Reminder On Qualifying Events: Mid-Year Insurance Changes

Reminder On Qualifying Events: Mid-Year Insurance Changes

The University adheres to both federal regulations as well as applicable plan guidelines in the administration of University of Hartford insurance plans.

Please be reminded that there are certain life events that permit benefit eligible faculty and staff to make mid-year election changes to their medical, dental, vision, life insurance as well as Flexible Spending Accounts. These life events, called “qualifying events”, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and include, but are not limited to, the following:

• a change in marital status (marriage or divorce)
• the addition of a dependent (by birth or adoption)
• the loss of insurance coverage due to a change in employment status
• the death of a spouse or dependent
• the loss of dependent eligibility status (no longer of eligible age, upon attaining age 26) 

If you experience a qualifying event, it is imperative that you notify the Office of Human Resources Development (HRD) within 30 days of this event. Based on IRS regulations, this 30-day time period provides you with a special enrollment period in which to make applicable insurance benefit election changes.

Failure to notify HRD within 30 days of a qualifying event will result in loss of eligibility to make applicable insurance election changes, as well as loss of eligibility for continuation of applicable insurance coverage's under federal COBRA law and/or plan guidelines. In these instances, you will then be required to wait until the University’s next annual open enrollment period (which occurs every fall) or when another qualifying event occurs to make insurance election changes.

**Please note special COVID period for medical coverage:

Deadline extensions are in effect for special enrollment rights (marriage, birth/adoption, loss of coverage) for the medical plan only. Employees have one year from the event or the end of the outbreak period, whichever is earlier. The outbreak period started on March 1, 2020 and ends 60 days after the end of the National Emergency period. 

If you have any questions regarding qualifying events, or dates for applicable insurance, please contact Dianne Silliman at 860-768-4664 or silliman@hartford.edu. You may also contact us by emailing hrd@hartford.edu.