Benefits qualifying events
Outside of open enrollment, you can only change some benefits if you experience certain life events.What is a qualifying event?
Usually, the annual open enrollment period each spring is the only time you can make changes to most of your insurance plans, such as health, dental and vision. However, you can make changes if you experience some major life events.
You may add a dependent to your insurance plans through:
- Marriage
- Birth, adoption or guardianship
- Loss of a dependent's previous insurance coverage
You may remove a dependent from your insurance plans if you experience:
- Death
- Divorce
- Gain of coverage for a dependent
These are known as qualifying events. With any qualifying event, you have 30 days from the date of the event to change your coverage and submit any necessary documentation. Any changes will be effective as of the date of your qualifying event. If you need a Certificate of Coverage, which outlines the full details of your insurance plan, please call our HR Benefits office at 859-257-9555.
Making changes at any time
Qualifying events are the only times you may make changes to your insurance plans and coverage levels.
However, at any time, you can:
- Update your life insurance or retirement savings beneficiaries
- Decrease your optional life insurance coverage
- Start, stop or change your health savings account contributions
- Start, stop or change your voluntary retirement savings contributions
You may cancel or decrease life insurance at any time during the year, but you may only begin or increase life insurance outside of open enrollment with a qualifying event. Increasing life insurance at any time other than when you are first hired may require you to provide medical evidence of insurability and complete a physical.
How to add someone to your insurance
As a first step, you can add information about a dependent in myUK.
- Click Menu.
- Under Benefits, click Add or Change Dependents.
- Click Create.
This adds your dependent's information but does not add your dependent to a benefit plan. You will still need to submit a form and supporting documentation to hr@uky.edu or in person at 106 Bosworth Hall.
Changing your name
If you'd like to change your name after getting married, submit a name change form, along with a copy of your new Social Security card, to the HR Solution Center. If your name is changed in our SAP system, it will automatically be updated with all vendors except your retirement carriers, and you will receive new insurance cards.
Updating beneficiaries
You may update your beneficiaries at any time in myUK, or complete a life insurance beneficiaries form.
To update beneficiaries for your retirement savings, contact your retirement carrier:
Supporting documentation
| Event | Documentation required |
|---|---|
| Marriage | Copy of marriage certificate and front page of the most recent year's tax return (financial information may be blacked out) |
| Adding a sponsored dependent |
Documentation showing at least one year of common residency for both employee and dependent Examples: Copy of driver's license to show common home address; utility bills such as water, gas or electric with the same address of their common primary residence; renters or homeowners insurance; mortgage or rental agreement. |
| Adding a child through birth, adoption or guardianship |
Birth: Copy of official birth certificate Adoption: Copy of adoption papers and official birth certificate Guardianship: Copy of court guardianship papers and official birth certificate |
| Loss of coverage | Certificate of coverage, which is a statement on company letterhead stating the beginning and end dates of the coverage, as well as who was covered on the plans |
| Divorce | Copy of final divorce decree |
| Death | Copy of death certificate or obituary |
| Gain of coverage | Certificate of coverage, which is a statement on company letterhead stating the beginning and end dates of the coverage, as well as who was covered on the plans |
Benefits
Our team can help you through the process of changing your benefits if you've experienced a qualifying event.
Contact our office
Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
(859) 257-9555
hr@uky.edu