Health & Well-Being Introductory Information

A Qualified Status Change is an event that allows you to make changes to your benefits outside the annual open enrollment period. Benefit changes that are made as a result of a status change must be consistent with the status change and must be made within 31 days from the date the event occurred, if you want to change coverage.

A Qualified Status Change can be processed by your HR representative if:

You gain or lose a dependent through birth, adoption, marriage, or divorce

You lose a dependent through death;

Your spouse or dependent is no longer eligible, or is newly eligible, for coverage under Cooper's benefit program;

Your spouse's or dependent's eligibility for benefits through his or her employer changes;

Your employment status changes from benefits eligible to ineligible, or vice versa; or

You or your dependent becomes entitled to Medicare or Medicaid.