Enroll for or Change Your Benefits

Changing Your Benefits

Employees may only make changes to their benefits under three circumstances:

1. Open Enrollment – Employees at the University of Denver have the opportunity to elect different benefits during the annual Open Enrollment period held each year from May 1 – May 15. This is the time for benefits-eligible employees to sign up for medical, dental and vision insurance plans, or to make changes in their coverage choices (such as switching medical plans, adding coverage, and setting up or changing flexible spending accounts). All enrollments and changes made during the Open Enrollment period become effective on July 1.
2. Loss of Coverage – Employees may modify their benefits plans as a result of an employment-related loss of coverage affecting a spouse or parent.
3. IRS Qualifying Life Event – Employees may change their benefits selections within 30 days of experiencing an IRS qualifying change in status such as birth, adoption, marriage, divorce, etc. Changes made due to qualifying events must be consistent with the type of event. Expand the section below for complete details.

• IRS Qualifying Life Events

  Internal Revenue Code Section 125 limits the extent to which participants in a benefit plan can make mid-year election changes. The list below contains examples of qualifying life events. As it is not exhaustive, please contact Human Resources at 303-871-7420 or totalrewards@du.edu for information specific to your event.

  • Legal marital status – Includes marriage, divorce, legal separation, and annulment.
  • Number of dependents – Includes any event that changes the number of an employee's dependents such as the adoption, birth, or death of a child.
  • Employment status – Includes the termination or commencement of employment for the employee, their spouse/partner, or a dependent.
  • Work schedule – Includes any reduction or increase in hours of employment experienced by the employee, their spouse/partner, or a dependent. Strikes, lockouts, and leaves of absence are specifically included.
  • Eligibility – Includes changes that cause a dependent to gain or lose eligibility for coverage under the plan, for example due to age or student status.
  • COBRA eligibility – Includes changes affecting the employee, their spouse/partner, or a dependent, and applies only to Cafeteria Plan contributions for COBRA coverage.
  • Location – Includes changes of residence or work site affecting the employee, their spouse/partner, or a dependent.
  • Court order – Includes issuance of a family relations judgment, decree, or order such as a qualified medical child support order.
  • Medicare or Medicaid entitlement – Includes entitlements received by the employee, their spouse/partner, or a dependent.
  • Bona fide rehire – Includes rehire of an employee during the same year as his or her termination, and applies only to reinstatement of the benefit elections in effect prior to the termination.

  Note: Changes made due to qualifying events must be consistent with the type of event and made within 30 days of the date the event occurred.

  IRS Documentation