may be denied in accordance with IRS regulations.