Res05 14665 - Laserfiche WebLink

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5.4 CHANGE OF ELECTIONS (a) Any Participant may change a Benefit election after the Plan Year (to which such election relates) has commenced and make new elections with respect to the remainder of such Plan Year if, under the facts and circumstances, the changes are necessitated by and are consistent with a change in status which is acceptable under rules and regulations adopted by the Department of the Treasury, the provisions of which are incorporated by reference. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if the rules and regulations conflict, then such rules and regulations shall control. In general, a change in election is not consistent if the change in status is the Participant's divorce, annulment or legal separation from a spouse, the death of a spouse or dependent, or a dependent ceasing to satisfy the eligibility requirements for coverage, and the Participant's election under the Plan is to cancel accident or health insurance coverage for any individual other than the one involved in such event. In addition, if the Participant, spouse or dependent gains or loses eligibility for coverage, then a Participant's election under the Plan to cease or decrease coverage for that individual under the Plan corresponds with that change in status only if coverage for that individual becomes applicable or is increased under the family member plan. Regardless of the consistency requirement, if the individual, the individual's spouse, or dependent becomes eligible for continuation coverage under the City's group health plan as provided in Code Section 4980B or any similar state law, then the individual may elect to increase payments under this Plan in order to pay for the continuation coverage. However, this does not apply for COBRA eligibility due to divorce, annulment or legal separation. Any new election shall be effective at such time as the Administrator shall prescribe, but not earlier than the first pay period beginning after the election form is completed and returned to the Administrator. For the purposes of this subsection, a change in status shall only include the following events or other events permitted by Treasury regulations: (1) Legal Marital Status: events that change a Participant's legal marital status, including marriage, divorce, death of a spouse, legal separation or annulment; (2) Number of Dependents: Events that change a Participant's number of dependents, including birth, adoption, placement for adoption, or death of a dependent; (3) Employment Status: Any of the following events that change the employment status of the Participant, spouse, or dependent: termination or commencement of employment, a strike or lockout, commencement or return from an unpaid leave of absence, or a change in worksite. In addition, if the eligibility conditions of this Plan or other employee benefit plan of the City of the Participant, spouse, or dependent depend on the employment status of that individual and there is a change in that individual's employment status with the consequence that the individual becomes (or ceases to be) eligible under the plan, then that change constitutes a change in employment under this subsection; 10