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In response to COVID‑19, the Department of Labor and the IRS have announced that large group (51+) customers have the opportunity to offer a mid‑year special enrollment period (SEP) to employees.
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This enrollment period is available to fully insured and self‑funded customers with 51 or more employees, and is available to:
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- Employees who are currently enrolled in an Independence plan
- Employees who did not previously enroll in an Independence plan, including those actively at work or on a temporary layoff/furlough
- Dependents of a covered employee who were not previously enrolled in the plan
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Please note:
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- Employees who can no longer afford dependent coverage due to temporary layoff/furlough or reduced hours may remove dependents from the plan
- Employees who are currently enrolled with Independence may move into a lower cost plan, but may not upgrade during this SEP
- Employers are responsible for ensuring that all changes are subject to applicable requirements, including but not limited to permitted election changes
- If a customer or member elects to downgrade coverage, Independence will carry over out‑of‑pocket costs incurred by member(s) under the old plan to a downgraded benefit plan as long as they stay within the same plan type, for example moving from HMO to HMO, or PPO to PPO
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The Special Enrollment Period is limited to a two‑week period and must end prior to September 30, 2020. Customers can submit associated enrollment changes through their normal enrollment channel (employer portal, EDI, etc.).
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