Benefitsolver And Insurance: Navigating The Change For A Secure Future

Benefitsolver is a platform that allows users to manage their healthcare benefits. It offers a range of features, including the ability to view and change benefit elections, add or remove dependents, and update personal information such as addresses. Users can also access their FSA account information, view and print out their health benefit elections, and enrol in health benefits. Additionally, Benefitsolver provides resources for frequently asked questions and offers support for COBRA administration, simplifying the process for businesses by centralizing information and streamlining compliance, documentation, and payment collection.

Logging into BenefitSolver

BenefitSolver is a platform that allows employees to manage their benefits. It is an all-in-one, single-source platform that centralizes COBRA information alongside enrollment and eligibility data, offering a unified solution for benefits management. This platform is provided by Businessolver, a company that specializes in COBRA administration.

To log into BenefitSolver, you will need to create a username and password for a Businessolver COBRA account. This will allow you to access your healthcare benefits.

Once you have logged in, you will be able to view and manage your current benefit elections. You can also print a Benefit Summary from the menu. If you need to make any changes to your benefits, such as adding a dependent or changing your insurance, you can do so by selecting "Change My Benefits" and following the prompts.

For example, if you need to add a newborn to your health benefits, you can log into BenefitSolver and select "Change My Benefits". Under "Life Event", select "Birth", and follow the screens to add the baby. Be sure to provide the necessary documentation, such as a birth certificate and Social Security card, to the Benefits Office as soon as possible.

BenefitSolver also allows you to view your FSA account information and current balance, change your address, and update your beneficiary information.

Changing life events

A change in your personal or work life can impact your benefit elections. Certain events as defined by the IRS permit you to make benefit changes during the year that normally can only be made during the annual open enrollment. These are known as "qualifying" or "qualified" life events and they include:

• Getting married or registering a domestic partner
• Ending a domestic partnership
• Having or adopting a child
• Employee or dependent losing or gaining coverage elsewhere
• Resigning, being laid off or retiring
• Applying for long-term disability
• Going on an unpaid leave of absence or returning from an unpaid leave of absence
• Moving from a union job to nonunion or vice versa
• Death of a family member
• Divorce or dissolution of a civil union/same-sex domestic partnership
• Changes to employment status
• Moving and/or going to work for another Federal agency
• Gaining or losing coverage under a spouse
• Involuntary loss of coverage
• Arrival or departure of family members to/from the USA
• Beginning or ending an unpaid leave
• Gaining coverage under another plan

If you experience a qualifying life event, you will have a Special Enrollment Period to make certain changes to your health insurance outside the yearly Open Enrollment Period. You usually have 30 or 60 days from the life event to enroll in a new plan, but you should report your change as soon as possible.

Adding a newborn

Step 1: Log in to your Benefitsolver account

Go to www.benefitsolver.com and log in to your account. If you don't have an account, you will need to create one.

Step 2: Select "Change My Benefits"

Once you are logged in, select the “Change My Benefits” option. This will allow you to make changes to your current benefits plan, including adding a newborn dependent.

Step 3: Select "Life Event" and then "Birth"

Under the "Change My Benefits" section, you will see a “Life Event” option. Select this, and then choose “Birth” from the list of life events. This will initiate the process of adding your newborn to your health benefits.

Step 4: Follow the prompts to add your newborn

Benefitsolver will guide you through the process of adding your newborn to your health benefits. Follow the prompts and enter the required information, such as the baby's name and date of birth.

Step 5: Provide documentation

You will need to provide documentation to add your newborn to your health benefits. The required documents are the baby's birth certificate and Social Security card. Scan or email these documents to the Benefits Office as soon as you receive them. Note that you should not delay adding your newborn to Benefitsolver while waiting for these documents, as they are often received after the 30-day window for adding dependents has passed.

Important considerations:

• Time limit: You have 30 days from the date of your child's birth to add them to your health benefits.
• Retroactive coverage: If you add your newborn within the 30-day window, their coverage will be retroactive to their date of birth. This includes all checkups, tests, and medical procedures.
• Special Enrollment Period: Having a baby is considered a qualifying life event, which means you are eligible for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP). During this period, you can make adjustments to your health insurance outside of the regular open enrollment period.
• Plan changes: If you choose to change your health plan when adding your newborn, the new plan will be effective from the date of birth. Any claims processed under the old plan will be reprocessed under the new plan.

Adding a spouse

Timing is Key:

Firstly, note that you usually have a limited time frame to add your spouse to your health insurance plan. In most cases, you must make this change within 30 to 60 days of your wedding. This period is known as a "special enrollment period" or "qualifying life event", and it allows you to make adjustments to your health insurance plan outside of the regular open enrollment period.

Notify Your Health Plan:

Log into your health insurance account, such as BenefitSolver, and notify them of the change. You will need to provide proof of your marriage, such as a marriage certificate. If you have stepchildren, you may also need to provide their birth certificates. This documentation ensures that your spouse is recognised as an eligible family member.

Compare and Combine Benefits:

If your spouse has their own benefits plan, consider combining your benefits to maximise coverage and reduce out-of-pocket expenses. Their plan might cover services or products that yours doesn't, and vice versa. In the case of two plans, your spouse would typically make a claim through their own workplace coverage first, and then your plan would cover any remaining costs.

Review and Update:

Don't Delay:

It's important to act promptly when adding a spouse to your health insurance plan. If you miss the special enrollment period, you will likely have to wait until the next open enrollment period to make any changes.

Adding/removing family members

To add or remove any family members to your benefits, you must log in to your Benefitsolver account. Family members can be added or removed within 30 days of a Qualified Life Event (QLE). Dependents added or removed resulting in a QLE may have different effective dates, so it is recommended that you contact the Benefits Office to confirm the effective date.

Dependents can also be added or removed during the annual Open Enrollment in May. Any changes made during this period will be effective from July 1.

Employees must also provide proof of the QLE and the dependent's eligibility to the Benefits Office.

Frequently asked questions