Life Events

You can change your benefit elections outside of Open Enrollment if certain events occur and if you make the change within 31 days of the event. To make changes to your benefits due to a life event, use Life Events under Benefits in LAPIS. For the best results use Internet Explorer.

Generally, the event must affect eligibility and the election change must be on account of and correspond with the event. In compliance with Section 125 of the IRS Code, medical, dental, vision and spending account plan elections may be changed during the calendar year only if you have a Qualifying Life Event.

Below is a list of Qualifying Life Events, the changes you can make, and the substantiating documentation required.

If you do not notify the Benefits Office within 31 days of the event, you will not be able to add a dependent or make any other changes until the next Open Enrollment period, with benefit changes effective the following January 1.

List of Qualifying Events

• Adding a family member – [Marriage/New Domestic Partner or Child/Adoptive Child/Legal Ward/Foster Child]
  • When you marry, establish a domestic partnership or add a child (natural, adoptive, step, foster or legal ward), you have 31 days to enroll your family member into benefits.
• Gain other coverage – [Employee or Dependent Gain Coverage Elsewhere]
  • When you or your family member become eligible and enrolls in other coverage, you can elect to drop your LLNL coverage.
• Removing a family member – [Divorce/End of Domestic Partnership]
  • When you divorce or end a domestic partnership, you have 31 days to drop your family member from benefits. The effective date will be the end of the month in which the divorce is finalized, or the domestic partnership is dissolved.
• Changing your Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution – [Health Savings Account (HSA)]
  • You may change your HSA contribution anytime during the year
• Lost coverage elsewhere – [Involuntary Loss of Coverage]
  • If you or a family member loses coverage elsewhere you can elect enrollment within 31 days from the date the coverage terminates.
• Enrolling, cancelling or changing contribution to the Dependent Care Reimbursement Account – [Dependent Care Reimbursement Account (DCRA)]
  • The IRS allows some mid-year changes under limited circumstances. Please review the Dependent Care Allowable Changes and Codes in Other Resources.

Required Documentation

Each event has its required documentation to submit for substantiation of the event and the effective date.

• Marriage/New Domestic Partner
  • Upload marriage certificate or Declaration of Domestic Partnership form
  • Upload eligibility documents for dependents added to coverage (see List of Acceptable dependent documentation)
• Child/Adoptive Child/Legal Ward/Foster Child
  • Upload eligibility documents for dependents added to coverage (see List of Acceptable dependent documentation)
• Involuntary Loss of Coverage
  • Document showing the date other coverage ended
  • Upload eligibility documents for dependents added to coverage (see List of Acceptable dependent documentation)