You may add, change, or cancel coverage during the plan year if you have a qualifying life event.

Qualifying life events are those situations that cause a change in your life that has an effect on your health insurance options or requirements. The IRS states that a qualifying event must have an impact on your insurance needs or change what health insurance plans that you qualify for. In either case, the qualifying life event would trigger a special enrollment period that would make you eligible to make changes to your benefit elections.

If you experience a Qualifying Life Event (for instance: getting married or having a baby), please contact the Port Neches-Groves ISD Benefits Department; proof of the Qualifying Life Event (QLE) must be submitted to the Port Neches-Groves ISD Benefits Department within 30 days in order to change current benefit elections. You are responsible for meeting this deadline. If you do not request the appropriate changes during the applicable special enrollment period, you cannot make changes until the next plan enrollment period or, if applicable, until another qualifying life event occurs. Benefit adjustments resulting from a qualifying life event take effect on the first day of the month following the event date, with the exception of birth, adoption, and court orders.

Examples of such events include:

• A change in the number of dependents (birth, adoption, death, guardianship);

• A change in marital status (marriage, divorce, death, legal separation);

• A dependent’s loss of eligibility (attainment of limiting age or change in student status);

• A change in associate’s, spouse’s, or dependents’ work hours;

• A termination or commencement of employment of associate’s spouse or eligible dependent with coverage;

• Other events as the administrator determines to be permitted or any other applicable guidelines issued by the Internal Revenue Service.