What is a qualifying life event change?

A qualifying life event under the LAwell plan allows employees to make benefit changes during the year. Without a qualifying life event, employees can only make changes during Open Enrollment. Qualifying life event changes can include the following:

• adoption
• birth
• death
• divorce
• domestic partnership (beginning or ending)
• foster care (beginning or ending)
• legal custody (beginning or ending)
• loss or gain of Medicare
• loss or gain of spouse/domestic partner health coverage.
• marriage

You must report a Life Event Change within 30 days of its occurrence and submit documentation within 60 days in order for the change to take effect. For more information visit Life Events

What Benefits Can Change For A Life Event?

In general, LAwell benefit changes you can make during a qualifying life event must be consistent with that type of life event change.

For example: If you are reporting a divorce life event, you are typically able to only remove your ineligible spouse from the LAwell benefits for which he/she is currently covered. Making changes to your own LAwell benefits coverage, or the coverage of another dependent, may not be allowed.

For more information on your benefit change options, call the Benefits Service Center at 833-4LA-WELL.

What documentation is required for a life event?

Supporting Documents are required to:

Support or prove the legitimacy of the life event Add a dependent Complete enrollment into specific benefits. Supporting documentation can include items such as:

• Coverage termination letters
• Marriage/Birth certificates
• Domestic partnership affidavits
• Medical Evidence of Insurability Requirement (MEOI).
  

You have 60 days from the date on your confirmation statement to provide any required documentation listed on your confirmation statement. If you do not submit the required documents by the deadline, any change you made online or by calling the Benefits Service Center will not take effect.

For example:
if you add a dependent to your health coverage and fail to provide the required documentation within 60 days of the date on your confirmation statement, that dependent’s coverage will not take effect. Any medical, vision, or dental expenses your dependent incurred before the dependent became properly enrolled will be your financial responsibility.

Contact the Employee Benefits Division at 213-978-1655 if you have questions about life events.

Which dependents can I add during a life event?

In general, you can add any eligible dependent during a life event. You must also remove ineligible dependents.

For more information on eligibility for your dependent(s), visit the Eligibility FAQ section.

How do I add a Dependent Child?

Who’s Eligible?

• Your dependent children up to age 26 – including your spouse/domestic partner’s children with copies of birth certificates, adoption, or other court papers.
• Your legal custody and/or foster children up to age 26 – if you provide the Employee Benefits Division with copies of court papers
• Your grandchildren – if the parent is your dependent child up to age 19, or up to age 26 for a full-time student with valid proof of student status.
• Your disabled child of any age – who is dependent on you for support and certified as disabled each year by the insurance company for your health plan.
• Special Situation Child Rule: If your child is also a LAwell eligible City employee, he/she must enroll into his/her own LAwell coverage and cannot be covered as your dependent.
  
  

When You Can Enroll and Make Benefit Changes

Within 30 calendar days of your new dependent’s birth, placement for adoption, or date of legal guardianship or custody arrangement. If you don’t enroll within 30 calendar days, you will have to wait until the next annual enrollment to change your benefit choices and your new dependent will not have LAwell coverage until the next January unless you have another qualifying life event change.

Call the Benefit Service Center at 1-800-778-2133 or login to your Benefits Centeral Portal

What new mid-year benefit election options changed in 2020?

For more information on the temporary mid-year election changes effective June 15, 2020, please visit the Mid-Year Benefits Elections page.