WHO MAY ENROLL
If you are a regular full-time employee working at least 30 hours per week, you and your eligible dependents may participate in Avanath’s benefits program. Your eligible dependents include:
- Legally married spouse
- Registered domestic partner (as defined by California state law)
- Children under the age of 26, regardless of student or marital status
WHEN YOU CAN ENROLL
As an eligible employee, you may enroll at the following times:
- As a new hire, you may participate in the company’s benefits program on the first day of the month following 30 days of continuous work
- Each year, during open enrollment
- Within 30 days of a qualifying event as defined by the IRS (see Changes To Enrollment)
PAYING FOR YOUR COVERAGE
The Basic Life, Basic AD&D, Short Term Disability*, Long Term Disability and Employee Assistance Program benefits are provided at no cost to you and are paid entirely by Avanath. You and the company share in the cost of the Medical, Dental and Vision benefits you elect. Your Medical, Dental and Vision contributions are deducted before taxes which saves you tax dollars. Paying for benefits before-tax means that your share of the costs is deducted before taxes are determined, resulting in more take-home pay for you. As a result, the IRS requires that your elections remain in effect for the entire year. You cannot drop or change coverage unless you experience a qualifying event.
CHANGES TO ENROLLMENT
Our benefit plans are effective January 1st through December 31st of each year except for the flexible spending account (see FSA section on page 18). There is an annual open enrollment period each year, during which you can make new benefit elections for the following January 1st effective date. Once you make your benefit elections, you cannot change them during the year unless you experience a qualifying event as defined by the IRS. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:
- Marriage, divorce, legal separation or annulment
- Birth or adoption of a child
- A qualified medical child support order
- Death of a spouse or child
- A change in your dependent’s eligibility status
- Loss of coverage from another health plan
- Change in your residence or workplace (if your benefit options change)
- Loss of coverage through Medicaid or Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
- Becoming eligible for a state’s premium assistance program under Medicaid or CHIP
Coverage for a new dependent is not automatic. If you experience a qualifying event, you have 30 days to update your coverage. You may login to Ease portal to update your dependent information as needed. Ease login information is located on page 24 of this guide. If you do not update your coverage within 30 days from the qualifying event, you must wait until the next annual open enrollment period to update your coverage.
*Please note Short Term Disability benefit are excluded in statutory states (CA, HI, NJ, NY, RI).