ISC

Life Event: Marriage or Start of State-Registered Domestic Partnership

Last updated Friday, January 26, 2024

Disclaimer: If the information on this page conflicts in any way with HCA documentation, the HCA documentation governs.

This Life Event is when you acquire a new dependent(s) due to marriage or the start of a state-registered domestic partnership (SRDP)*.

You can make specific changes to your benefits within 60 days of the life event occurring. Unless otherwise indicated below, changes are effective the first of the month after (a) the date of marriage/registration, or (b) date your completed election is submitted, whichever is later. If the later of (a) or (b) is the first day of the month, the effective date is that day.

Changes You Can Make and How To Make Them

Dependents

You may add your new spouse or SRDP, as well as any dependent children of your spouse or SRDP, to your medical and/or dental plan(s) within 60 days of getting married or registering your SRDP.

Note: Only dependents acquired through marriage or SRDP may be enrolled as part of this Life Event.

  1. Gather/scan documents that serve as proof of the event:
    • Marriage or SRDP certificate
      -AND-
    • Required dependent verification documentation
    • If adding an SRDP, in addition to your certificate and dependent verification documentation, download and complete the PEBB Declaration of Tax Status form linked in the right-hand sidebar of this page. This form indicates whether your SRDP qualifies as a dependent for tax purposes under IRC Section 125, as modified by IRC Section 105(b).
  2. Follow the procedure in the Life Event – Marriage and Domestic Partnership User Guide to submit your changes in Workday. During that procedure, you’ll upload the documentation you prepared in step 1.

Effective Date
Changes are effective the first of the month after (a) the date of marriage/registration, or (b) date your completed election is submitted, whichever is later. If the later of (a) or (b) is the first day of the month, the effective date is that day.

You can remove a dependent(s) from your medical/dental coverage ONLY if that dependent has enrolled in medical/dental coverage under your new spouse’s/SRDP’s employer-provided group health plan.

Refer to the Life Event: Gain of Other Coverage page for guidance.

Health Plans

You can enroll in a medical plan or change your current medical plan if you are enrolling your new spouse or SRDP.

Note: Only dependents acquired through marriage or SRDP may be enrolled as part of this Life Event.

  1. Gather/scan documents that serve as proof of the event:
  2. Follow the procedure in the Life Event – Marriage and Domestic Partnership User Guide to submit your changes in Workday. During that procedure, you’ll upload the documentation you prepared in step 1.

Information about medical and dental plan choices can be found on UWHR’s Health Insurance pages.

Effective Date
Changes are effective the first of the month after (a) the date of marriage/registration, or (b) date your completed election is submitted, whichever is later. If the later of (a) or (b) is the first day of the month, the effective date is that day.

You can waive your medical coverage ONLY if you have enrolled in medical coverage under your new spouse’s/SRDP’s employer-provided group health plan.

Refer to the Life Event: Gain of Other Coverage page for guidance.

You cannot waive your PEBB dental coverage; however, you can waive dental coverage for your dependents. Note that there is no cost for your or your dependents’ dental coverage.

Savings Plans

If you are ONLY enrolling in an FSA or increasing your FSA contribution amount as part of this Life Event, instead of following the below steps, follow the procedure in the FSA and/or DCAP – Enroll/Change Contribution Amount(s) User Guide to submit your changes in Workday.

If you are enrolling in an FSA or increasing your FSA contribution amount AND making other changes to your benefits coverage, follow these steps instead:

  1. Gather/scan documents that serve as proof of the event:
  2. Follow the procedure in the Life Event – Marriage and Domestic Partnership User Guide to submit your changes in Workday. During that procedure, you’ll upload the documentation you prepared in step 1.

Effective Date
Changes are effective the first of the month after (a) the date of marriage/registration, or (b) date your completed election is submitted, whichever is later. If the later of (a) or (b) is the first day of the month, the effective date is that day.

If you or your dependent are enrolling in an FSA with another employer, you can decrease your FSA contribution amount or stop contributions altogether. Follow the instructions in the FSA and/or DCAP – Enroll/Change Contribution Amount(s) User Guide.

Effective Date
The change to your contribution amount will be effective on the 1st of the month that follows whichever date is later, either:

  • the date your spouse/SRDP enrolled in an FSA via their employer
    -or-
  • the date the event is submitted in Workday.

If the either of the above dates is the 1st of the month, the change takes effect that day.

If you are ONLY enrolling in the DCAP or increasing your DCAP contribution amount as part of this Life Event, instead of following the below steps, follow the procedure in the FSA and/or DCAP – Enroll/Change Contribution Amount(s) User Guide to submit your changes in Workday.

If you are enrolling in the DCAP or increasing your DCAP contribution amount AND making other changes to your benefits coverage, follow these steps instead:

  1. Gather/scan documents that serve as proof of the event:
  2. Follow the procedure in the Life Event – Marriage and Domestic Partnership User Guide to submit your changes in Workday. During that procedure, you’ll upload the documentation you prepared in step 1.

Effective Date
Changes are effective the first of the month after (a) the date of marriage/registration, or (b) date your completed election is submitted, whichever is later. If the later of (a) or (b) is the first day of the month, the effective date is that day.

If you or your dependent are enrolling in the DCAP with another employer, you can decrease your DCAP contribution amount or stop contributions altogether. Follow the instructions in the FSA and/or DCAP – Enroll/Change Contribution Amount(s) User Guide.

Effective Date
The change to your contribution amount will be effective on the 1st of the month that follows whichever date is later, either:

  • the date your spouse/SRDP enrolled in the DCAP via their employer
    -or-
  • the date the event is submitted in Workday.

If the either of the above dates is the 1st of the month, the change takes effect that day.

Other Benefits

If you are ONLY changing your Tobacco Use Attestation response as a result of this Life Event, instead of following the below steps, follow the procedure in the Benefits – Change Tobacco Use Attestation User Guide. The change will be effective on the 1st of the upcoming month; if you submitted your change on the 1st of the month, it takes effect that same day.

If you are changing your Tobacco Use Surcharge Attestation response AND making changes to your medical and/or dental coverage, follow the set of instructions on this page that pertain to the medical/dental change(s) you wish to make; the Tobacco Surcharge Attestation will be included in that process.


*“State-registered domestic partner” is defined in WAC 182-12-109 and RCW 26.60.020(1). This includes substantially equivalent legal unions from other jurisdictions as defined in RCW 26.60.090. Strict requirements apply to these partnerships, including that one partner is age 62 or older and you live in the same residence.

Domestic partnerships outside of Washington State require approval by the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA), which may result in additional enrollment processing time.