Washington Administrative Code › Title 182 - Health Care Authority › PUBLIC EMPLOYEES BENEFITS BOARD (PEBB) PROGRAM › Chapter 182-08 - Procedures › Section 182-08-197 - When must a newly eligible employee, or an employee who regains eligibility for the employer contribution, elect public employees benefits board (PEBB) benefits and complete required forms?

Current through Register Vol. 24-14, July 15, 2024
An employee who is newly eligible or who regains eligibility
				  for the employer contribution toward public employees benefits board (PEBB)
				  benefits enrolls as described in this section.
(1) When an employee is newly eligible for
				PEBB benefits:
(a) An employee must complete
				the required forms indicating their enrollment elections, including an election
				to waive enrollment provided the employee is eligible to waive as described in
				WAC 182-12-128. The required forms
				must be returned to the employee's employing agency or contracted vendor. Their
				employing agency or contracted vendor must receive the forms no later than 31
				days after the employee becomes eligible for PEBB benefits under WAC
				182-12-114.
(i) An employee may enroll in supplemental
				life insurance up to the guaranteed issue coverage amount without evidence of
				insurability if the required forms are returned to the employee's employing
				agency or contracted vendor as required. An employee may apply for enrollment
				in supplemental life insurance over the guaranteed issue coverage amount at any
				time during the calendar year by submitting the required form to the contracted
				vendor for approval. For an employee who requests a change in their
				supplemental life insurance after the election period described in this
				subsection, the change begins the first day of the month following the date the
				contracted vendor approves the request. An employee may enroll in supplemental
				accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance at any time during the
				calendar year without evidence of insurability by submitting the required form
				to the contracted vendor.
(ii)
				Employees are enrolled in employee-paid long-term disability (LTD) insurance
				automatically. An employee may elect to reduce their employee-paid LTD
				insurance or decline their employee-paid LTD insurance by returning the form to
				their employing agency. An employee may apply for a change in their
				employee-paid LTD insurance at any time during the calendar year by submitting
				the required form to their employing agency or the contracted vendor. For an
				employee who requests a change in their employee-paid LTD insurance after the
				election period described in this subsection, the change begins the first day
				of the month following the date the employing agency receives the required form
				requesting to reduce or decline the employee-paid LTD insurance, or the day of
				the month the contracted vendor approves the required form to increase the
				employee-paid LTD insurance.
(iii)
				If an employee is eligible to participate in the salary reduction plan (see WAC
				182-12-116), the employee will
				automatically enroll in the premium payment plan upon enrollment in PEBB
				medical allowing medical premiums to be taken on a pretax basis. To opt out of
				the premium payment plan, a new employee must complete the required form and
				return it to their state agency. The form must be received by their state
				agency no later than 31 days after the employee becomes eligible for PEBB
				benefits.
(iv) If an employee is
				eligible to participate in the salary reduction plan (see WAC
				182-12-116), the employee may
				enroll in the state's medical flexible spending arrangement (FSA) , limited
				purpose FSA, dependent care assistance program (DCAP), or both an FSA and DCAP,
				except as limited by subsection (4) of this section. To enroll in these PEBB
				benefits, the employee must return the required form to their state agency. The
				form must be received by the state agency no later than 31 days after the
				employee becomes eligible for PEBB benefits.