Benefits - Adding Dependents
Life Event: Adding a Dependent
Step 1 - Enroll in medical/dental/vision coverage
You have 60 days after a child is acquired through birth or adoption to enroll the child in City sponsored medical/dental/vision coverage. You have 31 days after you acquire a child through marriage, formation of a domestic partnership, adoption, or legal guardianship to add the child to the City sponsored health plans. Coverage begins on the date of the birth, marriage, formation of domestic partnership, adoption, or legal guardianship. If you miss this deadline, you can enroll your new dependent(s) at the next open enrollment period (usually held in the fall). To enroll your new dependent(s), you must complete a Benefits Change Form and submit it to your department Human Resources representative.

Step 2 - Review your life insurance needs
Within 31 or 60 days of acquisition of the child, you can:
  • Add supplemental life insurance coverage for the child if you are currently enrolled in supplemental life insurance
  • Add family AD&D coverage if you currently have individual coverage.

At the next open enrollment, you can:
  • Purchase Basic Group Term Life insurance.
  • Purchase Supplemental Group Term Life insurance.
  • Purchase Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance.

Step 3 - Enroll in Flexible Spending Account Programs
Within 31 days of the acquisition of the new dependent, you can:
  • Sign up for a Health Care and/or Dependent Care flexible spending accounts.
  • Increase the amount of your current Health Care and/or Dependent Care FSA account (maximum $5,000). You cannot stop or decrease contributions to a current FSA unless there is a decrease in working hours.

Step 4 - Consider taking time off
You may want to take advantage of one or more of the City sponsored leave programs to help you when you add a dependent:
  • Vacation
  • Family and Medical Leave
  • Personal Leave
  • Sick Leave
  • Pregnancy Leave

Step 5 - Review your Long Term Disability Insurance Needs
At the next open enrollment, you may enroll in Supplemental Long Term Disability (LTD) coverage. If you enroll after you first become eligible, any LTD benefits will be subject to a 24-month pre-existing condition limitation.

Step 6 - Update your beneficiary information
This includes: life and AD&D insurance and the Deferred Compensation Plan. Remember to check the beneficiary election for your sick leave and retirement plan balance in your non-City plans too, such as IRAs and personal life insurance plans. Send updated personal information to your Department's Human Resources Representative.

Step 7 - Change personal and tax withholding information
You may need to change the amount of taxes withheld from your paycheck by submitting a new W-4 statement to your Department's Human Resources Representative or Payroll office for processing. You can also change your W-4 statement on line using Employee Self-Service.

Page: http://www.seattle.gov/personnel/benefits/life/dependents.asp
Printed: 5/25/2013 6:56AM