If you were covered as a dependent on your ex-spouse’s/domestic partner’s health plan and are losing coverage due to the divorce/dissolution of domestic partnership, see the Loss of Outside Coverage life event for information on changes you may make to your WashU benefits.
If your spouse/domestic partner is on your health/dental/vision/spouse life insurance through the university, your spouse will lose eligibility for those benefits at the end of the month in which the divorce/dissolution of domestic partnership is final. You may also change your flexible spending account elections. Any change will be effective as of the end of the month in which your divorce/dissolution of domestic partnership is final. (One exception: If your divorce/dissolution of domestic partnership is final on the first day of the month, coverage for your spouse/domestic partner will end and any changes to your flexible spending accounts will be effective on that date.) You have 31 days from the date of divorce/dissolution of domestic partnership to drop your ex-spouse/domestic partner from coverage.
With any change in marital/domestic partner status, in addition to making changes to your health/dental/vision coverage and flexible spending accounts, you should also:
- Review and consider making changes to your health savings account elections.
- Review and consider updating your optional life insurance and AD&D elections (employee and/or spouse/domestic partner term life). If you elect to increase or enroll in optional employee life insurance, MetLife may require a Statement of Health (also referred to as evidence of insurability).
- Review your current life insurance, health savings account and Retirement Savings Plan (403(b)) beneficiary designations and make any necessary updates. Your life insurance beneficiary can be changed through Workday. Your health savings account beneficiary can be changed by logging onto your Optum Financial account. Retirement Savings Plan (403(b)) beneficiaries must be updated through your account at TIAA.
You can make changes online through Workday. Please reference the Change Benefit Election tutorial for help. Important: You will not be able to make changes to your benefits until the required documentation has been uploaded into Workday. This event must be completed within 31 days of the date of the divorce/dissolution of domestic partnership.
Notes
If you are dropping your ex-spouse/domestic partner from your health and/or dental coverage and you have been subject to the spousal surcharge, be sure to select the “Health Care and Accounts – Spousal Surcharge” benefit and select “I do not have a spouse.”
Changes to your health savings account, optional life insurance (employee, spouse/domestic partner and child) and retirement medical savings account coverage may be made at any time.
When you remove your ex-spouse/domestic partner from your health/dental/vision coverage due to a divorce/dissolution of domestic partnership, your ex-spouse/domestic partner may be entitled to up to 36 months of coverage through COBRA.
Required Documentation
Divorce: You will need to upload a copy of the first and last pages of the divorce decree containing the judge’s signature and date (scan or legible picture) to the Workday Change Benefit Elections page before making any benefit changes.
Dissolution of Domestic Partnership: You will need to upload a letter indicating that the domestic partnership has been dissolved. The letter should indicate the date of the dissolution and be signed by you.