Mid Year Benefit Changes
Qualifying Life Events
If you or an eligible dependent have a qualifying life event - you may make a benefit change mid-year, provided the change is consistent with the event. A qualifying life event or family status change can be either:
- Marriage / Domestic Partnership
- Birth/Adoption of a Child
- Spouse is changing jobs and/or health insurance
- Loss of Medicaid or other coverage
- Employee Gains or Loses Other Coverage
- Divorce or Dissolution of Domestic Partnership
- Death of a Child or Spouse
If you are eligible for a qualifying life event, you must request and make changes to your benefits within 30 days of the event. Do not delay as exceptions to this deadline are not allowed. If you experienced a change that is not listed here, but would like to confirm if it is a qualifying mid-year change, please contact our team here.
To update your benefits:
- Login to Workday and search "Change Benefits" in the Workday search bar.
- Click on the "Change Benefits" button to establish the change reason and date of the life event.
- You will then be asked to submit a reason and a date for this change.
- If your reason is divorce or dissolution of a partnership you will need to update the dependent's relationship in workday first. Instructions on how to update your dependent can be found here.
- The date you use will be the first date that the change is effective (i.e. birthdate of child, the date benefits other coverage ended, etc.)
- You can then click on the insurance coverages you want to update.
- Once you are done making your elections, you can submit them.
- Important: you will have a final page where you actually will submit your changes and check an “I agree” statement that your benefits are accurate.
- You will be required to provide documentation to show proof of your need for the benefits change. Please be sure to attach the file at the time of your request.
Beneficiary changes do not require a qualifying life event or documentation if you just want to update who your beneficiaries are for yoru supplemental plans.
Examples of Acceptable Documentation for Life Events
Please note: Documents must include the effective date of the change (for example, the coverage end date or event date) so your benefit updates can be processed correctly.
- Marriage / Domestic Partnership
- Marriage certificate
- Domestic partnership registration or affidavit
- Birth / Adoption of a Child
- Birth certificate (or hospital-issued birth confirmation if the official certificate isn’t available yet)
- Adoption papers or placement documentation
- Spouse Gains or Loses Coverage (job change, new health plan, or loss of coverage)
- Employer’s letter on company letterhead confirming the gain or loss of coverage
- COBRA election notice
- Insurance termination or enrollment confirmation letter
- Loss of Medicaid or Other Coverage
- Official state or insurance letter confirming the date coverage ended
- Employee Gains or Loses Other Coverage
- Proof of new coverage (such as an insurance ID card or enrollment confirmation)
- Proof of loss of coverage (such as a termination letter from the insurance provider)
- Divorce or Dissolution of Domestic Partnership
- Divorce decree
- Domestic partnership dissolution agreement
- Death of a Child or Spouse
- Death certificate
Resources and Assistance
Benefit support
Do you have questions about benefits, your coverage, qualifying life events or claims? The Benefits Advocate team is here to help. Call 1-833-378-0727, email upstart@help.sequoia.com, or visit the Benefits Portal.
WOrkday support
Reach out to the People Ops team at our service desk here.