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HR : Benefits : Insurance Eligibility

Medical Insurance
Dental Insurance
Life Insurance
Long Term Disability Insurance

Employee Eligibility

Medical, Dental, Life, Long-Term Disability

Medical, dental, life and long-term disability insurances come as a package. If you are eligible for one you are eligible for all. If you enroll, your eligible depends will also be eligible for benefits.

Deadlines

You must enroll in Medical, Dental and LTD insurance within 31 days from the initial eligibility date. After the 31-day deadline, you are defaulted into the Uniform Medical and Uniform Dental Plans and will not have optional LTD coverage. You must enroll in life insurance with 60 days of eligibility. After the initial 31 or 60-day period, you will have to provide proof of good health to add life or LTD insurances.

Regular Employee Eligibility

Generally speaking a position is benefits eligible if it is half time or greater and expected to last more than six months. Coverage begins the first day of the month following the date of hire date, unless the date of hire is the first business day of the month, in which case coverage begins on the date of hire.

Temporary (non-faculty) Employee Eligibility

Benefits eligibility is establish by working 6 consecutive months of half time or greater employment. Coverage begins the first day of the 7th month.

Adjunct Faculty Eligibility

Adjunct faculty establish benefits eligibility by working two consecutive quarters of half time (8 credits) or greater employment, and are eligible to apply for benefits the beginning of the second consecutive quarter of 50% employment. The part-time faculty member is responsible for notifying the Benefits Office of their potential eligibility.

For Insurance Plans: All faculty employment at institutions of higher education in Washington State is considered in determining eligibility. Adjunct faculty who fall below a 50% appointment lose eligibility in that quarter, and may self-pay under COBRA to continue coverage for up to 18 months. Once eligibility has been established at one or more of the institutions of higher education, individual quarters of employment of 50% or greater are eligible for employer-paid coverage, as long as there was no greater than 18 months since the last eligible quarter of employment at a higher education institution.

For Retirement Plan: Only faculty employment at CWU is considered in determining eligibility. Once eligibility has been established, participation continues, regardless of percent of full time. However, if there are no assignments for one full year, participation stops and the employee must reestablish eligibility. See the CWU Retirement Plan Document for detailed eligibility rules.

Dependent Eligibility

Medical, Dental, Life

If you are enrolled in a medical and/or dental plan, your eligible dependents may also be enrolled in the same plan. If you waive medical insurance, your dependents may not enroll in the medical coverage. Plan election can be changed at open enrollment each year or if there is a qualifying change in family status, including marriage, birth, placement for adoption, or loss of other continuous coverage for dependents who have previously waived coverage.

A Spouse or Same-Sex Domestic Partner (SSDP), may be added:

  • within 31 days of marriage, or registration as same-sex domestic partner,
  • at the next open enrollment period, or
  • within 31 days of loss of other coverage.
  • Coverage begins the first of the month following eligibility
  • State law does not currently allow dependent insurance eligibility for opposite-sex domestic partners

A Dependent Child may be added:

  • within 60 days of birth or adoption,
  • at the next open enrollment period, or
  • within 31 days of loss of other coverage.
  • Coverage begins the date of birth or the date you assume legal obligation for support in anticipation of adoption.

Dependent Children are eligible through age 19, and include natural children, stepchildren, adopted children, children for whom you have assumed a legal obligation for total or partial support in anticipation of adoption of the children, or children specified in a court order or divorce decree. Married children who qualify as your dependents under the Internal Revenue Code and foster children approved by the HCA are included.

Dependent children who are in an accredited college or vocational school are eligible through age 23, and must certify student status once a year. Dependent children of any age are eligible if they are incapable of self-support due to developmental disability or physical handicap, provided that their condition occurred before age 20 or during the time they were covered under a PEBB plan as a full-time student. Foster children and grandchildren may sometimes be eligible for coverage if approved by the state. Contact the Benefits Office for the application.

Contact Information

Human Resources
400 E. University Way
Ellensburg, WA 98926
Mail Stop 7425
(509) 963-1202
Fax: (509) 963-1733
humanres@cwu.edu
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