Life events and your benefits coverage

June 3, 2018

Life events – What they mean to you and your benefits coverage

In the insurance world, a life event simply means a change in your personal situation that can make you eligible for a special enrolment period in your group health, dental and life benefits plan.

Events, like marriage, the birth of a baby, adoption or legal custody of a child, divorce, the death of a spouse/partner or dependant or a spouse/partner losing benefits coverage, might allow you to enrol, or change your current benefits coverage, providing you do so within a certain time frame (i.e. within 31 days).

For example, a member currently has single coverage and gets married or has a baby. Given this life event, the member can now change their coverage from single to family and add their new dependant to their benefits coverage, providing they do so within 31 days of the wedding, or the birth/adoption of the child.

In another example, a member may have turned down health and/or dental coverage during their enrolment because their spouse/partner had benefits. A few months later, their spouse loses that coverage due to a change in employment, or maybe passes away. This would entitle the member to a special enrolment period where they could add coverage for health and/or dental coverage, so long as the enrolment was completed within the required timeframe of 31 days.

How do you make life event changes to your benefits coverage?

Making life event changes is easier than ever using OTIP’s secure member site.

1. Click Log in on the top-right of the website.
2. Select Health and Dental from the drop-down menu and log in.
3. After you have logged in, click My Benefits.
4. On My Benefits home page, click Enrol/Make Changes in the My Personal Info box.
5. Under the Life Event heading, click on the relevant Life Event (such as Adoption/Legal Custody of a Child, Marriage/Common-Law, or Death of a Dependant).
6. Follow the steps to update or add the requested information.
7. This must be completed within 31 days of the life event (marriage, birth, death, etc.)

What happens if you don’t make the changes within 31 days?

The 31-day window is your special enrolment period for life events. If you miss it, in other words you do not apply for benefits for yourself or an eligible dependant during that time, you are considered to be ‘a late entrant’. This means that you will be required to complete an Application for Insurance and Evidence of Insurability, which determines proof of good health. Therefore, it is critical that you make these important changes within the 31-day timeframe, otherwise coverage may be denied for you and/or your dependant.

OTIP is here to help! If you have questions about qualifying life events, or how to make changes to your benefits coverage, please contact OTIP Benefits Services at 1‑866‑783‑6847.

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The information in this document is provided by OSSTF Benefits for general information only. OSSTF Benefits endeavours to have all information current and accurate. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, or suitability of the information included. All information is subject to change without notice.

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