Who is eligible and when
Regular full-time and part-time Team Members are eligible to enroll or make changes to your benefit plans during Eskaton’s annual Open Enrollment, which is typically held each November for a January 1 effective date. If you are enrolling as a new hire, your benefits will become effective the first day of the month following 60 consecutive days of employment.
Regular full-time and part-time Team Members s can also make changes outside of these traditional enrollment periods if they experience a qualifying event, such as marriage, divorce, legal separation, birth, adoption, death in family, spouse loss of other coverage or dependent child reaching limiting age.
Eligible dependent definitions by plan Medical, dental and vision plan
- Spouse: defined by applicable state law
- Domestic partner: same sex or opposite sex as outlined in this guide
- Dependent children up to age 26
- Natural or adopted children who can be claimed as your tax dependents
- Stepchildren whom you support and live with you in a parent-child relationship
- Children placed in your home for adoption or foster care
- Any other children you support for whom you are the legal guardian or for whom you are required to provide coverage as the result of a qualified medical child support order
Domestic partner eligibility criteria
If you are enrolling a domestic partner you will be asked to attest to your domestic partner relationship and that you have met all the eligibility requirements listed below for the previous 12 months:
- Share a common principal place of residence and intend to do so in the future
- Are jointly responsible for each other’s basic living expenses.
- Both 18 years old or older and are mentally competent to enter into a legally binding contract
- Neither of you are married or a member of another domestic partnership
- Not related by blood to such a degree that you would be prevented from marrying in the state in which you reside
- Agree to notify Eskaton immediately upon your failure to satisfy any of the criteria of domestic partnership.
- You understand that it is a fraudulent act to obtain health coverage by misrepresenting any facts stated herein.
Note: The value of health care coverage provided for a domestic partner, or any enrolled dependent children of your domestic partner is treated as income to you for federal tax purposes (and in most cases, state tax purposes). Eskaton will report the value of the coverage as income to you on your W-2 Form and will withhold applicable taxes. It is recommended you consult with your tax advisor for more information on how this affects you.