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If you experience a qualified life event change, you may be eligible to make changes to your benefit coverage. A life event change is a change in your personal situation that results in the gain or loss of eligibility for the VEBA health plan or your spouse’s or dependent’s employer’s plan.
Some common life event changes include the following:
For information on other life event changes, contact your district or association benefit representative.
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Marriage or beginning of a domestic
partnership
First steps
When you get married or begin a domestic partnership, you can make changes to some of your benefits. You may want to add your new spouse or domestic partner to your medical coverage, increase your life insurance, or make other benefit changes.
Be sure to:
Other things to consider
- Consider preparing or updating your will
- Contact
PacifiCare Behavioral Health, your employee assistance program provider, to help you handle the stress of adjusting to your life event change
- If you have decided to change your name as a result of this event, notify the appropriate organizations, including: Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Passport Agency, U.S. Postal Office, Department of Motor Vehicles, Voter Registration, utility companies, financial institutions, and member organizations
- Consider changing your W-4 tax withholding
- Consider changing your life insurance beneficiary.
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Divorce or termination of a
domestic partnership
First steps
If you are divorced or your domestic partnership ends, you may want to enroll in medical coverage or drop your dependents from your current coverage.
Be sure to make changes to your benefits within [30] days of your divorce, annulment, legal separation, end of common-law marriage, or end of domestic partnership by contacting your district or association benefit representative.
If you do not meet this deadline, you will have to wait until the next annual enrollment period to make changes.
Other things to consider
- Contact PacifiCare Behavioral Health, your employee assistance program provider, to help you handle the stress of ending your relationship
- If the court orders you to pay child support, the payments may be directly deducted from your pay
- Your ex-spouse and dependents may have certain court-ordered rights under a Qualified Medical Child Support Order (QMCSO) to have their benefits continued under your coverage
- You should review your life insurance and retirement plan beneficiary designations
— your former spouse may have certain court-ordered rights under a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) to your retirement plan benefits
- Consider preparing or updating your will
- Consider changing your W-4 tax withholding.
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Birth or adoption of a child
First steps
If you have a baby, gain legal guardianship of a child, adopt a child or have a child placed in your home for adoption, you can make changes to certain benefits.
Be sure to make appropriate changes within [30] days of the birth, adoption or placement for adoption by contacting your district or association benefit representative.
If you miss this deadline, you will have to wait until the next annual enrollment period to make changes.
Other things to consider
- Apply for a Social Security number for your new child
- Consider preparing or updating your will
- Contact PacifiCare Behavioral Health, your employee assistance program provider, to help handle the stress of the new addition to your family
- Consider changing your W-4 tax withholding
- Consider changing your life insurance beneficiary.
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Death of your spouse/domestic
partner or child
First steps
If your spouse, domestic partner, or dependent child dies, you can make appropriate changes to your benefits at that time.
Be sure to:
- Contact your district or association benefit representative to report the death
- File a claim for benefits if your spouse/dependent child was covered under accidental death & dismemberment or dependent life
insurance.
Other things to consider
- Contact PacifiCare Behavioral Health, your employee assistance program provider, to help with your grief over the loss of a loved one
- Be sure to request several certified copies of the death certificate
- If your spouse was employed, contact his or her employer’s Human Resource department to find out about any death benefits to which you may be entitled
- Call the Social Security Administration to see if you are entitled to a death/survivor benefit
- Consider preparing or updating your will
- Consider changing your W-4 tax withholding
- Consider changing your benefit and/or your beneficiary under the retirement plans
- Consider changing your life insurance beneficiary designation.
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Spouse's loss of coverage
First steps
When your spouse or domestic partner loses or leaves a job with benefits, you can make changes to your benefits at that time.
Be sure to make appropriate changes within [30] days of the employment status change by contacting your district or association benefit representative.
If you miss this deadline, you will have to wait until the next annual enrollment period to make changes.
Other things to consider
- Contact PacifiCare Behavioral Health,
your employee assistance program provider, to help you handle the stress of this event
- Consider changing your W-4 tax withholding
- Consider changing your life insurance beneficiary designation.
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Child's loss of eligibility
First steps
Coverage under the VEBA benefit plans generally stops when your dependent child marries or reaches age 19 (age
25 if a full-time student). If your dependent child becomes ineligible, you can make changes to your benefits at that time.
You must drop your dependent children from your coverage when they no longer meet eligibility criteria.
Be sure to:
- Make changes to your benefits within [30] days of your child's change in status by contacting your district or association benefit representative. If you miss this deadline, you will have to wait until the next annual enrollment period to make changes
- Drop your ineligible child from your benefit coverage
- Notify your district or association benefit representative if your dependent's eligibility changes because he or she no longer is attending school
full-time.
Other things to consider
- Your child may elect to continue coverage for certain plans through COBRA
— you will receive instructions in the mail
- Consider changing your W-4 tax withholding
- Consider changing your life insurance beneficiary designation.
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Transfer to a new district or association
First steps
If you transfer to a new district or association, you will be able to change certain benefits at that time.
Be sure to:
- Review the plans that are available in your new district or association
- Make changes to your benefits within [30] days of your transfer by contacting your district or association benefit representative.
- Notify your district or association benefit representative of your address or emergency contact, if applicable
- Send a voided check from your new bank account, along with a completed direct deposit form, to your district or association benefit representative.
Other things to consider
- If you are moving to a new state, you may be subject to a different income tax
- Consider changing your W-4 tax withholding.
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