Reporting Your Qualified Life Event

Election changes due to status changes must be made no later than 31 days from the effective date of the qualifying life event (loss of coverage, birth of child, etc.). Please find below information to help guide you through Loyola’s benefits enrollment process for a qualified life event.

1. You may initiate your change via the Employee Self-Service (ESS) portal no more than one day before the qualified life event date. Once logged into ESS, under the Benefits section, please select “Life Events”.
2. While completing your Life Event in ESS, please be prepared to upload all supporting documentation to verify your qualified life event. *See the bottom of this page for more information about supporting document requirements to verify your specific life event reason.
3. If adding new dependents to your benefits, please be prepared to upload supporting documents to verify dependent eligibility. Please see the Benefits Guide for more information about documents (i.e. birth certificate, marriage certificate) you will need to provide to enroll dependents for benefit coverage.
4. A Benefits Specialist will follow up with you if you’re missing supporting documentation, or if we need additional information to process your Life Event. Please view your first pay stub after your Life Event to verify that the changes made are correct. Please contact Human Resources at benefits@luc.edu or 312-915-6175 with any questions. 

Additional Information

• Monthly premium rates are located the Benefits Guide.
• The request for coverage change must be made within 31 days of the change in status or event. If the request is not made within 31 days of your change in status or event, you will not be allowed to change your coverage until the next annual Open Enrollment period.
• Any change in your deductions (if applicable) will be effective the first pay period following the change.

*Supporting Document Requirements to Verify Your Qualified Life Event: 

• Birth or Adoption: A birth certificate or birth notice from the hospital, or an adoption agreement.
• Marriage: A marriage certificate. If you are dropping your health coverage because you have been added to your new spouse’s coverage as a result of your marriage you must report a Gain of Other Coverage life event, not a Marriage event.
• Divorce: A divorce decree or a notice of legal separation.
• Change to Spouse Benefits/Eligibility: If your spouse/LDA has gained new coverage: A letter on company letterhead stating the date that your new coverage became effective, the types of coverage that have been gained (for example – medical, dental, and vision coverage), and the names of the affected dependents. If your spouse/LDA loses their eligibility for coverage: A letter on company letterhead stating the date that coverage was terminated, the types of coverage that were affected (for example – medical, dental, and vision coverage), and the names of the dependents covered. A complete COBRA notice including all of the required information previously listed is also acceptable.
• Death: A death certificate.
• Loss of Other Coverage: A letter on company letterhead stating the date your coverage was terminated, the types of coverages that were ended (for example – medical, dental, and vision coverage), and the names of the affected dependents. A complete COBRA notice including all the required information is also acceptable.
• Gain of Other Coverage: A letter on company letterhead stating the date that your new coverage became effective, the types of coverage that have been gained (for example – medical, dental, and vision coverage), and the names of the affected dependents. If you have enrolled in Medicare health insurance, a copy of your ID card with the effective date of coverage can be used to support your change.