Death of Immediate Family Member
Certain qualifying life events allow you to make changes in benefits that otherwise are not possible until the annual Open Enrollment period. This summary outlines the benefit plan changes you may need to make as a result of the death of an immediate family member. Please be sure to make your changes by completing and submitting the appropriate forms to Human Resources within 31 days of the date of death. If you do not notify Human Resources within 31 days of the event, you will need to wait until the next Open Enrollment period to make your changes.
Required Forms and Documentation
- Medical/Dental/Vision Insurance Enrollment Application
- Benefits Enrollment Form (Faculty, Administrators, and Staff)
- Certified Death Certificate (Copy)
- Employee's Evidence of Insurability (If increasing Life Insurance coverage)
- Group Life, Dependent Life & Travel Accident Beneficiary Designation
Medical/Prescription Drugs and Dental
Spouse's Death: If you were covered under the health insurance plan of your deceased spouse, you may need to enroll in a University medical and/or dental plan. If you are already enrolled in a University health plan, you may need to change your coverage from family to individual. You may also need to add your child(ren) to your benefit plan, if they were previously covered under your spouse's plan.
Child's Death: If your deceased child was covered under your University health plan, you will need to remove him/her from the plan.
Life Insurance
This is a good time to reevaluate your life insurance coverage to accommodate the change in your family structure. You may need to change your optional and/or dependent life insurance coverage(s) along with your life insurance beneficiary(ies). This change may require that you complete an Evidence of Insurability form.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
Given your current situation, you may want to reconsider your participation in the Health Care and/or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts by either signing up now or changing the amount of your contributions.
Retirement Programs
This is a good time to review your retirement programs, investment elections, and contribution amounts to accommodate your new situation. You may either begin, stop, increase, or decrease your contributions as well as update or change your beneficiary(ies). This may be done by accessing the investment company's web site.
