Change your coverage

Before you make a change

Before you make a change it is important to:

• Make sure the health plan is available in your area.
• Check the plan’s provider directory or contact your plan to make sure your provider is in the plan’s network.
• Compare monthly plan costs (premiums).
• Compare benefits and your costs for care (deductibles, coinsurance, and/or copays.)

Other plan change requirements

• You can only change medical or dental plans during open enrollment or if a special open enrollment event occurs.
• All eligible dependents must enroll in the same plan, with some exceptions. Dependents can have different providers.
• You may be enrolled in only one PEBB medical or dental plan. If you and your spouse or state-registered domestic partner are both eligible subscribers, you need to choose which of you will cover yourselves and your eligible children (including adult children who are also eligible for PEBB benefits as an employee). Enrolled dependents will be listed on one account, not both.

How do I change my address?

There are several ways to notify us of your address change:

• Send us a secure message. You need to set up an account to protect your privacy and sensitive health information. By using our secure messaging system we can ensure that your data is safeguarded.
• Use the Retiree Change Form (form E).
• Fax to 1-360-725-0771.
• Mail us a written request with your new name or address.
• Call us at 1-800-200-1004 (TRS: 711).

What other changes can I make?

Changes you can make during open enrollment

Our annual open enrollment is held in the fall. To make any of the changes below, we must receive the required forms no later than the last day of open enrollment. The change will become effective January 1 of the next year.

• Change medical or dental plans.
• Add dental coverage.
• Enroll or remove eligible dependents.
• Defer your PEBB retiree insurance coverage.
• Cancel your PEBB retiree insurance coverage.
• Enroll in a retiree health plan if you deferred (postponed) coverage in the past.
  Note: You must provide proof of continuous enrollment in one or more qualifying medical coverages to return to a PEBB retiree health plan after a deferral. Starting January 1, 2022, a gap in coverage of 31 days or less is allowed between the date you defer your PEBB retiree insurance coverage and the start date of a qualified coverage, and between each qualified coverage. We encourage you to collect proof of coverage annually and keep a file to provide to the PEBB Program in the event you want to return in the future.

Changes you can make at any time

You can make some changes during the year without a special open enrollment event. Use the Retiree Change Form (form E) to report the change, unless otherwise noted.

• Change your or a dependent's tobacco use premium surcharge attestation. Use the PEBB Premium Surcharge Attestation Change form or log in to PEBB My Account.
• Cancel or defer (postpone) your PEBB retiree insurance coverage.
• Remove a dependent from your PEBB retiree insurance coverage.
• Change your retiree term life insurance beneficiary information. Use the MetLife Beneficiary Designation form, or call MetLife at 1-866-548-7139.
• Apply for, cancel, or change auto and home insurance coverage.
• Start, stop, or change your contribution to your health savings account (HSA). UMP members, call 1-844-351-6853 (TRS: 711). Kaiser Permanente members, call 1-877-873-8823 (TRS: 711).
• Change your HSA beneficiary information. Use the Health Savings Account Beneficiary Designation form.

When do changes take effective?

In most cases, the change will occur the first day of the month after the date of the event or the date the we receive your forms, whichever is later. If that day is the first of the month, the enrollment change begins on that day.

Exceptions

• Medicare Advantage plans. Start the first of the month after we receive your forms, per federal rules.
• Arrival of a child (a newborn, adopted child, or a child you are legally required to support ahead of adoption). PEBB benefits will start or end as follows:
  • A newborn child, PEBB health plan coverage will start on the date of birth.
  • A newly adopted child, PEBB health plan coverage will start on the date of placement or the date you assume legal responsibility for their support ahead of adoption, whichever is earlier.
  • Enrolling a spouse or SRDP because of a birth or adoption, PEBB health plan coverage will start the first day of the month in which the event occurs. The spouse or partner will be removed from health plan coverage the last day of the month in which the event occurred.
  • If the special open enrollment is due to a child becoming eligible as an extended dependent or a dependent child with a disability, PEBB health plan coverage will start the first day of the month following either the event date or the date we confirm their eligibility, whichever is later.