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Life Events

Status Changes & Other Coverage

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To be sure you have the coverage you need, explore the options you have when you experience a change in employment or change in coverage eligibility. Learn more about benefits plans coverage with the University. Benefits coverage must be updated online in ConnectCarolina Self Service within 30 days of a qualifying life event. Effective dates for changes to benefits coverage due to life events are the first of the month.

Change in Employment Status

A change in employment — for you or your spouse — could mean a change in eligibility for benefits coverage.

For benefit purposes, a change in employment status means moving from one benefit-eligibility category to another. This movement in status usually involves a change from ineligibility to eligibility or vice versa, which could include changes like:

  • Going from part-time to full-time employment (20–29 hours per week to 30 or more hours per week).
  • Going from full-time to part-time employment (30 or more hours per week to 20–29 hours per week).
  • Going from temporary employment to permanent employment of 20 or more hours per week.

Benefits coverage must be updated within 30 days of a change in employment status; the effective date for changes to benefits coverage due to this life event is the first of the month.

Please contact your assigned Benefits Consultant for more information.

Take note!
A change in employment status may result in a change in the monthly cost of your benefits deductions.

 


Newly Eligible for Other Coverage

Being newly eligible for other coverage is a qualified life event that allows you to make changes to your benefits. An example of new coverage eligibility is a spouse having a new job with new insurance coverage. In this case, you may want to remove the spouse from your current coverages.

Coverage changes for this life event must be made within 30 days of the “old” coverage ending. The effective date for changes to benefits coverage due to this life event is the first of the month.
Documentation of the new coverage is required:

  • Acceptable documentation is a letter from an employer detailing when coverage will begin and for whom.
  • You must upload the documentation for the new coverage in both the State Enrollment Portal and the UNC System Enrollment Portal in ConnectCarolina Self Service.

Loss of Other Coverage

Losing other insurance coverage is when you and/or your dependent/s may have been covered on another insurance plan whose coverage is ending.

These changes must be made within 30 days of the coverage ending. The effective date for changes to benefits coverage due to this life event is the first of the month.
Documentation of the loss of coverage is required:

  • Only one form of acceptable documentation is needed.
  • Acceptable documentation includes:
    • Letter from an employer detailing when coverage will end and for whom.
    • Creditable coverage letter from an insurance provider.
  • You must upload the documentation for the new coverage in both the State Enrollment Portal and the UNC System Enrollment Portal in ConnectCarolina Self Service.
In each portal, you will be asked to enter your life event information and personal information about yourself and dependents. For each person you add to your plans, you will need:

  • Full legal names
  • Dates of birth
  • Social Security numbers
  • Upload of documentation for the loss of other coverage.

Marital Status Change

A change in marital status (i.e. marriage, divorce or legal separation) allows an employee to make appropriate changes to benefits coverage by adding or removing a spouse.

Benefits coverage must be updated within 30 days of a marital status change; benefits coverage changes will be effective on the first of the month after the marriage, divorce or legal separation is final.

Health insurance with the State Health Plan

To add or remove their spouse from health insurance, employees add a life event in the State Enrollment Portal in ConnectCarolina Service. The date the marriage, divorce, or legal separation was finalized must be noted.

All other benefits plans

To make changes to benefits plans, add a life event in the UNC System Enrollment Portal in ConnectCarolina Self Service.

In the event of a qualified life event, you have 30 days from the event to make changes to your UNC System Life Insurance and/or Accidental Death & Dismemberment.

How to add a life event in ConnectCarolina Self Service

See the step-by-step instructions for how to add a live event to benefits coverage in both ConnectCarolina portals,

You may want to review your beneficiaries under your life insurance and retirement programs and make any necessary changes. Please review the How do I designate my beneficiaries? section of the Updating Your Benefits page for more information.
See the How Do I…? webpage for information and instructions on:

You may want to review you federal and state tax withholdings and make any necessary adjustments. To make changes to your current tax withholdings and/or to update your W-4 (federal) and/or NC-4 (State) tax forms, see the How do I change my W-4 & NC-4? section of the How Do I…? page.

Ineligible Dependent

Dependent children are eligible for coverage under various benefit offerings until the age of 26 regardless of full-time student status. Coverage for ineligible dependents will terminate on the last day of the month in which the child turns 26. The child may be eligible to continue coverage under COBRA, if reported timely.

If a covered dependent exceeds the maximum age, it is the employee’s responsibility to remove their dependent children from their benefits elections by completing a change action in the enrollment system or by email to the benefits office for the after-tax plans.

Benefits coverage must be updated within 30 days of a dependent’s becoming ineligible; the effective date for changes to benefits coverage due to this life event is the first of the month.

Health insurance with the State Health Plan

To edit dependents for health insurance, employees add a life event in the State Enrollment Portal in ConnectCarolina Service. The date the marriage, divorce, or legal separation was finalized must be noted.

All other benefits plans

To make changes to benefits plans, add a life event in the UNC System Enrollment Portal in ConnectCarolina Self Service.

In the event of a qualified life event, you have 30 days from the event to make changes to your UNC System Life Insurance and/or Accidental Death & Dismemberment.

How to add a life event in ConnectCarolina Self Service

See the step-by-step instructions for how to add a live event to benefits coverage in both ConnectCarolina portals,

You may want to review your beneficiaries under your life insurance and retirement programs and make any necessary changes. Please review the How do I designate my beneficiaries? section of the Updating Your Benefits page for more information.
You may want to review you federal and state tax withholdings and make any necessary adjustments. To make changes to your current tax withholdings and/or to update your W-4 (federal) and/or NC-4 (State) tax forms, see the How do I change my W-4 & NC-4? section of the How Do I…? page.

Death of a Dependent

The death of a dependent allows an employee to make appropriate changes to his or her benefits. An employee must remove dependents from benefits as appropriate and file a claim with the vendor. Please contact a Benefit Consultant to assist you with the claim filing process.

Benefits coverage must be updated within 30 days of a death of a dependent; the effective date for changes to benefits coverage due to this life event is the first of the month.

Health insurance with the State Health Plan

To edit dependents for health insurance, employees add a life event in the State Enrollment Portal in ConnectCarolina Service. The date the marriage, divorce, or legal separation was finalized must be noted.

All other benefits plans

To make changes to benefits plans, add a life event in the UNC System Enrollment Portal in ConnectCarolina Self Service.

In the event of a qualified life event, you have 30 days from the event to make changes to your UNC System Life Insurance and/or Accidental Death & Dismemberment.

How to add a life event in ConnectCarolina Self Service

See the step-by-step instructions for how to add a live event to benefits coverage in both ConnectCarolina portals,

You may want to review your beneficiaries under your life insurance and retirement programs and make any necessary changes. Please review the How do I designate my beneficiaries? section of the Updating Your Benefits page for more information.
You may want to review you federal and state tax withholdings and make any necessary adjustments. To make changes to your current tax withholdings and/or to update your W-4 (federal) and/or NC-4 (State) tax forms, see the How do I change my W-4 & NC-4? section of the How Do I…? page.

How do I add a life event to my benefits coverage?

With a life event, you will update your benefits coverage using the two enrollment portals in ConnectCarolina Self Service. The process of updating your benefits coverage in the two ConnectCarolina portals is called adding a life event. These are the same portals you use each year during open enrollment. You will make changes in the:

Use the State Enrollment Portal to make plan changes for:

  • Health insurance with the State Health Plan

With a life event, you can change the plan type and add, edit or remove dependents. The only other time you can make these kinds of changes to health insurance is during the annual open enrollment period.

Use the UNC System Enrollment Portal to make plan changes for:

  • Accident
  • Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D)
  • Cancer & Specified Illness
  • Critical Illness
  • Dental
  • Flexible Spending Accounts
  • Group Term Life
  • Vision

With a life event, you can enroll in new plan coverage, change plan coverage and add dependents as applicable. The only other time you can make these kinds of changes to insurance and illness plans is during the annual open enrollment period.

With a life event and any time throughout the year outside open enrollment or without a life event, you can add, edit or remove beneficiaries.

Click the button link below for step-by-step instructions for adding a life event in both portals.