ELIGIBILITY OVERVIEW
Equity is pleased to offer our associates a market competitive benefits program. These benefits are designed to protect you and your family while you are an active associate.
ASSOCIATE ELIGIBILITY
- Associates are eligible for the benefit plans effective the first of the month following their date of hire.
- Associates must work an average of at least 30 or more hours per week to be eligible for medical, dental, vision, FSA, life, AD&D and disability plans.
SPOUSAL ELIGIBILITY
- Equity Administrative Services, Inc. has a Working Spouse Provision under the medical plan eligibility.
- If your spouse works and is eligible for coverage from their own employer, your spouse will not be eligible to participate in the Equity Administrative Services, Inc. medical plan.
- During open enrollment, you are required to declare whether or not your spouse is eligible for coverage under his/her employer.
We have a dedicated representative, Claire Mullee, through our broker Oswald, who is available to answer your open enrollment benefit questions. You can reach Claire at [email protected] or 216-306-0077.
ANNUAL ELECTIONS
It is important that you make your choices carefully, since changes to those elections can generally only be made when you first become eligible or during the annual open enrollment period.
QUALIFYING EVENTS
When open enrollment is completed, you will NOT be able to make changes to certain benefit elections during the plan year unless you meet the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requirements for a “qualifying event” (QE) under Section 125. An associate may not change his or her election throughout the plan year unless he or she experiences a qualifying event. Qualifying events include:
- Birth or an adoption
- Marriage, divorce or legal separation
- Death
- Gain or loss other group coverage
- Change in employment status
- Change in dependent status
- Change in location
- Significant change in the financial terms of health benefits
- Court judgments, decrees, or orders
- Medicare eligibility
- Medicaid eligibility
If you experience a qualifying event and you wish to change your benefit elections, you must notify the Human Resources Department of the qualifying event within 30 days of the qualifying event date. Associates must also provide HR with any required documentation to support the qualifying event.
COBRA CONTINUATION COVERAGE
When you or any of your dependents no longer meet the eligibility requirements for health and welfare plans, you may be eligible for continued coverage as required by the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) of 1985.
DEPENDENT ELIGIBILITY
Your dependents may also be covered under the medical, dental, vision, voluntary life, critical illness, accident insurance, and Legal/ID Theft benefit plans.
ELIGIBLE DEPENDENTS INCLUDE:
- Legal spouse, as defined by federal law.
- Any child of yours who is:
- less than 26 years old.
- 26 or more years old, primarily supported by you and incapable of self-sustaining employment by reason of mental or physical disability.
Email Katie Plush ([email protected]) or Vicki Barone ([email protected]) if you have any questions about the benefits or online enrollment process.
