Qualifying Life Event

Outside of the annual Open Enrollment period, an employee may change an enrollment election (i.e., add or delete dependents, change level of coverage) only if there has been a major life event.​ If you have any questions or concerns, please contact ua-benefits@alaska.edu

  • Marriage or divorce of the employee

  • Death of the employee’s spouse or a dependent

  • Birth or adoption of a child by the employee

  • Termination of employment (or the commencement of employment) of the employee’s spouse

  • Moving from a temporary to regular position (or vice versa)

  • Taking of an unpaid leave of absence by the employee or the employee’s spouse

  • A significant change in the health coverage of the employee or the employee’s spouse attributable to the spouse’s employment

  • Gain or involuntary loss of health care coverage of your dependent

If you experience a qualifying life event, you will need to submit a Life Event Changes form within the appropriate timeframe: 

  • 30 days from the date of the event 
  • 60 days from the birth or adoption of a child 

Forms that are completed and submitted outside of these windows will not be accepted. Changes to benefits will have to be completed during the annual Open Enrollment period.

Changes are limited to those in-line and consistent with that major life event. Enrollment changes are subject to the other terms and limitations of this program.

Court documents are needed to support dropping a dependent, such as a divorce decree or legal separation.  If adding dependents you will need to provide a marriage certificate, birth certificate or FIP statement that has been signed off on by a benefits specialist. 


If you are welcoming a new family member and would like to enroll them in your health coverage, you must do so within 60 days of birth. Do not wait for the social security number or official birth certificate.

When completing the Life Event Changes Form submit the temporary birth certificate from the hospital and use 0's for placeholders for the SSN.

Once you receive the SSN, please reach out to us at ua-benefits@alaska.edu for instructions on how to add the SSN. Do not send any SSNs through email. 

Major Life Event: 

  • For all life events that are not birth or adoption of a child, the coverage effective date is the date that HR is notified that changes need to be made to an employee's benefits coverage or on the date that the change takes effect, whichever is later. 
  • This notification is received through submission of Life Event Changes form and must be submitted within 30 days from the date of the event 

Birth or Adoption:

  • For birth or adoption, the coverage is effective the date of birth or date the adoption was finalized.
  • Newborns will automatically be added by Premera for the first 31 days. After the first 31 days the child will be removed from the plan and must be added via a life event form by the employee.
  • Employees must submit a Life Event Changes form within 60 days from the date of birth in order to add the child to their plan for the remainder of the plan year. 

If you are welcoming a new family member and would like to enroll them in your health coverage, you must do so within 60 days of birth. Do not wait for the social security number or official birth certificate.

When completing the Life Event Changes Form submit the temporary birth certificate from the hospital and use 0's for placeholders for the SSN.

Once you receive the SSN, please reach out to us at ua-benefits@alaska.edu for instructions on how to add the SSN. Do not send any SSNs through email.