(1) Enrolling dependents in public employees benefits board (PEBB) benefits. A dependent must be enrolled in the same health plan coverage as the subscriber, and the subscriber must be enrolled to enroll their dependent except as provided in WAC 182-12-205 (3)(c). Subscribers must satisfy the enrollment requirements as described in subsection (4) of this section and may enroll eligible dependents at the following times:

(a) When the subscriber becomes eligible and enrolls in PEBB benefits. If eligibility is verified and the dependent is enrolled, the dependent's effective date will be the same as the subscriber's effective date, except if the subscriber enrolls a newborn child in supplemental dependent life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance. The newborn child's dependent life insurance and AD&D insurance coverage will be effective on the date the child becomes fourteen days old;

(b) During the annual open enrollment. PEBB coverage begins January 1st of the following year; or

(c) During special open enrollment. Subscribers may enroll dependents during a special open enrollment as described in subsection (3) of this section.

(2) Removing dependents from a subscriber's health plan coverage.

(a) A dependent's eligibility for enrollment in health plan coverage ends the last day of the month the dependent meets the eligibility criteria as described in WAC 182-12-250 or 182-12-260. Subscribers must provide notice when a dependent is no longer eligible due to divorce, annulment, dissolution, or qualifying event of a dependent ceasing to be eligible as a dependent child, as described in WAC 182-12-260(3). The notice must be received within sixty days of the last day of the month the dependent loses eligibility for health plan coverage. Employees must notify their employing agency when a dependent is no longer eligible, except as required under WAC 182-12-260 (3)(g)(ii). All other subscribers must notify the PEBB program. Consequences for not submitting notice within the required sixty days include, but are not limited to:

(i) The dependent may lose eligibility to continue health plan coverage under one of the continuation coverage options described in WAC 182-12-270;

(ii) The subscriber may be billed for claims paid by the health plan for services that were rendered after the dependent lost eligibility as described in WAC 182-12-270;

(iii) The subscriber may not be able to recover subscriber-paid insurance premiums for dependents that lost their eligibility; and

(iv) The subscriber may be responsible for premiums paid by the state for the dependent's health plan coverage after the dependent lost eligibility.

(b) Employees have the opportunity to remove eligible dependents:

(i) During the annual open enrollment. The dependent will be removed the last day of December; or

(ii) During a special open enrollment as described in subsections (3) and (4)(f) of this section.

(c) Retirees (see WAC 182-12-171, 182-12-180, or 182-12-211), survivors (see WAC 182-12-180, 182-12-250, or 182-12-265), and PEBB continuation coverage enrollees (see WAC 182-12-133, 182-12-141, 182-12-142, 182-12-146, or 182-12-148) may remove dependents from their PEBB insurance coverage outside of the annual open enrollment or a special open enrollment by providing written notice to the PEBB program. The dependent will be removed from the subscriber's PEBB insurance coverage prospectively. PEBB insurance coverage will end on the last day of the month in which the written notice is received by the PEBB program or on the last day of the month specified in the subscriber's written notice, whichever is later. If the written notice is received on the first day of the month, coverage will end on the last day of the previous month.

(3) Special open enrollment.

(a) Subscribers may enroll or remove their eligible dependents outside of the annual open enrollment if a special open enrollment event occurs. The change in enrollment must be allowable under the Internal Revenue Code and Treasury Regulations, and correspond to and be consistent with the event that creates the special open enrollment for the subscriber, the subscriber's dependents, or both.

(i) PEBB benefits coverage will begin the first of the month following the later of the event date or the date the required form is received. If that day is the first of the month, the change in enrollment begins on that day.

(ii) Enrollment of an extended dependent or a dependent with a disability will be the first day of the month following the later of the event date as described in WAC 182-08-198(2) or eligibility certification.

(iii) The dependent will be removed from the subscriber's health plan coverage the last day of the month following the later of the event date or the date the required form and proof of the event is received. If that day is the first of the month, the change in enrollment will be made the last day of the previous month.

(iv) If the special open enrollment is due to the birth or adoption of a child, or when the subscriber has assumed a legal obligation for total or partial support in anticipation of adoption of a child, PEBB benefits coverage will begin or end as follows:

• For the newly born child, PEBB benefits coverage will begin the date of birth;

• For a newly adopted child, PEBB benefits coverage will begin on the date of placement or the date a legal obligation is assumed in anticipation of adoption, whichever is earlier;

• For a spouse or state registered domestic partner of a subscriber, PEBB benefits coverage will begin the first day of the month in which the event occurs. The spouse or state registered domestic partner will be removed from health plan coverage the last day of the month in which the event occurred;

A newly born child must be at least fourteen days old before supplemental dependent life insurance and AD&D insurance coverage purchased by the employee becomes effective.

Any one of the following events may create a special open enrollment:

(b) Subscriber acquires a new dependent due to:

(i) Marriage or registering a state registered domestic partnership;

(ii) Birth, adoption, or when a subscriber has assumed a legal obligation for total or partial support in anticipation of adoption; or

(iii) A child becoming eligible as an extended dependent through legal custody or legal guardianship.

(c) Subscriber or a subscriber's dependent loses other coverage under a group health plan or through health insurance coverage, as defined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA);

(d) Subscriber has a change in employment status that affects the subscriber's eligibility for their employer contribution toward their employer-based group health plan;

(e) The subscriber's dependent has a change in their own employment status that affects their eligibility for the employer contribution under their employer-based group health plan;

Note:

As used in (e) of this subsection, "employer contribution" means contributions made by the dependent's current or former employer toward health coverage as described in Treasury Regulation 54.9801-6.

(f) Subscriber or a subscriber's dependent has a change in enrollment under an employer-based group health plan during its annual open enrollment that does not align with the PEBB program's annual open enrollment;

(g) Subscriber's dependent has a change in residence from outside of the United States to within the United States, or from within the United States to outside of the United States and that change in residence resulted in the dependent losing their health insurance;

(h) A court order requires the subscriber or any other individual to provide insurance coverage for an eligible dependent of the subscriber (a former spouse or former state registered domestic partner is not an eligible dependent);

(i) Subscriber or a subscriber's dependent becomes entitled to coverage under medicaid or a state children's health insurance program (CHIP), or the subscriber or a subscriber's dependent loses eligibility for coverage under medicaid or CHIP;

(j) Subscriber or a subscriber's dependent becomes eligible for state premium assistance subsidy for PEBB health plan coverage from medicaid or CHIP.

(4) Enrollment requirements. A subscriber must submit the required forms within the time frames described in this subsection. An employee must submit the required forms to their employing agency, a subscriber on continuation coverage or PEBB retiree insurance coverage must submit the required forms to the PEBB program. In addition to the required forms indicating dependent enrollment, the subscriber must provide the required documents as evidence of the dependent's eligibility; or as evidence of the event that created the special open enrollment. All required forms and documents must be received within the required time frames.

(a) If a subscriber wants to enroll their eligible dependents when the subscriber becomes eligible to enroll in PEBB benefits, the subscriber must include the dependent's enrollment information on the required forms and submit them within the required time frame described in WAC 182-08-197, 182-08-187, 182-12-171, 182-12-180, 182-12-211, or 182-12-250.

(b) If a subscriber wants to enroll eligible dependents during the PEBB annual open enrollment period, the required forms must be received no later than the last day of the annual open enrollment.

(c) If a subscriber wants to enroll newly eligible dependents, the required forms must be received no later than sixty days after the dependent becomes eligible.

(d) If a subscriber wants to enroll a newborn or child whom the subscriber has adopted or has assumed a legal obligation for total or partial support in anticipation of adoption, the subscriber should notify the PEBB program by submitting the required forms as soon as possible to ensure timely payment of claims. If adding the child increases the premium, the required forms must be received no later than sixty days after the date of the birth, adoption, or the date the legal obligation is assumed for total or partial support in anticipation of adoption.

(e) If the subscriber wants to enroll a child age twenty-six or older as a child with a disability, the required forms must be received no later than sixty days after the last day of the month in which the child reaches age twenty-six or within the relevant time frame described in WAC 182-12-262 (4)(a), (b), and (f). To recertify an enrolled child with a disability, the required forms must be received by the PEBB program or the contracted vendor by the child's scheduled PEBB coverage termination date.

(f) If the subscriber wants to change a dependent's enrollment status during a special open enrollment, the required forms must be received no later than sixty days after the event that creates the special open enrollment.

PDFWAC 182-12-262

When may subscribers enroll or remove eligible dependents?