Changing Your Insurance/Life Events:

  • People get married, have babies, get divorced or change jobs and may need to change their benefit elections during the year.  According to IRS regulations, you cannot change your benefit elections during the year unless you experience a qualified change in status, or life event.

    What are Examples of Qualifying Life Events?

    Family with newborn child

    A Change in Your Household Size:

    • Getting married
    • Having a baby
    • Adopting a child
    • Death of a family member

    Losing Your Health Coverage:

    • You or your dependent lose job-based coverage for any reason
    • Expiration of COBRA coverage
    • Getting divorced
    • You or your dependent lose eligibility for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

    A Change in Circumstance: 

    • You or your spouse start or end an unpaid leave of absence
    • You or your spouse gain coverage through an employer or State sponsored plan (Medicare, Medicaid)

    Under IRS regulations, you cannot change your benefit election during the year unless you experience a life event.  Changes must be consistent with and correspond to the life event.  To make a change, you must submit an Enrollment & Change form to Risk Management within 31 days of the life event.  Supporting documentation is required. Changes are effective the first of the month following the life event AND receipt of the paperwork in Risk Management. 

    Additional Forms and Links:

    2025 Enrollment and Change Form
    2024 Enrollment and Change Form
    Getting Divorced  
    Getting Married
    Leaving Pinellas County Schools
    Losing a Loved One     

     For more information, please contact the Benefits Team at 727-588-6197.