Western Dental 2021 Benefits 

Qualifying Life Events

Other than during Annual Open Enrollment, you may only make changes to your benefit elections if you experience a qualified life event. You will be required to submit proof of the coverage change. The life event must be reported within 30 days of the effective date.

Qualified Life Events include:

• Change in legal marital status, including marriage, divorce, or death of a spouse.
• Change in number of dependents, including birth, adoption, placement for adoption, or death of a dependent child.
• Change in employment status that affects benefit eligibility, including the start or termination of employment by you, your spouse, or your dependent child.
• Change in work schedule, including an increase or decrease in hours of employment by you, your spouse, or your dependent child, including a switch between part-time and full-time employment that affects eligibility for benefits.
• Change in a child’s dependent status, either newly satisfying the requirements for dependent child status or ceasing to satisfy them.
• Change in place of residence or worksite that affects the accessibility of network providers.
• Change in your health coverage or your spouse’s coverage attributable to your spouse’s employment
• Change in an individual’s eligibility for Medicare or Medicaid.
• A court order resulting from a divorce, legal separation, annulment, or change in legal custody (including a Qualified Medical Child Support Order) required coverage for your child.
• An event that is allowed under the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Re-authorization Act. Under provisions of the Act, employees have 60 days after the following events to request enrollment.
• Employee or dependent loses eligibility for Medicaid of CHIP.
• Employee or dependent becomes eligible to participate in a premium assistance program under Medicaid or CHIP.

Any change you make must be consistent with the change in status, AND you must contact Employee Benefits within 30 days. Proof will be required prior to processing life events (i.e. marriage certificate, birth certificate, loss of kin, etc.)

Proof of Dependent Verification

What can you submit as proof of dependent:

• Spouse: copy of marriage certificate
• Domestic Partner: copy of domestic partner registration from state or local authority and proof of dependency
• Child under the age of 26: copy of birth certificate

If you do not provide proof within 30 days of your benefits start date, you must wait until the next annual open enrollment which starts in November, with a January 1 effective date.