Have you ever experienced a Life Event and wondered how it affects your benefits?
Life event examples include marriage, divorce, moving to a new home, accepting full-time employment, taking a leave of absence, or adding a new child to the family due to birth or adoption. A life event for your spouse or child, such as your spouse changing jobs or your child deciding to attend college full-time, may also impact your benefits.
You have 30 days from the date of the Life Event to make changes to your benefits on My Benesch Benefits System. Once on the site, click “Change Your Current Benefits,” and then select the life event type and date.
- View this step-by-step guide for more details on making a life event change – see page 9.
- If you do not make updates within the 30-day enrollment period, you must wait until the annual Open Enrollment period to make changes. There are no exceptions.
- At any time, you may be asked to provide documentation that verifies your dependent's eligibility for the Benesch plans.
- Email benefits@beneschlaw.com if you have questions.
Common Life Events and Resources
Marriage
- Determine whether you will add your spouse to any of your benefits, such as medical, dental, vision, and new life insurance needs, or whether you will go onto your spouse’s benefits.
- Make sure you have your marriage certificate as documentation to support the benefits changes.
- Update your beneficiaries and 401(k) contributions if needed.
Programs to help support:
Having a baby or adopting a child
- Determine whether you will add your child to any of your benefits, such as medical, dental, vision, and new life insurance needs.
- Make sure you have the birth certificate or placement paperwork as documentation to support the benefits changes.
- Update your beneficiaries and 401(k) contributions if needed.
Programs and benefits to help:
Death of a loved one
- Update your benefits as needed, such as medical, dental, vision, 401(k) contributions, life insurance, and your beneficiaries.
- Make sure you have the necessary documentation to support the benefits changes, such as the death certificate.
Programs to help support:
Divorce
- Update your benefits as needed (removing spouse, adding children, etc.), such as medical, dental, vision, 401(k) contributions, life insurance, and your beneficiaries.
- Make sure you have the necessary documentation to support the benefits change, such as the divorce or dissolution paperwork.
Programs to help support:
Please note: If your Life Event causes a loss of coverage, under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), your dependents who are no longer eligible have the right to continue health coverage if it ends due to a qualified family life event. Your dependents may continue only the plan coverage in effect at the time and must pay required COBRA premiums. They will be sent information on COBRA Continuation coverage at the end of the month in which coverage ends.