Qualified Status Changes (QSCs)

If You Have an Event …

If you have a QSC, or if you are unclear whether your situation is a QSC, contact HR Answers to get answers on what you can do in your situation.

There are many changes in your situation that meet the requirements to be Qualified Status Changes (QSCs). While many of your benefits cannot be changed during the year, if you have a QSC, some benefit changes are allowed.

The following tables summarize the changes that you can make for each event. They are separated into:

Health Benefits;

Spending Accounts;

Life Insurance Benefits; and

Accident Insurance Benefits.

31-Day Deadline

If you have a QSC, you have 31 days from the qualifying event to make benefits changes; 90 days from the qualifying event if the event is the birth or adoption of a child. The benefits you elect will be effective the date of the event if you make the elections timely. (Please Note: You will have 90 days from the QSC date to add any newly eligible dependents to Medical Plan coverage should that dependent pass away within this 90-day period.). Any changes you make during the year must be consistent with the status change. Be sure to take action promptly, so that you don't miss the deadline to make any benefit changes!

Retroactive Payroll Contribution Changes

If a QSC or other permitted plan change results in retroactive changes to payroll contributions, those changes will be reflected on your next administratively available pay.

QSCs for Health Benefits — Medical, Dental, Vision


QSC	Employee	Spouse/Domestic Partner	Dependent Child or Domestic Partner Child
Marriage	Add	Add	Add
Domestic Partner Commitment	Add	Add	Add
Divorce, Legal Separation, or Termination of DP Commitment	Add	Drop	Drop
Death of Spouse/DP	N/A	Drop	Drop
Birth/Adoption/Legal Guardianship	Add	Add	Add
Child Gains Eligibility	Add	Add	Add
DP's Child Becomes Eligible	Add	Add	Add
Child Gains Eligibility due to QMCSO	Add	N/A	Add
Child/DP Child no Longer Eligible	N/A	N/A	Drop
Death of Child/DP Child	N/A	N/A	Drop
You or Covered Dependent Gains Other Coverage	Drop/reduce # of dependents	Drop/reduce # of dependents	Drop/reduce # of dependents
You or Covered Dependent Loses Other Coverage	Add	Add	Add
Change in Dependent Care Provider or Fees	N/A	N/A	N/A
Move out of Provider Service Area	Change option	change option	change option

QSCs for Spending Accounts*


QSC	Health Care Spending Account	Dependent Care Spending Account
Marriage	Begin, increase	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop
Domestic Partner Commitment	Begin, increase	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop
Divorce, Legal Separation, or Termination of DP commitment	Decrease, stop	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop
Death of Spouse/DP	Decrease, stop	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop
Birth/Adoption/Legal Guardianship	Begin, increase	Begin, increase
Child Gains Eligibility	Begin, increase	Begin, increase
DP's Child Becomes Eligible	Begin, increase	Begin, increase
Child Gains Eligibility due to QMCSO	Begin, increase	N/A
Child/DP Child no Longer Eligible	Decrease, stop	Decrease, stop
Death of Child/DP Child	Decrease, stop	Decrease, stop
You or Covered Dependent Gains Other Coverage	N/A	Decrease, stop
You or Covered Dependent Loses Other Coverage	Begin, increase	Begin, increase
Change in Dependent Care Provider or Fees	N/A	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop
Move out of Provider Service Area	N/A	N/A

*You can change your Transportation Spending Accounts elections at any time.

QSCs for Supplemental Term Life Insurance Benefits


QSC	Employee	Adult Dependent	Dependent Child/Domestic Partner Child
Marriage	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop	Begin, increase	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop
Domestic Partner Commitment	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop	Begin	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop
Divorce, Legal Separation, or Termination of DP Commitment	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop	Drop	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop
Death of Spouse/DP	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop	Drop	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop
Birth/Adoption/Legal Guardianship	Begin, increase	Begin, increase	Begin, increase
Child Gains Eligibility	Begin, increase	Begin, increase	Begin, increase
DP's Child Becomes Eligible	Begin, increase	Begin, increase	Begin, increase
Child Gains Eligibility due to QMCSO	Begin, increase	N/A	Begin, increase
Child/DP Child no Longer Eligible	Decrease, stop	Decrease, stop	Decrease, stop
Death of Child/DP Child	Decrease, stop	Decrease, stop	Decrease, stop
You or Covered Dependent Gains Other Coverage	Decrease, stop	Decrease, stop	Decrease, stop
You or Covered Dependent Loses Other Coverage	Begin, increase	Begin, increase	Begin, increase
Change in Dependent Care Provider or Fees	N/A	N/A	N/A
Move out of Provider Service Area	N/A	N/A	N/A

QSCs for Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Benefits


QSC	Employee	Adult	Child
Marriage	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop	Begin, increase	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop
Domestic Partner Commitment	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop	Begin	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop
Divorce, Legal Separation, or Termination of DP Commitment	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop	Drop	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop
Death of Spouse/DP	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop	Drop	Begin, increase, decrease, or stop
Birth/Adoption/Legal Guardianship	Begin, increase	Begin, increase	Begin, increase
Child Gains Eligibility	Begin, increase	Begin, increase	Begin, increase
DP's Child Becomes Eligible	Begin, increase	Begin, increase	Begin, increase
Child Gains Eligibility due to QMCSO	Begin, increase	N/A	Begin, increase
Child/DP Child no Longer Eligible	Decrease, stop	Decrease, stop	Decrease, stop
Death of Child/DP Child	Decrease, stop	Decrease, stop	Decrease, stop
You or Covered Dependent Gains Other Coverage	Decrease, stop	Decrease, stop	Decrease, stop
You or Covered Dependent Loses Other Coverage	Begin, increase	Begin, increase	Begin, increase
Change in Dependent Care Provider or Fees	N/A	N/A	N/A
Move out of Provider Service Area	N/A	N/A	N/A