Life Events

What if I get married and I need to change my health insurance?

You will have 31 days from the date of marriage to add new dependents (including your spouse) to your health insurance. If you wish to cancel your health insurance because your spouse will provide coverage, you will also have 31 days from the date of marriage to cancel your insurance. The Benefits Office will not accept change forms after your 31-day window. If you do not submit the appropriate forms within the 31-day time frame, you must wait until the annual open enrollment (November 1 to November 30) to make your changes. You cannot change your health insurance plan outside of open enrollment.

If you are considering changing your beneficiaries for your life insurance and your retirement annuity, please refer to the last question below.

What if I have a baby?

You will have 62 days from the birth or adoption of a child to add your child to your health insurance (even if you already have family coverage). The Benefits Office will forward your form to your health/dental insurance carrier and make any necessary changes in your health/dental insurance premium. Once your health insurance carrier has processed your form, the child will be covered retroactive to their date of birth or the date you received custody of your child.

The Benefits Office will not accept change forms after your 62-day deadline. If you do not submit the appropriate forms within the 62-day time frame, you must wait until the annual open enrollment (November 1 to November 30) to add the child to your health insurance plan and the effective date will be January 1.

If you are considering changing your beneficiaries for your life insurance and your retirement annuity, please refer to the last question below.

What if I get divorced?

If your spouse is on your health/dental insurance through the University, your spouse will lose eligibility for health/dental insurance as of the date of the divorce and you must remove him/her from your health/dental and life insurance policy. Contact your benefits office to obtain the appropriate form to cancel optional life insurance coverage on a spouse. If your spouse has long term care insurance through TIAA, your spouse will need to contact TIAA to continue the insurance after the divorce.

If the divorce decree requires you to provide health/dental insurance for children who were previously not covered, you must add them to your health/dental insurance within 31 days of the divorce.

When you remove your spouse from your health/dental insurance due to a divorce, your spouse will be entitled to up to 36 months of coverage through COBRA. To enroll an ex-spouse in COBRA, please contact Jennifer Gang at jennifergang@wustl.edu.

If you are considering changing your beneficiaries for your life insurance and retirement annuity, please refer to the last question below.

What if I have insurance through my spouse and he/she loses his/her job?

If you lose coverage through your spouse, you will have 31 days to apply for coverage through the University. You may apply for health/dental insurance for yourself, your spouse and eligible children who lost coverage through your spouse. If you fail to apply for coverage within the 31-day timeframe, you must wait until the annual open enrollment (November 1 to November 30) to apply for coverage and/or add dependents and the effective date will be January 1. You cannot change your health insurance plan outside of open enrollment.

What if I am approved for a leave of absence?

On an approved University leave of absence (whether paid or unpaid), your current benefits will be continued as if you were an active employee. These benefits include health insurance, flex spending, life insurance, long term disability insurance, long term care insurance and retirement annuity. The University continues to make its contributions where applicable and you make your contributions depending on your salary status during the leave of absence. If you’re on a paid leave of absence, insurance premiums and retirement contributions will be deducted from your paycheck; if you’re on an unpaid leave of absence, you will be invoiced for your insurance premiums. You cannot contribute to your retirement annuity while on an unpaid leave of absence. Medical school employees approved for an unpaid leave of absence should contact their benefits office for applicable rules.

What if my hours change from full-time to part-time, or vice versa?

You may enroll or cancel health/dental insurance due to a change in hours, as long as you submit the form(s) to the Benefits Office within 31 days of your change in hours. If you miss your 31-day deadline, you must wait until open enrollment (November 1 to November 30) to enroll in or cancel your health/dental insurance. For purposes of clarification -- full-time is 100% FTE and part-time is 50% to 99% FTE. You may not add or cancel dependents, or change health insurance plans due to a change in the number of hours you work.

If your spouse obtains health/dental insurance due to an increase in hours, you may cancel your health/dental insurance or cancel your dependents health/dental insurance through the University. If your spouse loses his/her health/dental insurance due to a decrease in hours worked, you may enroll in health insurance or add dependents to your health/dental insurance through the University. In either case, you must submit the appropriate form(s) to the Benefits Office within 31 days of your spouse’s loss or gain of health/dental insurance.

What if I leave the University?

Status of Benefits When Leaving the University

What if I retire?

To be eligible for retirement benefits from the University, you must be age 55 or older and have worked 10 or more years of current consecutive service (50% FTE or more) at your date of retirement. If you meet these requirements, you may continue your health insurance through the University upon retirement. Your health/dental insurance premiums will change when you retire, and you will receive a billing statement each month for the amount due.

If you are enrolled in term or universal life insurance when you retire, you may convert your insurance to an individual policy. If you wish to convert your basic or supplemental term life insurance, you must submit a completed conversion form and your first quarterly premium to MetLifeA within 31 days of your retirement date. The University provides a free $5,000 life insurance policy to retirees who have MetLife supplemental term life insurance on their retirement date. If you wish to continue your variable universal life insurance, please contact MetLife at 314-862-2211.

If you have met the eligibility requirements for child tuition assistance benefits at your retirement, your eligible children will continue to receive the tuition assistance benefits throughout your retirement. The level of benefit received will depend on your full time or part time status on the date your retire.

What should I do if my spouse/domestic partner or dependent child dies?

If your spouse/domestic partner or dependent child dies, please contact your benefits office to determine the benefits available to you and the impact on your future benefits.

If you are considering changing your beneficiaries for your life insurance and retirement annuity, please refer to the last question below.

When should I consider changing my beneficiaries for life insurance and retirement annuity?

When you get married, have a baby, get divorced or your spouse/domestic partner or dependent child dies, you should consider changing your beneficiaries for life insurance and the retirement annuity. Forms for MetLife term life insurance are available at http://aisweb.wustl.edu/hr/Benefits.nsf/pages/files/$file/LifeBenDes.pdf, forms for MetLife group variable universal life insurance are available at 314-862-2211, forms for TIAA-CREF retirement annuities are available at http://hr.wustl.edu/benefits/forms/TIAAchangeBeneficary.pdf and forms for Vanguard retirement accounts are available at http://aisweb.wustl.edu/hr/Benefits.nsf/pages/files/$file/VanEnroll0706.pdf.