Human Resources and Benefits

  • Covering Eligible Dependents

    This is a reminder that employees must notify Human Resources and submit supporting documentation within 31 days of a qualifying event to make changes to health insurance coverage outside of the annual open enrollment period. 

    Qualifying events include the following: 

    • Marital Status – any event that changes legal marital status, including marriage, divorce, death of a spouse, and legal separation.
    • Number of dependents – any event that changes number of dependents, including birth, death, divorce, adoption, and legal guardianship.
    • Residence – a change in place of residence (i.e. moving into or out of CT) that affects an ability to access network providers.
    • Employment status – any event that changes employment status, or the employment status of dependents, resulting in gaining or losing eligibility for coverage.
    • Dependent status – any event that causes your dependent to become eligible or ineligible for coverage.  Note: Human Resources automatically removes dependent children who reach the age limits for Medical/Dental coverage; employees do not need to take any action. Human Resources also notifies employees and dependent children when dependent children have aged-out of coverage.

    Children for whom you are legal guardian can remain on coverage up to age 18 unless proof of continued dependency is provided and an extension is approved by the Office of the State Comptroller. Disabled children may be covered beyond age 26 with proper documentation from the medical insurance carrier. Changes in marital status may impact whether an individual qualifies as a dependent; for example, a stepchild is no longer eligible as a dependent in the event of a divorce.

    It is the responsibility of the employee to:

    1. Cover only eligible dependents;
    2. Provide timely notification to HR@uconn.edu or 860-486-3034 if there is a qualifying event (within 31 days); and
    3. Submit required documentation to HR at the time of a qualifying event (within 31 days).

    Failure to remove a dependent who is no longer eligible for coverage within 31 days of the qualifying event (i.e. divorce) shall result in the employee being required to reimburse the State and pay interest for the ineligible medical and/or dental insurance benefits received, paying taxes on the fair market value of the ineligible medical and/or dental benefits received, as well as being subject to disciplinary action.

    For more information, contact: Human Resources at hr@uconn.edu