The ins-and-outs of a qualifying life event
A qualifying life event allows eligible employees to make changes to their current benefit elections. The Internal Revenue Code (IRC) dictates the definition of a life event, along with the allowable time frames to request changes to your benefits due to a life event. These are not suggestions from the IRC but are plan regulations that must be followed to protect the pre-tax status of our health plans. Exceptions to life event reasons or the deadlines to submit a change request are never made.
Jump to a specific section:
- What is considered a qualifying life event?
- What is the deadline to submit a change request to my benefits due to a qualifying life event?
- What if I don't have all my paperwork?
- Can I make changes any other time?
- Where can I find more information?
What is considered a qualifying life event?
- Marriage or divorce of the employee
- Starting or ending a relationship with a Financially Interdependent Partner (FIP)
- Death of the employee鈥檚 spouse or a dependent
- Birth or adoption of a child by the employee
- Termination of employment (or the commencement of employment) of the employee鈥檚 spouse
- Moving from a temporary to regular position (or vice versa)
- Taking of an unpaid leave of absence by the employee or the employee鈥檚 spouse
- A significant change in the health coverage of the employee or the employee鈥檚 spouse attributable to the spouse鈥檚 employment
- Gain or involuntary loss of health care coverage of a dependent
- There are no exceptions to a life event reason
What is the deadline to submit a change request to my benefits due to a qualifying
life event?
- You have 30 days from the day of the life event to inform the University and submit a life event form
- You have 60 days to add a new family member via birth/adoption
- All other changes must be made in the 30 day window. Only the newborn/newly adopted child can be added to the plan up to 60 days.
- There are no extensions to these deadlines
What if I don't have all my paperwork?
- Do not delay
- If you do not have a birth certificate, marriage certificate, etc, do not wait for the official documents
- Reach out to UA immediately and submit a life event form within the 30 day window
- Documentation can be submitted after but late life event forms are never accepted
Can I make changes any other time?
No. Experiencing a life event is the only time an employee can make these changes
outside of Open Enrollment.
Where can I find more information?
Review our UA Qualifying Life Events webpage for more information - including locating the life event form and reviewing
other items to consider - or reach out to the benefits team (contact information in
the footer of this article).
Emailed via benefits newsletter on 8/12/2025.
Contact Benefits: (907) 450-8242 | ua-benefits@alaska.edu | schedule one-on-one time