The choices you make during Open Enrollment remain in effect for the entire year (January 1 – December 31). In order to make changes to your healthcare elections during the year, you must have a qualified family status change. Qualified family status changes allow you to add or drop dependents or change your level of coverage. Qualified change events must be reported to Empyrean within 31 days of the date of event

Important: If you do not notify Empyrean Benefits Administrator within 31 days of the qualifying event, you will need to wait until the next open enrollment period.

A qualified change in status is an event that affects eligibility for you and/or your dependents under the California Times benefit program and can include any of the following events:

• Your marriage;
• Entering into a domestic partner relationship;
• The birth, adoption, or legal guardianship of a child;
• You and/or your covered dependents gain other benefits coverage;
• You and/or your eligible dependents losing other benefits coverage;
• Your legal separation or divorce;
• Ending a domestic partner relationship;
• Your dependent child losing eligibility for California Times benefits coverage;
• The death of a covered family member;
• You move out of a medical or dental service area; or
• A change in dependent care providers or fees

The change to your benefit election(s) must be consistent with your change in status.