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Eligibility and Enrollment

Eligibility

Employees

Eligible for All Benefits

  • Permanent full-time employees
  • Permanent part-time employees 

Eligible for Long-Term Disability

  • Employees working 12 hours (or more) per week on a year-round basis

Not Eligible for Medical Benefits

  • Non-permanent temporary employees are ineligible for all State of Colorado Benefits except for CSEAP benefits and PERA retirement employer contributions

Dependents

Eligible dependents of a covered employee include:

  • Legal spouse or civil union partner
  • Children up to age 26 including your natural children, legally adopted children,  children legally placed for adoption or foster care, stepchildren, children of your civil union partner and children for whom you or your spouse have court-ordered guardianship or custody
  • Unmarried children of any age, if incapable of self-support due to physical or mental disability, not covered under other government programs, and verified by the carrier prior to age 26

Dependent Documentation

If you add a dependent to any of the State’s benefits programs, you are required to provide documentation to verify coverage eligibility. Social Security Numbers must be provided for all eligible dependents. Failure to comply will result in a cancellation of coverage for that dependent. Please see SOC Required DV Documentation for more information.

PLEASE NOTE: You’ll need to provide proof of eligibility for any new dependent you add to your coverage. Once you enter the request, supporting documentation is due within 45 days and Social Security Numbers are due within 90 days.

Enrollment

How do I enroll in benefits?

  • Go to benefitsolver.com and enter your username and password
    First-time user? Click, ‘register’ and enter the company key, ‘soc’ (case-sensitive)

After you enroll, review your benefit and dependent information and print your benefits summary. Be sure to provide any missing documentation by the 45-day deadline. Also, review your first paycheck in July to ensure the proper amounts have been deducted.  

When do my benefits start?

New Hires/Newly Eligible

  • First of the month following the date of hire or date of eligibility

Open Enrollment

  • July 1 (every year)

Qualifying Life Event 

When can I enroll or make changes?

You can enroll or make changes to your benefits selections:

  • Within 31 days of your hire date
  • During annual Open Enrollment (OE) - in the spring
  • Within 31 days of a Qualifying Life Event (QLE)

Initial Enrollment Period

New hire and newly eligible employees have 31 days from their date of hire (or date they move into a benefit-eligible position) to elect benefits and complete their new hire enrollment transaction in benefitsolver.

PLEASE NOTE: Eligible employees are automatically enrolled in State paid Short-Term Disability (STD) and Basic Life and AD&D coverage.

Rehires and Transfers

Benefits-eligible rehires and transfers with a break in State service of 31 days or less are not considered new hires. Therefore, benefits will be reinstated without lapse.

Benefits-eligible employees with a break in service of more than 31 days are considered new hires and will be eligible to make new enrollment elections.

PLEASE NOTE: Transfers from the University of Colorado are considered new hires for benefits purposes, and must make new hire elections within 31 days of starting at their new agency/institution.

Exceptions 

  • Optional Life and Long-Term Disability (add coverage anytime, subject to medical underwriting approval)
  • Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution (each month)

Annual Open Enrollment Period

Benefits-eligible employees can enroll in or make changes to benefits during the annual OE period. The State of Colorado’s annual OE period takes place in April and May of each year (specific dates change year to year).

During OE, employees have an opportunity to:

  • Change plans
  • Add or drop coverage for eligible dependents
  • Enroll in coverage previously waived
  • Terminate coverage

Benefits elections made during OE become effective on July 1st of the same year. The State of Colorado benefits plan year coincides with the State fiscal year (July 1 - June 30).

What benefits do I get automatically/without enrolling?

  • Basic Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D)
  • Short-Term Disability (STD)

What benefits do I need to enroll in?

  • Medical
  • Medical Supplement Program
  • Dental
  • Vision
  • Health Savings Account (HSA)
    • Coverage is effective after Optum Bank account confirmation is received by the State of Colorado.
  • Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
  • Optional Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D)
  • Optional Long-Term Disability (LTD)
  • Retirement
    • Retirement enrollment is required for the Public Employees’ Retirement Association (PERA) DB or DC plan. For details, please contact PERA at 800-759-7372.

 

Make Changes During the Plan Year

Benefits Changes You Can Make Year-Round

  • Add/waive Long-Term Disability
  • Add/change Optional Life insurance
  • Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution
  • Update Life insurance beneficiaries

Qualifying Life Events

IRS regulations limit when you can make changes to your benefits during the plan year. After you have made your elections during your first 31 days of eligibility, you cannot change your medical, dental, vision, or Flexible Spending Account (FSA) elections outside annual OE unless you have a Qualifying Life Event (QLE).

If You Experience a QLE, You Must:

  • Enter the event and make any election changes in benefitsolver within 31 days of the event, AND 
  • Provide the required supporting documentation within 45 days from the date of the event

Do not wait until you have supporting documentation to enter the event into benefitsolver.

PLEASE NOTE: Your new election must be because of the qualifying event and your supporting documentation must correspond with that change of coverage. The documentation must provide the specific date of that change.

Examples of QLEs:

  • Marriage, divorce, or legal separation
  • Birth or adoption/placement of adoption of a child
  • Death of a dependent 
  • Loss or gain of other group health coverage for you and/or dependents
  • Change in Medicaid/Medicare eligibility for you or a dependent (within 60 days)

Newborn Coverage

Your newborn is only covered under your insurance for the first 31 days after birth. By the 31st day, you must enroll your newborn as a dependent or the baby will not be covered. If you miss the deadline you will have to wait until you have another QLE or until the next OE period to enroll your child.

FAQ

What should I do as a new hire?

Review your benefits options and enroll in benefitsolver as soon as you can, but no later than 31 days after your date of hire and even if you don’t have the dependent verification documentation. You can provide that documentation within 45 days of your date of hire.

When do my benefits end?

PLEASE NOTE: Your Health Savings Account is not tied to your employment at the State. You own this account and it remains yours when you leave State employment. 

Open Enrollment
If you cancel your coverage during the OE period, your coverage will end on June 30 of the current plan year.

Qualifying Life Event 
If you end your coverage because of a QLE, your coverage ends at the end of the month in which the qualifying event is processed in the benefits administration system.

Aging Out Dependent Child
When your covered child (biological, adopted or stepchild) reaches age 26 they will be removed as a dependent from the group health plan automatically. This occurs at the end of the month they turn 26. A COBRA notice will be sent directly to the dependent child at your home address.

End of the Month

  • Dental (COBRA eligible)
  • Life Insurance (conversion eligible)
  • Long-Term Disability (conversion eligible)
  • Medical (COBRA eligible)
  • Short-Term Disability
  • Vision (COBRA eligible)
  • Dependent Care FSA (you can submit claims that occurred prior to termination by October 15th following the end of the plan year)
  • Healthcare FSA (you can submit claims that occurred prior to termination by October 15th following the end of the plan year and you can elect to use COBRA if the year-to-date account balance is larger than year-to-date claims)

When should I add my newborn to my health insurance?

Your newborn is only covered under your insurance for the first 31 days after birth. By the 31st day, you must enroll your newborn as a dependent or the baby will not be covered. If you miss the deadline you will have to wait until you have another QLE or until the next OE period to enroll your child.

Where can I find detailed enrollment and eligibility information for these plans?

Please view the State of Colorado Employees Group Benefits Plan on our plan documents page.

Questions?

Please contact your agency's benefits administrator.