Mid-plan Year Benefit Changes:
Add/Drop Dependents Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I add or delete dependent coverage and make changes in my benefit elections during the year?
A participant is permitted to make changes to his or her elections mid-plan year only for a legitimate Change in Status (CIS). Meaning, “on account of and corresponding with a Change in Status that affects eligibility for coverage.” If you experience a qualifying CIS Event, the election changes must be requested and submitted with proper documentation within 30 days from the qualifying event and the change must be consistent with the type of event. However, you cannot change your medical or dental plan insurance provider. You may add dependents to your existing coverage or delete your dependents. Please refer to the Qualifying CIS Events section below.
2. If I experience a CIS event, how and when must I request the CIS form in order for the change to be approved?
You must call the FBMC Service Center at 1-855-MDC-PS4U (1-855-632-7748), Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. ET, within 30 days from the date of the valid event and request a Change In Status Election Form. Documentation supporting the Change in Status must be submitted with the form. Requests and form submissions made after the 30th day from the valid event date, will not be granted. You will have to wait until the following annual open enrollment period to make any changes to your benefits.
3. When I add dependents through a CIS event, when do their benefits become effective?
Coverage for your dependents becomes effective on the 1st of the month following your first payroll deduction, except for newborns** and adopted dependents. Your newborn dependents are covered from their date of birth; adopted dependents are covered effective the date of placement. Documents validating the CIS event and dependent’s eligibility are required at time of request.
NOTE: Any 10-month employee submitting a Change in Status form after the end of the school year will have the form processed with a benefits effective date of October 1, with exception of newborns and adopted dependents.
** Your newborn will be covered free of charge for the first 31 days. However, you are still responsible for the claims incurred on the date of birth. Your newborn child is not automatically enrolled by your employer or group health plan. You must add your newborn dependent within 30 days, even if your current coverage includes employee and children, or employee and family coverage or employee and Domestic Partner and their child(ren). Refer to the Dependent Documentation Requirements for more details.
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4. When I delete a dependent through a Change In Status, when does their coverage terminate?
Coverage for your dependent(s) is terminated effective the last day of the month in which the form is processed – after receipt of a completed Change in Status form and supporting documentation. Coverage is never terminated retroactively.
NOTE: Any 10-month employee submitting a Change in Status form after the end of the school year will have the form processed with a benefits termination date of August 31.
5. If I decline School Board healthcare coverage, but I lose my other coverage, can I re-enroll under a School Board plan mid-year?
You may only enroll in a School Board healthcare plan mid-year if you have lost other group or state funded insurance coverage. Supporting documentation will be required. The effective date of your School Board healthcare plan is the first of the month following the processing of your Change In Status. Enrollment in an individual policy does not qualify.
Domestic Partner of Opposite or Same Sex and Not Married:
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Section 125 “Change In Status: Rules and Guidelines” does not apply. An employee may terminate their Domestic Partners and/or child(ren) at any time of the year, but may not reinstate their coverage until the following open enrollment period (effective January 1 of the following plan year), as long as all of the eligibility criteria has been met again. An employee may add their Domestic Partner if eligibility requirements are met during the plan year or due to loss of other group coverage.
An employee and his or her Domestic Partner must sign an Affidavit of Domestic Partnership, which states that the employee and domestic partner are:
- Each 18 years of age or older and mentally competent
- Have a close and committed personal relationship, and are each other’s sole domestic partner not married to or partnered with any other spouse, spouse equivalent or domestic partner
- Have provided true and accurate required documentation of their relationship, and each understands and agrees that in the event any of the statements set forth on the affidavit are not true, the insurance or health care coverage for which the affidavit is being submitted may be rescinded and/or each shall jointly and severally be liable for any expense incurred by the employer, insurer or healthcare entity.
- Employee-paid benefits will be taken on a post-tax basis.
- Employee must pay tax liability on the monthly contribution (dependent subsidy) that the Board pays toward dependent coverage.
- Must present two forms of documentation demonstrating a minimum of a one year (12 consecutive months) of partnership or a valid certificate from the county.
Domestic Partner of Opposite or Same Sex and Legally Married:
Employees covering a domestic partner who get legally married can have the post-tax deductions changed to pretax by submitting a copy of their marriage certificate. The relationship status will be changed to spouse and the pretax deductions will commence the first day of the month following receipt of the marriage certificate.
Qualifying CIS Events
Change in Status form must be requested and submitted with proper documentation within 30 days from the date of the qualifying events listed below. You must contact the FBMC Service Center at 1-855-MDC-PS4U (1-855-632-7748), Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m. ET, for a CIS election form. Appropriate documentation supporting the Change in Status event is required when returning the form. Refer to CIS Cuff-off and Effective dates for more information.
CHANGE IN MARITAL STATUS:
A change in marital status includes: marriage, domestic partner same sex marriage, death, divorce or annulment (legal separation is not recognized in the State of Florida).
CHANGE IN NUMBER OF ELIGIBLE DEPENDENTS:
Change in employment status of the employee, or a spouse or dependent of the employee that affects the individual’s eligibility under an employer’s plan, such as commencement or termination of employment.
GAIN OR LOSS OF DEPENDENTS’ ELIGIBILITY STATUS:
An event that causes an employee’s dependent to satisfy or cease to satisfy coverage requirements under an employer’s plan due to:
attainment of age; student status; marital status; employment status.
CHANGE IN RESIDENCE:
A change in the place of residence of the employee, spouse or dependent that affects eligibility to be covered under an employer’s plan, such as moving out of the network service area (except for Medical Expense FSAs).
OPEN ENROLLMENT UNDER OTHER EMPLOYER’S PLAN:
You may make an election change when your spouse or dependent makes an Open Enrollment change in coverage under their employer’s plan if*:
- their employer’s plan year is different from your employer’s plan year
they participate in their employer’s plan, and - their employer’s plan permits mid-plan year election changes under this event.
*Does not apply to a Medical Expense FSA.
* NOTE: If the dependent becomes an M-DCPS employee, the employee covering the dependent needs to cancel the dependent by completing a Change In Status form.
JUDGMENT/DECREE/ORDER:
If a judgment, decree or order from a divorce, annulment or change in legal custody requires that you provide accident or health coverage for your dependent child (including a grandchild who is your dependent), you may change your election* to provide coverage for the dependent child. If the order requires that another individual (including your spouse and former spouse) cover the dependent child and provide coverage under that individual’s plan, you may change your election to revoke coverage only for that dependent child and only if the other individual actually provides the coverage.
*Does not apply to Dependent Care FSA.
MEDICARE/MEDICAID/KIDCARE:
Gain or loss of Medicare/Medicaid eligibility and enrollment may trigger a permitted election change. Documentation indicating effective date of event and affected dependents must be presented with CIS form.
HIPAA:
If your employer’s group health plan(s) are subject to HIPAA’s special enrollment provision, the IRS regulations regarding HIPAA’s special enrollment rights provide that an IRC Sec. 125 cafeteria plan may permit you to change a salary reduction election to pay for the extra cost for group health coverage, on a pretax basis, effective retroactive to the date of the CIS event, if you enroll your new dependent within 30 days of one of the following CIS events: birth, adoption or placement for adoption. Note that a Medical Expense FSA is not subject to HIPAA’s special enrollment provisions if it is funded solely by employee contributions.
OTHER ELECTION CHANGES:
Domestic Partner of the opposite or same sex and not married and their children: The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Section 125 “Change in Status” rules and guidelines do not apply. An employee may terminate coverage for their Domestic Partner and/or their child(ren) at any time of the year, but may not reinstate their coverage until the following open enrollment period as long as all of the eligibility criteria has been met once again. You may add a dependent if eligibility requirements are met during the plan year or due to loss of alternative group coverage.
Domestic Partner of the same sex and legally married: Employees covering a same sex domestic partner and legally married can have both the Domestic Partner’s relationship to spouse and the post tax deductions changed to pretax. The change will occur the first of the month after submitting the marriage certificate.
CHANGE IN STATUS (CIS) CUT-OFF EFFECTIVE DATES:
Documentation supporting the qualifying CIS event and dependent eligibility documentation must be submitted with the CIS form before (FORM DUE DATE) to have an (EFFECTIVE DATE) effective date. Any form received after (FORM DUE DATE) will be processed for the next available effective date. Please be aware that the form and proper documentation must be submitted within 30 days of the Change in Status event for the changes above to take effect.
Change in Status (CIS) Cut-Off Effective Dates:
| Form Due Date | Effective Date |
| 01/31/2022 | 02/01/2022 |
| 02/28/2022 | 03/01/2022 |
| 03/31/2022 | 04/01/2022 |
| 04/30/2022 | 05/01/2022 |
| 05/31/2022 | 06/01/2022 |
| 06/30/2022 | 07/01/2022 |
| 07/31/2022 | 08/01/2022 |
| 08/31/2022 | 09/01/2022 |
| 09/30/2022 | 10/01/2022 |
| 10/31/2022 | 11/01/2022 |
| 11/30/2022 | 12/01/2022 |
Office of Risk and Benefits Management
1501 N.E. 2nd Avenue, Suite 335
Miami, Florida 33132
Mon - Fri, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. ET
www.dadeschools.net
305-995-7129
FBMC Service Center
Monday - Friday, 7 a.m. – 7 p.m.
1-855-MDC-PS4U (1-855-632-7748)