New State Group Life Insurance Provision to Add or Increase Employee Coverage
April 5, 2012
Effective May 1, 2012, employees covered by the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) may enroll in State Group Life Insurance (Employee Basic Coverage), or add one level of employee coverage within 30 days of gaining a dependent (spouse, domestic partner or child). There are five levels of employee coverage - Basic, Supplemental and one, two or three units of Additional coverage. Each level of coverage is equal to one times an employee's highest calendar year WRS earnings.
Employees may add one unit of employee coverage within 30 days of every addition of a dependent. For example, an employee could add a level of employee coverage at marriage and another unit with each child until the maximum employee coverage level is reached.
Coverage is effective on the 1st of the month on or following receipt of the application.
There are no changes to the eligibility rules for Spouse/Domestic Partner & Dependent coverage - employees may enroll in this coverage within 30 days of gaining a dependent (spouse/DP or child) for the first time.
If an eligible employee does not carry State Group Life coverage and gets married (previously had no other dependents such as children), the employee could add one level of employee coverage (Basic coverage), and one or two units of Spouse/DP & Dependent coverage. There is no opportunity to add additional levels of Spouse/DP & Dependent coverage, or enroll Spouse/DP & Dependent coverage if the employee already has other dependents.
Employees are also eligible to apply to enroll in or add additional coverage levels at any time through Medical Evidence of Insurability (acceptance is not guaranteed).
This new provision applies to all family status changes that occur on or after May 1, 2012.
Please see the updated State Group Life Insurance plan brochure for additional information: http://etf.wi.gov/publications/et2101.pdf.
An updated enrollment application is available online at: http://uwservice.wisc.edu/docs/forms/et2304.pdf.
Source: UW System Administration
Categories: Insurance