The birth of a child is an example of a qualifying event.
When you participate in your employer's health insurance plan, you are normally able to make changes only during the employer's open enrollment period. However, if you experience a qualifying event, or an event that has a major impact on your life, you can alter your coverage to reflect the changes in your family.
Change in Marital Status
If you marry, you can add your spouse to your coverage or cancel your coverage if you are now covered under your spouse's policy. If you obtain a legal separation or divorce, you can drop your spouse from your insurance, unless a legal decree requires you to maintain the insurance. If you were covered by your former spouse's policy, you can obtain insurance through your employer's plan. If you have not been furnishing the insurance for your dependent children but must now do so due to the decree, you can add your children. Should your spouse die, you can change your policy accordingly.
Change in Dependents
The birth, adoption or death of a child is a qualifying event, allowing you to modify your health insurance plan. Since marriage is also a qualifying event, if your new spouse has children you need to add to your policy, you can do so at this time.
Change in Spouse's Eligibility for Insurance
If your spouse has been covered under a separate employer's plan and becomes ineligible due to job loss, you can add your spouse to your policy. If your plan provides coverage for a spouse who obtains eligibility for insurance through her employer, you can drop her from your insurance.
Change in Work Hours
If you were a full-time employee and your status is changed to part-time, you are eligible to make changes to your plan. Retirement and disability are also considered qualifying events.
Change in Dependent Eligibility
If a dependent on your policy becomes eligible for his own insurance policy, you can drop him from your policy. You can also drop a dependent who loses eligibility due to a change in marital status, age or status as a full-time student. If a dependent who would have been eligible for coverage under your policy, but was omitted during the last open enrollment period since she had her own coverage, loses her insurance, you can add her to your policy.
