Other Life Changes

Other Life Changes

You have 60 days to submit a Qualified Life Event. 

In addition to marriage, divorce, adding or removing a dependent, preparing for retirement, and experiencing death in your family, there are a few other qualified life events that give you the opportunity to make changes to your benefits package. These include:

  • Employment status changes of employee, dependent, or spouse which affects enrollment in the employer's health plan due to eligibility;
  • Commencement of or returning from an unpaid leave of absence that results in a loss or gain of coverage;
  • Judgment, decree, or order changing legal custody;
  • Enrollment in an insurance plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace, also known as the health insurance “exchange”;
  • Entitlement to or loss of eligibility for Government-sponsored programs.

What changes can I make?

Changes to your coverage may only be related to the qualified life event. For example, you may change your Employee Plus Spouse or Family coverage level to Employee Only, but you may not switch your coverage from Basic Health to Choice Health.

When eligibility is lost for other coverage, or when non-UVA COBRA coverage is exhausted or terminated, you may enroll yourself, your spouse, and/or your dependents who have lost other coverage within 60 days.

  • Life Insurance 

    If you wish to make changes to your life insurance, please see instructions based on which retirement plan you are in: 

    • VRS participants with Securian Life

      • Employees in the Virginia Retirement System can make beneficiary changes or request changes to their Securian life insurance through MyVRS. 

      • Additional resources: VRS Life Insurance ,  Securian Life forms

    • ORP and MCRP

      • Employees in the Optional Retirement Plan or the Med Center Retirement plan should request life insurance changes or beneficiary changes in Workday.

        Workay > Menu > Benefits & Pay Hub > Change Benefits > Reason: Change Life Insurance > Submit > Open > Let's Get Started

    Learn More About Life Insurance

  • Beneficiary
    Retirement Fund beneficiaries

    Log in to your account with the vendor to update beneficiaries; contact vendor for questions.

    Life Insurance Beneficiaries

    • VRS participants with Securian Life

      • Employees in the Virginia Retirement System can make beneficiary changes or request changes to their Securian life insurance through MyVRS. 

      • Additional resources: VRS Life Insurance ,  Securian Life forms

    • ORP and MCRP participants

      • Make beneficiary changes in Workday through the "change life insurance" benefits request.

        Workay > Menu > Benefits & Pay Hub > Change Benefits > Reason: Change Life Insurance > Submit > Open > Let's Get Started>Manage under the plan, Confirm & Continue to reach the page where you can designate or change beneficiaries. Use the + button to add a row. 

  • Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

    • You may be able to make changes to a Health Care FSA and/or Dependent Care FSA. Changes must be consistent with the qualified life event.

    • Make the request to change your FSA within 60 days of the event. If the change is allowable, it becomes effective the first day of the following month after the request and all documentation has been received.

    Learn More About FSAs

  • Loss of S-CHIP/Medicaid eligibility

    When eligibility is lost of S-CHIP/Medicaid or provision of premium assistance by S-CHIP/Medicaid, you may enroll yourself, your spouse, and/or your dependents who have lost eligibility for the government-provided coverage, or who have become eligible for state assistance (which provides help paying for Plan coverage). This qualified life event is unique and allows 60 days from the event to request enrollment changes and provide documentation to UVA HR.

    Coverage is effective the first of the month following receipt of the enrollment application by UVA HR (or receipt of the request online) and all required documentation. Please contact the HR Solution Center to initiate this qualified life event. 

When Will Changes Take Effect?

Coverage changes will be effective the first of the month following receipt of the application and documentation at UVA HR and no earlier than the event date if received within 60 days of the life event, except births and adoptions. 

How to Request a Benefit Change

If you are requesting to add or drop a dependent to your existing coverage
  • In Workday, go to Menu in the top left and choose Benefits & Pay Hub (under personal)
  • Change Benefits
  • Enter change reason
  • Enter the date of the event
  • Attach documentation
  • Submit 
  • Open, then Let's Get Started. 
  • Click on “manage” under the plans you wish to add them to 
  • Confirm and continue
  • Check the box in front of each name to add to the plan or choose "add dependent" if they are not yet listed
  • Save
  • Upload supporting documentation if you did not already do so at the beginning 
  • Review and sign, submit
If you are requesting to add yourself to previously waived benefits

Workday will not allow you to add yourself or a dependent through the above Workday process unless you are already enrolled in the plan.

  • If you are not enrolled in the requested plan, complete this application.
  • Submit to askhr@virginia.edu with documentation. 
Qualified Life Events & Required Documentation

Required Documentation

  • ​​​​You will need documentation of the life event and documentation of your relationship to the dependent if requesting to add a dependent. 
  • Requests cannot be approved without documentation.Visit the linked chart below for documentation requirements and more information about qualified life events.
  • If you are having trouble obtaining documentation, reach out to askhr@virginia.edu prior to the deadline for guidance. 
Qualified Life Events & Required Documentation

COBRA

If your dependent is no longer eligible for coverage under your plan, your dependent may be eligible for coverage under COBRA by purchasing coverage under COBRA through Chard Snyder/Wex (888.878.6175) for up to 18 months.

COBRA