Life Events and Your Benefits

Getting married? Moving to a new house? Considering retirement? These and other changes described here are known as "Life Events" and they can require action or have important consequences to your benefits. And for many events you'll see how all your benefits work together so you can get the most out of them.

This section will help you:

Determine when a Life Event occurs,
Understand what changes you may make to your various benefit plans due to the Life Event, and
Understand what benefits are available to meet the Life Event, and what is required of you.

To request a change in benefits, complete the benefit change form and submit it to the Benefits Department. In most cases, your request should be made within 31 days of the event, however, certain events allow for 60 days. Please refer to the applicable life event below for specific deadlines.

In addition to your benefit plans, other Company programs such as sick leave or vacation leave may play a role in how you handle certain Life Events. For details about these programs, you may refer to the Company Policies & Procedures section on the Company Intranet.

Sickness, Accident, or Disability

If the cause of the sickness, accident, or disability is not job-related, the following will apply:

Health Care Plans	Most medically necessary health care expenses are covered by your Company health plan options (or your spouse's/domestic partner's plans, when applicable).
Voluntary Critical Illness Plan	You may be eligible for the critical illness benefit. Contact the Benefits Department.
Flexible Spending Accounts	Health care spending account: Health care expenses that are not covered by your or your spouse's health care plan may be submitted for reimbursement through your health care spending account. To be eligible, these expenses must be considered deductible by the IRS.
Life/AD&D Plans	Life insurance: In the event of a terminal illness, a portion of your basic and supplemental life insurance may be available to you in the form of a cash payment while you are living. AD&D insurance: If you (or your dependents, if you have elected dependent coverage), suffer certain specified injuries or losses due to an accident, AD&D insurance benefits may be payable.
Disability Plans	Short term disability: If eligible, you may begin receiving income replacement benefits on the eighth consecutive day of disability. Benefits may continue for up to 52 weeks. Long term disability: If your disability lasts longer than 52 weeks, you may be eligible for long term disability benefits. Note: disability benefits will be reduced by other disability benefits you may be receiving, or are eligible to receive.
Long Term Care Insurance	Depending on the circumstances, if assisted living or a stay in a nursing home is required, you may be eligible for benefits if you enrolled in this optional plan.
401(k) Plan	If you are considered totally disabled, you automatically become vested in the Company's matching contributions. You may request payment of the full value of your vested account balance or you can leave your account balance in the plan.
Other Programs	Sick leave: You may be eligible to take a paid sick leave if you are temporarily unable to work because of personal illness or injury. FMLA (The Family and Medical Leave Act): You may take an unpaid leave of absence to care for a parent, spouse, or child, or if you have a serious health condition that prevents you from performing your job.

Death of a Spouse/Domestic Partner or Child

This section applies if your spouse/domestic partner or child drops off your' coverage or you lose coverage under your spouse/domestic partner's plan.

When to notify the Benefits Department: Within 31 days of the event.

When coverage change is effective: The date the event.

Health Care Plans	You may remove the dependent from your medical, dental and vision plans. You may enroll yourself and your dependents if the event causes loss of coverage under your spouse's/domestic partner's plan.
Voluntary Critical Illness Plan	You may drop coverage for your spouse/domestic partner.
Flexible Spending Accounts	You may change or stop contributions to the accounts. You may enroll or increase your FSA election if the event causes loss of coverage under your spouse's/domestic partner's plan.
Life/AD&D Plans	If your dependent was covered by dependent life or optional AD&D insurance, you should apply for benefits. You will need to provide a certified copy of the death certificate to the Benefits Department. You may enroll/increase or drop/decrease supplemental life, dependent life, or optional AD&D coverage.
Disability Plans	Short term disability: You may enroll or drop coverage. Long term disability: No change.
Long Term Care Insurance	Coverage ends on your dependent's date of death. If he or she dies before age 74 without ever receiving LTC benefits, some or all of the premiums paid on behalf of that dependent will be returned to you. You have 31 days from the date of your spouse's/domestic partner's or child's death to drop his or her participation, enroll yourself for coverage, or change coverage.
401(k) Plan	No change.
Other Programs	Bereavement leave: Employees may take paid bereavement leave due to the loss of an immediate family member.

Death of Covered Employee

When to notify the Benefits Department: Within 31 days of the event.

When coverage change is effective: The date the life event.

Health Care Plans	Your medical, dental, and vision coverages end at the end of the month of your death. Your dependents who are covered under your medical, dental, and vision plans at the time of your death may be eligible to continue their coverage under COBRA. They will be notified of their options and what they need to do by'the Benefits Administrator.
Voluntary Critical Illness Plan	Coverage ends on your date of death. Your spouse/domestic partner may have the right to continue family coverage, including eligible dependent children.
Flexible Spending Accounts	Limited FSA: your eligible dependents may elect to continue participating in the Limited FSA on an after-tax basis through COBRA. Dependent care FSA: pre-tax contributions will cease, although your eligible dependents can continue to withdraw existing funds for eligible charges incurred in that same plan year. FSA coverage ends on the date of death.
Life/AD&D Plans	Life insurance: your beneficiaries may apply for life insurance benefits. AD&D insurance: if you die in a covered accident, your beneficiaries may apply for AD&D insurance benefits. Business travel accident insurance: if you die in a covered accident while traveling on Company business, your beneficiaries may apply for BTA insurance benefits. Your beneficiaries will need to provide a certified copy of the death certificate to the Benefits Department. Coverage ends on the date of death.
Disability Plans	Long term disability: If you die after being totally disabled for six months, your beneficiaries may be eligible for a portion of your benefit.
Long Term Care Insurance	Coverage ends on your date of death. If you die before age 74 without ever receiving long term care benefits, some or all of your premiums will be returned to your beneficiaries.
401(k) Plan	Your beneficiaries will be eligible to receive a payout of your total account balance. They will be notified of what they need to do by the Benefits Department.
Other Programs	Workers' Compensation: If you die while on Company business or at work, your beneficiaries will be notified by the Benefits Department of their eligibility to apply for a Workers' Compensation death benefit.

CHIP Eligibility

This section applies if either of the following apply:

Coverage for you or your dependents under Medicaid or Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ends because you are no longer eligible.
You or your dependents become eligible for a premium assistance subsidy under Medicaid or CHIP.

When to notify the Benefits Department: Within 60 days of the event.

When coverage change is effective: The date of the event.

Health Care Plans	You may enroll or waive coverage for yourself, your spouse/domestic partner, or your eligible dependent children for medical, dental or vision coverage.
Voluntary Critical Illness Plan	No change.
Flexible Spending Accounts	You may enroll or waive coverage for yourself, your spouse/domestic partner or your eligible dependent children.
Life/AD&D Plans	No change.
Disability Plans	No change.
Long Term Care Insurance	No change.
401(k) Plan	No change.

Change of Residence

Be sure to inform the Benefits Department of your new address, so your benefits records will be updated and you will continue to receive Company mailings.

When to notify the Benefits Department: Within 31 days of the event.

When coverage change is effective: The date you provide ALL required information to the Benefits Department.

Health Care Plans	Medical: If you are enrolled in a Company medical plan and a network provider is not available in your new area, contact the Benefits Department. You have 31 days from the date of your move to change your medical plan.
Voluntary Critical Illness Plan	No change.
Flexible Spending Accounts	No change.
Life/AD&D Plans	No change.
Disability Plans	Short term disability: If you move in to or out of California, you may change your short term disability election. Please notify the Benefits Department within 31 days of the date of your move. Long term disability: No change.
Long Term Care Insurance	No change.
401(k) Plan	You may request a residential loan or hardship withdrawal to assist you with the purchase of your primary residence.

Marriage or Formation of a Domestic Partnership

When to notify the Benefits Department: Within 31 days of the event.

When coverage change is effective: The date you provide ALL required information to the Benefits Department.

Health Care Plans	You have 31 days from the date of your marriage or the formation of your domestic partnership to drop your coverage or to enroll your new spouse/domestic partner and any new dependents (including children of your domestic partner) in medical, dental, or vision.
Voluntary Critical Illness Plan	No change.
Flexible Spending Accounts	Health care spending account: You may enroll or increase your annual election. If covered family members become covered under your spouse/domestic partner's health plan, you have 31 days from the date of your marriage to drop or decrease your annual election. Dependent care spending account: If you gain an eligible dependent child through marriage, you may enroll or increase your annual election. If your new spouse cares for your child, you may stop or decrease your annual election. Note: expenses on behalf of a domestic partner or a domestic partner's child, generally are not eligible under the flexible spending accounts unless they qualify as a dependent on your federal income tax return.
Life/AD&D Plans	You may enroll, drop, increase, or decrease supplemental life, dependent life, and optional AD&D coverage and to enroll your new spouse/domestic partner or dependent children. Beneficiary designations: you may change your beneficiary designations at any time for your life insurance and AD&D coverage. Your beneficiary designation for business travel accident insurance must be the same as for basic life insurance. Review your designations and update them if necessary.
Disability Plans	Short term disability: You may enroll or drop coverage. Long term disability: No change.
Long Term Care Insurance	You have 31 days from the date of your marriage or formation of your domestic partnership to enroll your new spouse/domestic partner and eligible dependents. New dependents will be required to provide evidence of insurability.
401(k) Plan	You may change your beneficiary designations at any time for the 401(k) Savings Plan. By law, your spouse must be the primary beneficiary for your 401(k) savings plan benefits, unless he or she agrees otherwise in writing. (Contact the Benefits Department for additional information.) Review your designations and update them if necessary.
You may also obtain information and referrals to child care through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP). If one of your children gets married, he or she will no longer be eligible as a covered dependent under the benefits program. You will need to delete your child from your benefits within 31 days of the date of marriage. Your child may be eligible for COBRA continuation coverage. Contact the Benefits Department for information.

Change of Custody of an Eligible Dependent

A change in custody may also include the requirement to cover your dependent child as the result of a Qualified Medical Child Support Order.

When to notify the Benefits Department: Within 31 days of the event.

When coverage change is effective: The date you provide ALL required information to the Benefits Department.

Health Care Plans	You may enroll or drop your eligible dependent, as appropriate, from your medical, dental and vision coverages within 31 days of the date of a court order that specifies a change of custody of that dependent.
Voluntary Critical Illness Plan	No change.
Flexible Spending Accounts	You may enroll/increase or drop/decrease (as appropriate) your annual election to your health care and dependent care spending accounts.
Life/AD&D Plans	You may enroll/increase or drop/decrease (as appropriate)
Disability Plans	No change.
Long Term Care Insurance	No change.
401(k) Plan	No change.

Divorce, Legal Separation, or Change in Domestic Partner Status

This section applies if your spouse/domestic partner drops off your' coverage or you lose coverage under your spouse/domestic partner's plan. You have 31 days from the date your divorce, legal separation, or legal annulment becomes final to provide all required documentation.

When to notify the Benefits Department: Within 31 days of the event.

When coverage change is effective: The date you provide ALL required information to the Benefits Department.

Health Care Plans	Upon receiving final court documentation of your divorce, legal separation or legal annulment becoming final (or your domestic partnership ends), you may drop your dependents from your medical, dental, and vision plans. You may enroll yourself and your dependents if the event causes your spouse/domestic partner to lose coverage under his or her plan. Your dependents may be eligible for COBRA continuation coverage
Voluntary Critical Illness Plan	You may drop coverage for your spouse/domestic partner.
Flexible Spending Accounts	You may enroll/increase or drop/decrease (as appropriate) your annual election to your Flexible Spending Accounts.
Life/AD&D Plans	You may make changes to your supplemental life, dependent life, or optional AD&D insurance elections. Beneficiary designation: You may want to change the beneficiary designations for your life and AD&D insurance. Contact the Benefits Department for information.
Disability Plans	Short term disability: You may enroll or drop coverage. Long term disability: No change.
Long Term Care Insurance	You may drop or make changes to your long term care insurance elections.
401(k) Plan	Beneficiary designation: You may want to change the beneficiary designations for the 401(k) savings plan. Contact the Benefits Department for information. Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO): As a result of your primary relationship ending, you may be required by court order to pay a percentage of certain benefits to a child or ex-spouse. Contact the Benefits Department for information.

Dependent Child Status Changes

This section applies if your dependent child becomes eligible or ineligible for benefits for any of the following reasons:

Employment begins or ends,
Marriage of the dependent child,
Reaching the maximum age, or
Losing or gaining full-time student status.

For a dependent child who is no longer eligible to be covered as a dependent under your benefits, you must drop this child from your coverage within 31 days of the date he or she is no longer eligible. If your child regains student status, you have 31 days to re-enroll this dependent. If you have an eligible dependent child between ages 19 and 25 who is a full-time student, you will be asked to verify your dependent's full-time student status for dental and vision coverage periodically.

If your child is no longer eligible for medical, dental, and vision coverage, he or she may become eligible for continued health care coverage under COBRA.

When to notify the Benefits Department: Within 31 days of the event.

When coverage change is effective: The date you provide ALL required information to the Benefits Department.

Health Care Plans	You may enroll or drop medical, dental, or vision for your affected eligible dependent. If your child is no longer eligible for medical, dental, and vision coverage, he or she may become eligible for continued health care coverage under COBRA.
Voluntary Critical Illness Plan	No change.
Flexible Spending Accounts	You may make changes to your flexible spending accounts as consistent with the life event. For example, if your child loses full-time student status for dental and vision coverage, you may drop/decrease your health care spending account contributions.
Life/AD&D Plans	If your child is no longer eligible for coverage under the dependent life insurance plan, your dependent may be eligible to "port" his or her life insurance coverage. For more information about the portability feature, see Portability as described in the summary plan description.
Disability Plans	No change.
Long Term Care Insurance	No change.
401(k) Plan	No change.

Employment Status Changes

This section applies if benefit coverage or benefit eligibility is affected by a change in employment status for you, your spouse/domestic partner or an eligible dependent child. This includes becoming employed, losing employment, going on or returning from an unpaid leave of absence, going from part-time to full-time employment or vice versa, union to nonunion, etc.

Important: You have 31 days from the date of the event to make changes as outlined in the table below. All changes must be consistent with your or your dependent's changed employment status.

When to notify the Benefits Department: Within 31 days of the event.

When coverage change is effective: The date you provide ALL required information to the Benefits Department.

Health Care Plans	You may enroll or drop coverage for yourself, your spouse/domestic partner, or your eligible dependent children from medical, dental or vision coverage.
Voluntary Critical Illness Plan	You may decrease coverage for yourself or your spouse/domestic partner.
Flexible Spending Accounts	You may make changes to your participation or elections that are consistent with the change in employment status. Note: expenses of domestic partners and their children are generally not eligible for reimbursement under the Flexible Spending Accounts.
Life/AD&D Plans	You may enroll/increase or drop/decrease coverage for yourself, your spouse/domestic partner, or your eligible dependent children from supplemental life, dependent life, or optional AD&D insurance.
Disability Plans	Short term disability: You may enroll or drop coverage if your spouse/domestic partner has a loss in employment. Long term disability: No change.
Long Term Care Insurance	You may enroll or drop coverage for yourself or your eligible dependents (including domestic partners and children of a domestic partner) from long term care insurance.
401(k) Plan	No change.

Gaining a Dependent Child

This section applies to you if you gain a dependent child through birth, marriage, formation of a domestic partnership, adoption, or foster parenthood. With regard to adopted and foster children, the following coverage may be effective the day the child is placed in your home.

When to notify the Benefits Department: Within 31 days of the event.

When coverage change is effective: The date of the life event.

Health Care Plans	You may enroll your new dependent in your medical, dental, and vision plan. If you previously declined medical coverage, you may also enroll yourself and/or spouse/domestic partner for medical coverage only within 31 days.
Voluntary Critical Illness Plan	No change.
Flexible Spending Accounts	Health care spending account: You may enroll or increase your annual election. Dependent care spending account: You may enroll/increase or drop/decrease your annual election.
Life/AD&D Plans	You may enroll in, increase, drop, or decrease supplemental life, dependent life, and optional AD&D coverage. Beneficiary designations: Your dependent child may be eligible to be named beneficiary of certain benefit plans, subject to applicable regulations. Contact the Benefits Department for additional information.
Disability Plans	Short term disability: You may enroll or drop coverage. Long term disability: No change.
Long Term Care Insurance	You may enroll, increase, drop, or decrease coverage.
401(k) Plan	No change.
Other Programs	FMLA (The Family and Medical Leave Act): You may be eligible for family leave to care for a new dependent child. Personal leave of absence: You may be eligible to take a personal leave related to a new dependent child.
Note: You can obtain information and referrals to child care through the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

Changes to Benefit Coverage or Benefit Eligibility

This section applies if benefit coverage for you, your eligible spouse (or domestic partner depending on the plan) or dependent child (or child of a domestic partner depending on the plan) is affected by:

Your dependent changing benefit coverage during the Open Enrollment period under his or her employer's benefits program, but only if the plan year differs from our' plan year (January 1—December 31).
Changes made to your dependent's employer's benefits program, including the addition or deletion of benefit plans.
A significant change in coverage costs (such as when premiums are materially increased or decreased). However, you cannot change your Limted FSA under these circumstances.
You or your spouse/domestic partner becoming eligible for Medicare or Medicaid. Loss of Medicare or Medicaid eligibility is also a qualified Life Event.
Employer contributions (yours or your spouse's/domestic partner's) have stopped.
The other plan has terminated.
COBRA coverage under the other plan ends involuntarily.

Important: You have 31 days from the date of the event to make changes as outlined in the table below. All changes must be consistent with your or your dependent's changed benefit status.

When to notify the Benefits Department: Within 31 days of the event.

When coverage change is effective: The date you provide ALL required information to the Benefits Department.

Health Care Plans	You may enroll or drop coverage for yourself, your spouse/domestic partner or your eligible dependent children from medical, dental or vision coverage.
Voluntary Critical Illness Plan	You may decrease coverage for yourself or your spouse/domestic partner.
Flexible Spending Accounts	You may make changes to your participation or elections that are consistent with the change in benefit status. Note: expenses of domestic partners and their children are generally not eligible for reimbursement under the flexible spending accounts.
Life/AD&D Plans	You may enroll/increase or drop/decrease coverage for yourself, your spouse/domestic partner, or your eligible dependent children from supplemental life, dependent life, or optional AD&D insurance.
Disability Plans	Short term disability: You may enroll or drop coverage if your spouse/domestic partner has a change in employment status. Long term disability: No change.
Long Term Care Insurance	You may enroll or drop coverage for yourself or your eligible dependents (including domestic partners and children of a domestic partner) from long term care insurance.
401(k) Plan	No change.

Termination of Employment

If you leave the Company, you will receive a packet of information describing your benefit options and procedures for continuing coverage.

Health Care Plans	Your medical, dental, and vision elections end on the last day of the month of termination. You may be eligible to continue health care coverage for yourself and your covered dependents under COBRA. You will receive a certificate showing the length of time you were covered under a Company medical plan.
Voluntary Critical Illness Plan	Your coverage ends on the date of termination. You may have the option to apply to continue coverage for yourself, your spouse/domestic partner if covered, and your eligible children.
Flexible Spending Accounts	Limited FSA: Your Limited FSA coverage ends on the date of termination. The health care spending account may be continued through COBRA. Dependent care FSA: Contributions to the dependent care account end on the date of termination, although you can continue to withdraw existing funds for eligible charges incurred in that same plan year. If you retire, however, participation ends.
Life/AD&D Plans	Life insurance: If you leave the Company, you may convert your basic, supplemental, and dependent life coverage(s) to an individual policy-without having to provide evidence of good health. You also have the ability to continue your supplemental and dependent life insurance at group rates (which are generally lower than individual coverage) under the portability option. However, if your termination of employment is due to illness or injury (disability), you are not eligible to "port" your coverages; instead, you may be eligible to convert your coverage. You must apply for conversion or portability within 30 days of your termination date. Supplemental Life/AD&D: Coverage ends on the last day of the month of termination. Optional AD&D insurance: All coverage for you and dependents, if applicable, ends on your termination date.
Disability Plans	Short term disability: Coverage ends on your termination date. If you are a California resident and you become disabled after you leave the Company, you may be eligible for benefits under California's state disability plan. Long term disability: Coverage ends on your termination date unless you are already disabled and receiving LTD benefits.
Long Term Care Insurance	Coverage ends on the last day of the month of termination. You have the option of continuing your coverage under the plan by converting to individual coverage (election to convert coverage must be made within 30 days).
401(k) Plan	If you are participating in the 401(k) Savings Plan at the time you terminate employment, you may request distribution of your vested account balance or you can leave your account balance in the plan. If your vested balance is less than $5,000, you will receive a lump sum distribution as soon as administratively practicable after your termination of employment.
Note: depending on the reason for termination, you may be eligible to apply for state unemployment insurance benefits.

Pregnancy

Health Care Plans	Medical: Most medical expenses in connection with pregnancy and childbirth are covered by the Company-sponsored medical plans. Your medical plan also has services to support you through the maternity experience.
Voluntary Critical Illness Plan	No change.
Flexible Spending Accounts	No change.
Life/AD&D Plans	No change.
Disability Plans	Short term disability: You may be eligible to receive income replacement benefits before and after your baby is born, if medically necessary. Long term disability: No change.
Long Term Care Insurance	No change.
Long Term Care Insurance	No change.
401(k) Plan	No change.
Other Programs	Sick leave: You may take paid sick leave if you are unable to work during your pregnancy, if medically necessary. FMLA (The Family and Medical Leave Act): You may take an unpaid leave of absence to care for your child following his or her birth, following placement for adoption or foster care, or if you have a serious health condition related to your pregnancy that prevents you from performing your job. Other leave programs (varies by state): Other types of paid or unpaid leave may apply depending on the state in which you reside. See the Benefits Department for details.

Saving for the Future

Health Care Plans	Not applicable.
Voluntary Critical Illness Plan	Not applicable.
Flexible Spending Accounts	Not applicable.
Life/AD&D Plans	Not applicable.
Disability Plans	Not applicable.
Long Term Care Insurance	Not applicable.
401(k) Plan	This plan enables you to save money on a tax-deferred basis. The Company will make annual matching contributions.

Paying for College Tuition

Health Care Plans	Not applicable.
Voluntary Critical Illness Plan	Not applicable.
Flexible Spending Accounts	Not applicable.
Life/AD&D Plans	Not applicable.
Disability Plans	Not applicable.
Long Term Care Insurance	Not applicable.
401(k) Plan	You may request a loan or hardship withdrawal to cover education expenses for yourself or a dependent.
Other Programs	Tuition assistance: You may apply for reimbursement of your tuition costs for pre-approved job related courses. Please refer to the Tuition Assistance link on the Career section of the Company Intranet. College Savings Plan: The Company offers a college savings program for which all benefit-eligible employees may enroll. This is a tax-advantaged way to save for higher education.