Qualifying Life Events
Major life changes, called qualifying life events, allow you to make changes to your insurance benefits outside the yearly Open Enrollment period.
Most changes need to occur within 60 days of the qualifying life event. If you wait longer to request changes, you must wait until the Open Enrollment period.
Use the following information about qualifying life events to learn what insurance changes can be made, change effective dates and what documentation and forms will be required to make changes.
Any employee wishing to make changes to their benefits should email benefits@weber.edu.
The following changes can be made at any time:
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Beneficiary changes
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Life Insurance changes
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Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution amount
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Retirement contribution amount
Questions?
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91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s Medical Insurance Plan
Contact PEHP at 800-765-7347 or .
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91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s Dental or Vision Insurance Plans
Contact EMI Health at 800-662-5851 or .
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91¶ÌÊÓƵ’s Life Insurance Plan
Contact Sun Life Financial at 1-800-SUN-LIFE (786-5433) or .
Download our Qualifying Life Events guide for details about enrollment periods, deadlines and required documentation for qualifying life events.
Qualifying Life Events List
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Birth of a Child
You have a 60-day enrollment period to make changes to your benefits after the birth of a child. Insurance coverage is effective on the date of the child’s birth.
Possible insurance changes you may make:
- Medical Insurance (PEHP):
- Add child to coverage
- Change plan or network
- Flexible Spending (PEHP):
- Enroll or increase amount
- Dependent Care Flexible Spending (PEHP):
- Enroll or increase amount
- Dental Insurance (EMI):
- Add child to coverage
- Vision Insurance (Opticare):
- Add child to coverage
- Life Insurance (Sun Life):
- Enroll in child life insurance without Evidence of Insurability (EOI)
- Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D):
- Enroll child in AD&D
Documentation or forms you may need:
- PEHP Change form
- EMI Change form
Resources
- 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Policies
- 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Childcare Resources
- Blomquist Hale
- Family counseling is available through the Blomquist Hale Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
- More Resources
- Medical Insurance (PEHP):
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Adoption & Legal Guardianship
You have a 60-day enrollment period to make changes to your benefits after the adoption of a child, or establishing legal guardianship of a child. Insurance coverage is effective on the date stamped on the accompanying legal documentation.
Possible insurance changes you may make:
- Medical Insurance (PEHP):
- Add child to coverage
- Change plan or network
- Flexible Spending (PEHP):
- Enroll or increase amount
- Dependent Care Flexible Spending (PEHP):
- Enroll or increase amount
- Dental Insurance (EMI):
- Add child to coverage
- Vision Insurance (Opticare):
- Add child to coverage
- Life Insurance (Sun Life):
- Enroll in child life insurance without Evidence of Insurability (EOI)
- Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D):
- Enroll child in AD&D
Documentation or forms you may need:
- Adoption Court document
- Legal Guardianship document
- PEHP Change form
- EMI Change form
Resources
- 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Policies
- 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Childcare Resources
- Blomquist Hale
- Family counseling is available through the Blomquist Hale Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
- More Resources
- Medical Insurance (PEHP):
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Marriage
You have a 60-day enrollment period to make changes to your benefits after getting married. Coverage will be effective on the date of the marriage.
Possible insurance changes you may make:
- Medical Insurance (PEHP):
- Add spouse to coverage
- Change plan and network
- Flexible Spending (PEHP):
- Enroll or increase amount
- Dependent Care Flexible Spending (PEHP):
- Enroll or increase amount
- Dental Insurance (EMI):
- Add spouse to coverage
- Vision Insurance (Opticare):
- Add spouse to coverage
- Life Insurance (Sun Life):
- Enroll in spouse life insurance without Evidence of Insurability (EOI)
- Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D):
- Enroll spouse in AD&D
Documents or forms you may need:
- Marriage license
- PEHP Change form
- EMI Change form
Resources
- Name Change
- Go to the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ records website for information and required steps if you’re changing your legal name, preferred name or Wildcat username.
- Retirement
- Now that your life has changed, think about contributing more to your retirement or making changes to your beneficiary so that you are taking care of your people.
- and both allow you to designate your spouse as a beneficiary.
- Employee Wellness Program
- Invite your spouse to participate in employee wellness. Visit the Wellness Program website for more information.
- Blomquist Hale
- Marriage counseling is available through the Blomquist Hale Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
- Couple Links
- Couple Links is a free, research-based course through Utah State University that’s suitable for adults in married or committed relationships. Learn more at the .
- Medical Insurance (PEHP):
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Divorce or Legal Separation
You have a 60-day enrollment period to make changes to your benefits after getting a divorce or legal separation.
Possible insurance changes you may make:
- Medical Insurance (PEHP):
- Remove ex-spouse and stepchildren
- Change plan and network
- Flexible Spending (PEHP):
- Reduce amount
- If the ex-spouse had a Flexible Spending account, the employee can enroll in a Flexible Spending account
- Dependent Care Flexible Spending (PEHP):
- Reduce amount if ex-spouse would be the custodial parent for the child
- Can be added due to divorce if the ex-spouse was providing the Dependent Care benefit and the employee will be the custodial parent
- Dental Insurance (EMI)
- Remove ex-spouse and stepchildren
- Vision Insurance (Opticare)
- Remove ex-spouse and stepchildren
- Life Insurance (Sun Life)
- End ex-spouse and child life insurance
- Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D)
- End ex-spouse and child insurance
Documents or forms you may need:
- Divorce decree showing court stamp, or court documents showing a legal separation
- PEHP Change form
- EMI Change form
Dependent coverage will cease as follows:
- PEHP: day before divorce decree stamped date
- All others: day of divorce decree stamped date
Resources
- Name change
- Go to the 91¶ÌÊÓƵ records website for information and required steps if you’re changing your legal name, preferred name or Wildcat username.
- Retirement Information
- Now that your life has changed, think about contributing more to your retirement or making changes to your beneficiary so that you are taking care of your people.
- You may need to update your retirement beneficiaries. Visit the or websites for more information, or contact your TIAA or URS representative.
- Blomquist Hale
- Counseling is available through the Blomquist Hale Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
- Medical Insurance (PEHP):
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Loss of Coverage/Employee Turns 26
You have a 60-day enrollment period to make changes to your benefits after experiencing a loss of coverage or turning 26 years old.
An employee can experience a loss of insurance coverage if their spouse was the policyholder and then no longer has coverage. If an employee is under their parents’ insurance, the employee would also lose coverage when they turn 26.
Insurance coverage would be effective the day after the last day the coverage elsewhere ended.
Possible insurance changes you may make:
- Medical Insurance (PEHP):
- Change plan and network
- Add whoever lost other coverage
- Flexible Spending (PEHP): Enroll
- Dependent Care Flexible Spending (PEHP): Enroll
- Dental Insurance (EMI): Add whoever lost other coverage
- Vision Insurance (Opticare): Add whoever lost other coverage
- Life Insurance (Sun Life): Enroll without Evidence of Insurability (EOI)
- Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D): Enroll without Evidence of Insurability (EOI)
Documents or forms you may need:
- Letter from benefit vendor showing who was enrolled, coverage and end date
Resources
- , an on-campus resource that provides free food to the Weber State community
- : Pantry and Ready-to-Eat meal finder
- Medical Insurance (PEHP):
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Dependent Turning 26
The Affordable Care Act allows young adults to remain on their parents’ insurance until age 26.
If you have a dependent on your insurance who is about to turn 26, coverage for your 26-year-old dependent ends on the last day of the month in which they turn 26.
Changes will occur automatically. This is not a qualifying event for the policyholder, and insurance changes cannot be made.
Exceptions are made for disabled dependents over the age of 26; they will require periodic recertification through PEHP and/or EMI.
Resources
- The has answers to questions you may have when your covered dependent turns 26.
- COBRA continuation coverage is available through .
- Coverage is also available through the .
- Your dependent may be eligible for coverage either through their employer or their spouse’s employer.
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Death of Dependent
There is no deadline to make changes to your insurance when you experience the death of a dependent. Insurance changes are effective on the date of death.
Possible insurance changes you may make:
- Medical Insurance (PEHP)
- Remove deceased dependent
- Change plan and network
- Flexible Spending (PEHP): Reduce amount
- Dependent Care Flexible Spending (PEHP): Reduce amount if the deceased was receiving day care
- Dental Insurance (EMI): Remove deceased dependent
- Vision Insurance (Opticare): Removed deceased dependent
- Life Insurance (Sun Life):
- End deceased dependent’s life insurance
- File life insurance claim for deceased dependent
- Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D):
- End deceased dependent’s life insurance
- File life insurance claim for deceased dependent
Documents or forms you may need:
- Death certificate
Resources
- 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Bereavement Policy
- Blomquist Hale
- Grief counseling is available through the Blomquist Hale Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
- Medical Insurance (PEHP)
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Death of Employee
In the event of an employee death, the beneficiary must contact the Benefits Coordinator as soon as possible so that a life insurance claim can be processed in a timely manner.
Following such an event, dependent coverage will continue as follows:
- PEHP: 30 days after date of death
- EMI: End of the month in which death occurred
- All others: Date of death
- COBRA coverage for surviving spouse and dependent child can last up to 36 months. Information would be provided by PEHP and/or EMI.
Documents or forms you may need:
- Death certificate
- Beneficiary's government-issued identification
Resources
- 91¶ÌÊÓƵ Bereavement Policy
- Blomquist Hale
- Grief counseling is available through the Blomquist Hale Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
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Death of Early Retiree
In the event of an early retiree death, the beneficiary must contact the Benefits Coordinator as soon as possible regarding the death benefit.
Following such an event, dependent coverage will continue until the earliest of:
- The date that the agreement would have terminated
- The date the employee would have reached age 65
- The date the spouse reaches age 65
- The date the dependent reached age 26