Making Benefit Changes

Requesting a Change to Benefit Elections During the Plan Year

If you would like to make a change to your Health, Dental, Vision, Dependent Life, Spouse Life, or Flex Spending Account elections, you have 30 days from the date of a Qualified Change in Status to make the change. Please review and follow the steps below to request and complete a change in coverage. You must have the documents identified to verify the eligibility of your dependent to enroll in any of the Travis County benefits.

Step 1
Complete the Travis County Benefit Change Form and sign and date it

Step 2
Attach documentation verifying the Qualified Change in Status. (i.e. marriage certificate if adding a spouse due to marriage, birth certificate for a newborn, proof of gain or loss of coverage with effective date, etc.)

Step 3
If adding a dependent to coverage, attach documentation verifying dependent status. The dependent documentation requirements are listed on the Chart of Characteristics and Documentation Required to Enroll a Dependent by Category

Step 4
Return all documents to the Travis County HRMD Benefits department by inter-office mail, fax at (512) 854-6677 or by email to Benefits Team. 

Qualifying Event Information

Below is a list of Qualifying Events that may allow for a change to benefit elections during the plan year. If you have any question regarding the events or would like additional information please call the Travis County HRMD Benefit Line at (512) 854-0404.

Adding Dependents

  • Employee’s marriage or adding a Domestic Partner
  • Birth or adoption of a dependent child
  • Significant employer or carrier initiated changes in, or cancellation of, the employee’s, spouse’s or dependent child’s coverage
  • Change in employee’s, spouse’s or dependent child’s employment status that affects benefit eligibility, such as leave without pay, or benefit eligibility with current employer

 Terminating Dependents

  • Child becoming ineligible for coverage due to reaching age 26
  • Divorce or death of employee’s spouse
  • Death of a dependent child
  • Changes in the employee’s, spouse’s or a dependent child’s residence that would affect eligibility for coverage
  • Employee’s receipt of a qualified medical child support order or letter from the Attorney General ordering the employee to provide (or allowing the employee to drop) medical coverage for a child 
  • Changes made by a spouse or dependent child during his/her annual benefit/insurance enrollment period with another employer
  • The employee, spouse or dependent child becoming eligible or ineligible for Medicare or Medicaid
  • Change in day care costs due to a change in provider, change in provider’s fees (if the provider is not a relative) or change in the number of hours the child needs day care (for Dependent Day Care Spending Accounts)
  • The employee or dependent child loses coverage under the state Medicaid or child health plan or becomes eligible for premium assistance under the Medicaid or child health plan (60 day qualifying event reason)

Dependent Documentation Requirements

If you are adding a dependent for the first time to coverage then documentation verifying the dependent status must also be submitted to HRMD. Please refer to the Chart of Characteristics and Documentation Required to Enroll a Dependent by Category form for the list of dependent documentation requirements. Dependents cannot be enrolled unless documentation has been submitted to HRMD Benefits.