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What is a qualifying life event?
A qualifying life event, or a QLE, is designated as a change in your living situation that can make you eligible for a Special Enrollment Period, allowing you to enroll in health insurance outside the yearly open enrollment period. Most QLEs also permit employees to enroll in or increase their FSAs.
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What is considered a qualifying life event?
A qualifying life event can be one of the following:
- Marriage / domestic partnership
- Birth of a child
- Adoption of a child / legal guardianship / foster placement
- Legal separation / divorce
- Death in the family
- Employee turns 26 (and loses prior coverage under parent’s/guardian’s plan)
- Move to a new location (not always applicable depending on the new location, as most of our plans are national)
- Involuntary loss of previous coverage
- Member becomes a US citizen or gains permanent resident status
- International address change to or from the US
When can I add or remove dependents from my plan?
You can add or remove dependents during two windows:
- Open Enrollment for the new plan year
- Within 30 days of a Qualifying Life Event (QLE).
Open Enrollment changes take effect on the new plan year start date shown in your Justworks account. QLE changes typically take effect on the first of the month following your QLE date once documentation is approved (newborns are a common exception; see Effective Dates section at the bottom of this article).
How long do I have to submit a QLE?
When you have a qualifying life event, you can make updates to your benefits coverage by submitting proof of the QLE as soon as possible — in most cases, within 30 days of the event. We recommend not waiting, as submitting early ensures your coverage changes can be processed without delay.
Otherwise, all changes must happen during your company’s open enrollment period.
In most instances, coverage will begin on the first of the following month. For example, if you had a baby on May 15th and wanted to add your child to your plans, their coverage under Justworks would be effective as of June 1st.
If you’re getting married or entering a domestic partnership, your new coverage will start on the 1st of the following month. For example, if you made it official on May 15th and wanted to add your partner to your plans, their coverage under Justworks would be effective as of June 1st.
If you're dropping coverage it will end at the end of the month.
QLE documentation guide: What to submit and what we cannot accept
We cannot accept: employer or HR letters, benefit summary pages, ID cards, screenshots from portals or emails, letters from third‑party administrators unless issued on the insurance carrier’s letterhead. For dental and vision specifically, we require HIPAA‑compliant letters issued directly by those carriers, not by providers or clinics.
If you’re removing a spouse or dependents because they gained new coverage, the proof must come from their new carrier. If your documentation will arrive after your QLE window closes, contact support@justworks.com as soon as possible to discuss options; exceptions are not guaranteed but may be reviewed.
Generally speaking, the documentation we'll need for each QLE and requested change is as follows:
| Qualifying Life Event | Desired Change | Eligible changes for FSA/DCFSA | Documentation Required to Make Change |
|
Birth of Child |
Enroll in or change coverage for myself and/or any new dependents | Enroll in or increase FSA/DCFSA | A birth certificate, a hospital record of birth, or a certificate of live birth that you’ll need to change your health insurance plans. All of these can be acquired from the hospital where your child was born. |
| Adoption of Child / Legal Guardianship / Foster Placement | Enroll in or change coverage for myself and/or any new dependents | Enroll in or increase FSA/DCFSA | Welcoming a new addition to the family? Have your adoption or guardian papers that establish your parental rights of the child ready to change your coverage. |
| Marriage | Enroll in or change coverage for myself, my spouse, and/or any new dependents | Enroll in or increase FSA/DCFSA deferrals | Congratulations newlyweds! You’ll need your marriage certificate from the city clerk’s office to make a change. Remember, this is not your marriage license and can only be obtained after you say “I do.” |
| Marriage | Drop coverage for myself and/or any dependents | Decrease DCFSA* | Switching to your spouse’s insurance? In addition to your marriage certificate, you’ll need proof of coverage from your new insurance carrier with the start date of your coverage. If you’re dropping dependents from your current plan, you’ll need this letter for each one that is being dropped. |
| Divorce |
+Enroll in coverage for myself -Or- +Add dependents to coverage |
Enroll in or increase FSA/DCFSA deferrals | To make these insurance changes, you’ll need a divorce decree obtained from the city clerk’s office, as well as a letter of cancellation from your previous carrier with the last date of coverage. Each person that is affected should have their own letter of cancellation. |
| Divorce | Drop spouse from coverage | Decrease FSA/DCFSA* | If you would like to drop your spouse from your coverage, submit a divorce decree obtained from the city clerk’s office. |
| Divorce | Drop spouse and dependents from coverage | Decrease FSA/DCFSA* | In addition to a divorce decree from the city clerk’s office, you’ll need to provide proof of coverage for each dependent you’re dropping. This letter from their new carrier should include the start date of their plan. |
| Domestic partnership | Enroll in or change coverage for myself, my partner, and/or any new dependents | Enroll in or increase FSA/DCFSA |
Congratulations! If you have a domestic partnership state certificate, then that’s all you need to make a change to your insurance.
If you don’t have this certificate, you’ll need to fill out Justwork’s domestic partnership affidavit and submit three of the following documents:
|
| Domestic partnership | Drop coverage for myself and/or any dependents | Decrease DCFSA* |
Changing coverage to your partner’s? You’ll need a domestic partnership certificate, as well as proof of coverage with your plan’s start date from your new insurance carrier. A separate letter must be provided for each dependent that is dropping coverage from your current plan. If you do not have a domestic partnership certificate, you’ll need to provide 3 of the documents listed above: Justwork’s domestic partnership affidavit and proof of coverage. |
| End of Domestic Partnership | Enroll in or change coverage for myself, and/or any dependents | Enroll in or increase FSA/DCFSA | To make changes to your coverage for this reason, you’ll need to obtain a declaration of termination of domestic partnership, which can be obtained from the city clerk’s office. You’ll also need a letter of cancellation from the previous carrier with the last date of coverage. A separate letter must be provided for each person who will be affected by this change. |
| End of Domestic Partnership | Drop partner from coverage | Decrease FSA/DCFSA* | If you would like to drop your partner from your plan, submit a declaration of termination of domestic partnership. |
| End of Domestic Partnership | Drop partner and/or any dependents from coverage | Decrease FSA/DCFSA* | If you’d like to drop your partner or any dependents from your coverage, you’ll need to obtain a declaration of termination of domestic partnership. For any dependents that are being dropped, provide a letter of proof of coverage from their new insurance carrier with the start date of their plan. A separate letter must be provided for each dependent who will be affected by this change. |
| I or my dependent obtained alternate coverage | Drop coverage for myself and/or any dependents | Decrease FSA/DCFSA* | Leaving a plan? All you need is proof of coverage from the new insurance carrier with the start date of coverage. Each person who is being dropped should have separate proof of coverage. |
| I lost insurance coverage | Add coverage for myself and/or any dependents | Enroll in or increase FSA/DCFSA | Need a plan? Provide a letter of cancellation from the previous carrier with the last date of coverage for each person who needs coverage. |
| My dependent lost insurance coverage | Add coverage for myself and/or any dependents | Enroll in or increase FSA/DCFSA |
Need a plan? Provide a letter of cancellation from the previous carrier with the last date of coverage for each person who needs coverage. Please note: You can only add a dependent who has lost coverage if you are already covered under a Justworks plan or are enrolling yourself in coverage due to a QLE as well. |
|
Loss of COBRA Coverage
|
Add coverage for myself and/or any dependents | Enroll in, or increase, FSA / DCFSA. | Lost COBRA coverage? Provide a letter from your COBRA provider showing the date of involuntary loss of coverage. |
| Change in dependent care cost or coverage | No change available | Enroll, increase, or decrease DCFSA | Documentation from the dependent care provider confirming the change is required. |
| Employee moved internationally | Coverage must be cancelled |
Decrease FSA / DCFSA |
Update your home address to new international address. Your admin should update your employment type to ‘Non-US Employee.’ Once admin makes the employment type update to ‘Non-US Employee,’ benefits will automatically be canceled, |
| Dependent moved internationally | Dependent must be removed from coverage |
Decrease FSA / DCFSA* |
Passport stamp upon entry to outside country, or Visa if applicable — if neither exist, proof of flight itinerary will suffice. Proof of dependent’s international residency (utility bill, lease, notary signed letter, letter from school). |
| International Address Change to US (Employee or Dependent) |
Enroll in coverage Enroll eligible dependents Change plans |
Enroll in, or increase, FSA / DCFSA |
Passport stamp upon entry to US or Visa if applicable (if neither exist, proof of flight itinerary will suffice). Proof of new US residency (utility bill, lease, notary signed letter, letter from school) |
| Member becomes a US citizen or gains permanent resident status | Enroll in coverage | Enroll in or increase FSA/DCFSA | Citizenship or permanent residency documentation. |
*if you experience an applicable qualifying life event and would like to decrease or stop your FSA or DCFSA contributions, you will not be able to lower your election below the amount you have already contributed or used in your account.
Dental and Vision QLE Documentation
Dental and vision changes often require separate proof from the dental and vision carriers. We require HIPAA‑compliant letters issued by the carrier that include the covered person’s name, the type of coverage (Dental or Vision), and the relevant start and/or end dates. Letters from dental or vision providers/clinics, benefit summary pages, ID cards, or screenshots are not acceptable.
If you’re enrolling in or terminating dental or vision due to a QLE, please request the appropriate letter(s) from each carrier and upload them with your QLE submission in Justworks.
If I do have a QLE, how do I update my plans with Justworks?
Large Group Policy Medical, Dental, & Vision Plans QLEs
The steps to submit your Large Group Policy Medical, Dental, and Vision Plans QLE are as follows
- If you’d like to update your plans with Justworks, navigate to the Benefits tab in your account. You’ll see the option to ‘Request a change.’
- You'll then be brought to the “Manage QLEs” tab where you will select “Submit a QLE.” You will be brought to a product details page with more information about QLE’s and helpful resources and you’ll select “Submit a QLE” again.
- Next, you’ll be guided through a single unified flow where you can report your life event, upload supporting documentation, and select your new plan — all in one submission. The next screen will show which documents are required for your QLE type.
-
From there, you'll be able to select your new plan as part of the same submission. You'll also see how much time remains to submit your changes, so it's important to get the proper documentation to us as soon as possible.
Note: We recommend submitting your QLE as soon as possible — in most cases within 30 days of the event.
- Once you submit your change request and attach the relevant documents, you'll see a confirmation page reviewing your request. Our team will review your request and follow up with next steps. For most routine cases, you can expect a response within a day or two.
If your QLE results in a dependent being removed from your plan due to divorce, enrollment in Medicare, or death, that dependent may be eligible to continue coverage through COBRA. You will receive additional information about that.
If you’re unsure if your event qualifies, please reach out to us at support@justworks.com.
Can I make changes to my plans outside of the QLE open enrollment window?
You are not able to make any changes to an elected insurance plan after the effective date of the plan or outside of your QLE open enrollment window. The IRS pre-tax rules govern when changes can be made to health insurance plans. Except in the event of a QLE, the pre-tax rules prohibit changes to an elected insurance plan after the effective date (i.e., elections must be irrevocable for the plan year or the remainder of the current plan year in the case of a newly eligible employee).
Open Market Medical Plan QLE Instructions
Note: If your enrollment is separated between Open Market Medical Plans and Large Group Policy Dental and Vision plans, you will have to submit updates for each plan separately.
To submit your Open Market Medical update, you’ll do so in your Justworks Benefits Center. To submit your Large Group Policy Dental and Vision updates, follow the steps outlined in the previous section.
The steps to submit your Open Market Medical Plan QLE are as follows:
- Navigate to You > Benefits on the left side panel.
- Click the “Request change” button in the top right of the Qualified Life Event box.
- Select the type of QLE and the date the QLE event occurred. i.e., the birth of a baby on 2/4/2026: 2/4/2026 should be entered, not the date when coverage would be effective.
- Select an action for each type of coverage. If you are not actioning on a certain type of coverage, select “No action”.
- Click “Add dependent” to enter your dependent’s information.
- Complete all the Dependent information fields.
- Click “Add dependent”.
- Click “Select Plan” on the plan you’re adding your dependent to.
- Click “Continue”.
- On the “Confirm your Selection” page, you can review and edit any of your selections. When ready, click “Submit” on the right to submit your QLE for review by your plan administrator.
What Happens Next?
- An email confirming this submission will be sent to the email associated with your Justworks account.
- Your company’s benefits administrator is responsible for approving your Open Market Medical Plan-specific QLE. Look out for communication from them, as additional documentation may be required.
Note: Certain carriers require supporting documentation for companies headquartered in MD, NJ, VA, and WV. To comply, Justworks may request proof for any Open Market Qualifying Life Event (QLE) approved in these states. This documentation is required to process enrollment changes with the carriers.
If your coverage through Justworks is ending and you require documentation to submit a QLE to another company or organization please reach out to your insurance carrier directly.
Additional Information
Effective dates
- QLE changes are typically effective the first of the month following your QLE date once documentation is approved.
- Newborns are covered from their date of birth once added.
- They are considered active with your insurance carrier from their date of birth, but they are not added into Justworks until the first of the month following their date of birth and your QLE submission.
- Open Enrollment changes take effect on the new plan year start date shown in your portal.
Confirming dependent coverage:
You can view your elected plans and covered dependents in your Justworks benefits dashboard. If you don’t see updates or you’re unsure whether changes carried over to the next plan year, contact Support for confirmation.
Member IDs and cards
Carriers mail ID cards within about 5–10 business days after the effective date. For the fastest access to your ID number and plan details, use the carrier’s website or mobile app once your enrollment is active.
Disclaimer
This material has been prepared for informational purposes only, and is not intended to provide, and should not be relied on for, legal or tax advice. If you have any legal or tax questions regarding this content or related issues, then you should consult with your professional legal or tax advisor.