Page 47 - 2019 - erbe employee handbook.draft national

change benefit elections during a plan year. Once benefits elections become effective, they are irrevocable and may not be changed during the plan year, unless the employee experiences a special enrollment event or change-in-status event.
Premium Contributions
Erbe’s provides substantial premium contributions to this coverage for its employees and their dependents. Please refer to Annual Benefits guide for published premium contributions and employee cost-share (where applicable).
As plan designs and premiums are subject to change periodically, employees should refer to their Summary Plan Descriptions and published premiums. Any premiums for medical, dental, and vision coverages are deducted on a pre-tax basis. In general, premiums deducted for other benefit coverages are done so on an after-tax basis.
9-2. Enrollment Changes during Plan Year
There are limited exceptions to the requirement that flexible benefits elections be irrevocable and remain in effect for the entire plan year. If an employee experiences either a special enrollment event or a change-in-status event, he or she may be able to change benefit elections during the plan year.
The following describes special enrollment and status change events that may allow an employee to change coverage levels and/or enrolled dependents in some or all benefit elections. Employees are required to notify Human Resources within 31 days of the occurrence of such an event to preserve these special enrollment rights. Failure to provide such notification may prevent the employee from making benefit changes.
Special Enrollment Events
Employees may enroll themselves and any other eligible dependents in medical, dental, and vision coverage at any time outside of annual open enrollment if they or any other eligible dependent experiences a special enrollment event. A special enrollment event occurs if:
 The employee or other eligible dependent loses the existing medical coverage that was enrolled in through another source if the following conditions are met:
 The employee or other eligible dependent lose other coverage for reasons such as:
 COBRA coverage is exhausted under another group health plan;
 another employer’s contribution to the other coverage ends; or
 the employee or other eligible dependent loses eligibility for the other coverage due to such causes as legal separation, divorce, death, termination of employment, or reduction in the number of hours of employment.
 The employee previously declined coverage under Erbe’s medical plan at a time when the employee or eligible dependent had other coverage.
 The loss of other coverage is not due to a failure to pay premiums or termination for cause, such as making fraudulent claims or intentional misrepresentation.
Or:
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