Qualifying Events Documentation

When you experience a qualifying event and wish to make mid-year changes to your medical, dental, or flexible spending account, you must supply the Office of Faculty and Staff Benefits with documentation supporting the change you are requesting. Generally speaking, your attesting to the qualifying event is not sufficient.  Rather, the document you provide should corroborate your request. 

Documentation can come from the insurance company, plan sponsor or legal authority and must include the names of the persons experiencing the event, the date it occurred, and the type of coverage in question (if applicable). For example:

• If you are requesting to add your spouse to the plan because they lost their benefits due to termination of employment, you must bring in a letter from his or her employer indicating the type of coverage held, the names of those covered by the plan(s), and when coverage ends. However, an e-mail or letter from you informing us that he has terminated employment would be an example of documentation that would not suffice, because it does not corroborate the details your request.
• For the birth of a baby, we will accept a birth certificate or the discharge paperwork from the hospital which indicates the birth of the child.

As a rule of thumb, you should supply us with documentation that already exists (i.e. a proof of birth letter, a spouse’s offer letter from his new employer, etc) rather than create new documentation for the purposes of satisfying this requirement. For specific guidance on documenataion for your qualifying event, please contact our office.