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You and your new family may want to evaluate your benefit options to make
sure they are in alignment with your family status. This handout is designed to
highlight those options. Additional information is available on the
Benefits Web Site or from the Human Resource
Information Center (HRIC) at 684-5600.
What proof of marriage will you need?
As marriage is considered a change in family status, you will be able to make
changes to some of your benefit programs outside of the annual open enrollment
period, providing the change is consistent with the marriage and you bring a
copy of your marriage certificate to the HRIC within 30 days of the marriage
date. This documentation must accompany your change request.
Whose health insurance policy should cover me and my new dependents?
In choosing whose health insurance plan
will cover you and your new dependents, you may wish to consider the following
options:
- Adding your spouse and/or stepchild(ren) to your policy; or
- Canceling your Duke policy to enroll under your spouse's plan; or
- Having two health insurance plans; or
- Maintaining separate policies.
Beyond comparing premium and other cost differences, consider:
- The differences in services offered
- How deductibles and copayments, including those for prescriptions,
compare with the Duke policy
- Whether you or your spouse's current physician is participating in
either plan
- Whether the non-Duke policy provides for well-child care and routine
immunizations
- If duplicate coverage is worth the extra cost
- Not all insurers have the same coordination of benefits rules. You
should investigate these rules before deciding on duplicate coverage.
When can I add my spouse and/or stepchildren to my health insurance?
If you decide to add your spouse and/or stepchildren to your Duke policy,
enrollment must occur within 30 days of the date of your marriage. If adding
eligible family members to your policy changes your coverage an individual plan
to a family plan, your premiums will change. Rates are available on the
Health Benefits Web Site.
Can I add my spouse and/or stepchildren to my dental insurance?
Yes. Eligibility and requirements for adding family members to your dental
plan are the same as for health plan coverage. See health plan information
above.
Can I add my spouse and/or stepchildren to my vision insurance?
Yes. Eligibility and requirements for adding family members to your vision
plan are the same as for health plan coverage. See health plan information
above.
I know my medical expenses or day care expenses will be increasing because of my marriage. What are my options?
You should consider enrolling or changing your deduction for your Duke
reimbursement accounts. Since account
contributions are made with before-tax dollars, reimbursement accounts provide
ways to reduce your taxable income. The amounts credited to your account are
reimbursed to you when you submit a claim for a qualified expense. The change in
your reimbursement account status or enrollment in the program must be made
within 30 days of the family status change. Forms are available on the
Web Tools and Forms page. The reimbursement account
contribution amount can only be changed if there is a subsequent change in
family circumstances. Additionally, any amount left in the account at the
end of the plan year is forfeited. For these reasons, you may want to be
conservative in estimating your anticipated expenses.
Do I need to increase the amount of my life insurance for coverage?
Employees with young families and with high long term debt, such as a
mortgage, may need more life insurance to provide financial security for
surviving family members than employees with grown children and less long term
debt. If you divide the amount of your current life insurance coverage by your
take-home pay, you will know how many pay periods your present level of earnings
would continue to support your household. If this figure is not sufficient in
dollar amount or duration to support your household, you may wish to increase
the amount of your life insurance coverage. If you determine that you need to
increase your coverage, there are a number of life insurance options
available. For example, with Personal Accident (AD&D) Insurance you can
purchase a high coverage amount at a low cost, but benefits will only be
paid in the event of accidental death. You can also purchase Supplemental
Life Insurance which will provide benefits in the event of death from
illness and natural causes. The premiums are higher for Supplemental Life
Insurance than AD&D. For more information, please see the
Life Insurance Web Site.
How do I change my life insurance beneficiary(ies)?
For the Personal Accident Insurance (AD&D) and/or the Basic Life Insurance
plan, see the Web Tools and Forms page for
beneficiary change forms. You will need to
contact the specific life
insurance provider for beneficiary changes under other insurance plans.
Additionally, you may want to consider obtaining legal counsel if you will be
establishing or amending a trust fund or will.
What about the beneficiary(ies) designations for my retirement plans?
Beneficiary designations for your 403(b) retirement
accounts are important. When making your beneficiary designation, specify
primary and contingent beneficiaries and the benefit allocation to each. If you
are listed as married in the Duke Payroll system and die before beginning to
receive your 403(b) benefits, then according to federal law, your named spouse
is entitled to 50% of your retirement account balance in the form of a
pre-retirement survivor annuity. This rule applies unless a "Waiver of
Pre-retirement Survivor Annuity" election has previously been made by your
spouse. You may change your beneficiary under the 403(b) Savings for Retirement
Plan or the Faculty and Staff Retirement Plan by contacting Benefits and/or
sending a written request directly to your
vendors.
Does my spouse and/or stepchildren have educational benefits?
If you have at least one year of service, your spouse may take graduate or
undergraduate classes at Duke on a non-degree basis. The
educational benefit provides a 50% tuition waiver and audited classes.
Stepchildren are eligible for the tuition grant program if you are otherwise
eligible for the benefit, e.g. are a full time employee, have at least five
consecutive years of full time service in an eligible division at Duke.
What other insurance plan changes do I need to consider?
If you want to add your spouse to your Long Term Care
insurance, you will need to
contact Aetna. If you would like to add your
spouse to your Personal Casualty Insurance (METPAY) policy,
contact Marsh @Work Solutions.
Disability insurance can replace a portion of your
income if you are unable to work because of injury or illness. This can be
critical to your family's financial security. If you do not already have
disability coverage, consider the Voluntary Short Term or Voluntary Long Term
Disability program options available.
How will new payroll deductions impact my take home pay? What if I change my withholdings to reflect my new exemption?
You can use the Take Home Pay
Calculator to determine how your paycheck will be affected by various
payroll deductions and tax exemption changes or to determine how your family's
income would be affected if one parent reduces work hours. Applicable federal
and state tax forms can be accessed from the Web Tools and Forms page.
What about updating my personal information on record?
If you have a NetID, you can change your directory listing at
Online@Duke. If you don't have a NetID, you can
request one through the Office of Information Technology (OIT). If you are unsure whether you have one or not, please see
NetID Help.
Otherwise, please use iForms.
Instructions for using iForms and submitting online forms are included in
documentation on the iForms Web Site. Your new information will also be updated for your health, dental,
and vision plans. To update any other benefit programs (e,g,
reimbursement accounts, 403(b) retirement plan, life insurance, disability, etc.), please use the
Contact Information to notify the benefit vendor directly.
Also, make sure to update your marital status and
withholdings on your federal and state tax forms, available on the
Web Tools and Forms page.
The "life event series" overview is intended to
highlight some of the benefit options to be considered due to a change in family
status. It is not designed to substitute for an official plan document. If there
is a conflict between this web site and the official plan documents, the official
plan documents will govern in all cases. Duke reserves the right to change or
terminate these plans or your eligibility for benefits under the plans at any
time.
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