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Benefit Eligibility

| Domestic Partners | Mid-year Changes | COBRA |

Benefit Eligibility

To be considered "benefits-eligible," an individual must be appointed to a regular faculty or staff position that has an anticipated duration of 6 months or more and is at least half-time. Benefit-eligible faculty and staff may cover their spouses and eligible dependent children.

Domestic Partner Benefits

Domestic partners of employees may be enrolled in the MetLife Dental, Spectera Vision, and Cigna Term Life Insurance programs on an after-tax basis. An affidavit of domestic partnership is required; the affidavit form is available from Human Resources.

Qualifying Events for Changes in Medical, Dental and Vision Coverage:

Because your premiums for medical, dental and vision are deducted from your salary on a pre-tax basis, the IRS has established strict rules regarding the operation of your plans. The choices made by you during the annual open enrollment period must remain in effect for the entire plan year (January 1 – December 31). Exceptions are permitted under IRS rules when a member has a qualifying event. If you have an event, you are required to notify Human Resources Benefits office within 31 days and complete the appropriate forms. Some examples of qualifying events include:

• Change in marital status
• Birth or adoption of a child
• Death of a covered dependent
• Loss of eligibility status by a covered dependent
• Change in employment status that affects eligibility for coverage
• Losing or gaining healthcare coverage eligibility under Medicare or Medicaid
• Change in residence to a location outside of a healthcare plan’s service area

Consistency Rules

In order for a change in status to qualify for a midyear election change, the change in status must be "on account of," and must correspond to, a change in status that affects the eligibility of an employee, spouse, or dependent for coverage under an employer's plan. This change in status includes only a change that would make an individual eligible or ineligible for a particular benefit package option under the plan. The regulations do not permit midyear election changes for family members who are not affected by the change in status, such as unaffected children in the case of a divorce or death of a spouse.

COBRA Benefits

If your employment with the University ends -- or if your and/or your covered dependents otherwise become no longer eligible to participate in the medical, dental, or vision plans -- you and/or your covered dependents may still be able to continue such plans at your/their own cost for a while under federal COBRA continuation provisions. Should you or your covered dependents lose the right to participate in one or more of these plans, you and they have the opportunity to remain in the group plan for an extended temporary period (generally up to 18 months, although it may be longer in some circumstances). COBRA participants will be required to pay the full cost of the continued coverage plus administrative fees as determined at the time of application for continued benefits.

COBRA FAQ's:

Q: When I terminate employment, what benefits am I entitled to, if any?
A: Employees who had benefits during their employment (medical, dental and/or vision) are eligible to continue participating in these plans under COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Benefits Relief Act). Contact the benefits office for additional details.

Q: Is there a deadline for electing COBRA?
A: Individuals that are eligible for COBRA must submit elections within 60 of the event.

Q: Does my premium change if I elect to participate in the COBRA plan?
A: COBRA participants will be required to pay the full cost of the continued coverage plus administrative fees as determined at the time of application for continued benefits.

| Domestic Partners | Mid-year Change | COBRA |