What is a Qualifying Life Event?
A Qualifying Life Event (QLE) is an event that allows for a special enrollment period for individuals and dependents when there is a loss of other coverage or a gain of additional dependents. Insurance carriers may require proof of the event, such as a Certificate of Credible Coverage or a letter from the previous provider. Without a qualifying life event, changes can only be made to your benefits during the annual open enrollment period, which begins in July for a September 1st effective date.
Qualifying Life Event Examples
Qualifying Life Events are things like: getting married, birth of or adopting a child, losing other coverage, gaining other coverage, divorce, or dependent aging out.
If you have a question about whether you are experiencing a Qualifying Event, call our Benefits Service Center at 1-866-409-3174.
What to Do
So what do you do when you’ve had a qualifying life event? Easy! Complete the following tasks, within 30 days from the date of your Qualifying Life Event:
- Email supporting documentation to benefits@uplifteducation.org. The documentation must include both:
- the effective date of the change, and
- the name(s) of the impacted individual(s).
- Upon approval of your documentation, contact the Benefits Service Center to specify which changes you would like to make.
Supporting documentation will be reviewed within 2 business days. Please do not hesitate to contact the benefits team at benefits@uplifteducation.org if assistance is required.
If you do not make changes (notification of intent to make changes does not count) within 30 days, you will lose the opportunity to do so. Additionally, you must have actively enrolled in or declined coverage initially to be eligible to make changes to your benefits due to a qualifying life event.