Qualified Life Events

In general, you can't make changes to your election until the next annual Open Enrollment period unless you have a Qualified Life Event, as defined by the IRS. If you do, you can make benefit changes consistent with that event. You must make coverage changes within 31 calendar days of the event.

• What is a Qualified Life Event?

  Qualified Life Events include, but are not limited to:

  • Marriage, divorce, or newly eligible domestic/civil union partner

  • Birth or adoption of a child

  • Death of your spouse or dependent child

  • A dependent becoming ineligible for coverage

  • Your spouse or dependent child gaining or losing coverage elsewhere

  • Moving from an ineligible status to a benefit-eligible status

  Change in Employee Status: Employees who become newly eligible for benefits due to a change in employee status have 45 days, including the day they become eligible, to enroll for benefits. Benefit changes must be consistent with your Qualified Life Event. For example, if you have a baby, you may add the baby to your coverage. You cannot, however, drop coverage for other family members during that event change.

  To see the full list of Qualified Life Events and how each can impact your coverage — view the Life Events/Benefits Matrix

• How to Make a Mid-Year Change Due to a Qualified Life Event

  You must complete the steps below within 31 calendar days of the Qualified Life Event to make changes to your benefit elections:

  • Go to bswift and log in to your profile.

  • On the Welcome page, go to the Life Event section and click the applicable link for your qualified event.

  • Follow the prompts to make your benefits changes/selections.

  • After you submit your qualified event change or election, bswift will contact you by email or mail to request documentation verifying your event and/or dependent eligibility. Your "verification deadline" is 30 calendar days from your enrollment date.

  • Submit documentation to bswift by the deadline in your notice. Otherwise, bswift will retroactively terminate your requested coverage as of the date of coverage.

• How to Make an Address or Name Change

  See Changing Your Name or Address for instructions.

  A name change doesn't automatically trigger a new insurance ID card. To request one, contact your insurance carrier directly at least 2 weeks after your update.

  For questions and assistance with processing a Qualified Life Event, please contact the Publicis Connection Service Center at 1-800-933-3622 (Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 8:00 pm ET).