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Change your coverage

Learn the requirements to make changes to your PEBB retiree insurance 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.)

What changes can I make any time?

There are some changes you can make any time during the year outside of the PEBB Program’s annual open enrollment and without a special open enrollment event.

Change your name and address. Use the Retiree Change Form (form E). You can also fax to 360-725-0771 or mail the PEBB Program a written request with your new name or address, or call the PEBB Program at 1-800-200-1004.
Remove an eligible covered dependent from your PEBB retiree insurance coverage. Use the Retiree Change Form (form E) and any other required forms required.
Remove dependents from coverage due to loss of eligibility (required) due to divorce, annulment, dissolution, or a qualifying event of a dependent ceasing to be eligible as a dependent child. The PEBB Program must receive the Retiree Change Form (form E) and any other required forms within 60 days of the last day of the month the dependent loses eligibility for health plan coverage.
Cancel (terminate) or defer (postpone) your PEBB retiree insurance coverage. Use the Retiree Change Form (form E) and any other required forms.
Change your retiree term life insurance beneficiary information. Use the MetLife Beneficiary Designation form, or contact MetLife at 1-866-548-7139.
Apply for, cancel (terminate), or change auto or home insurance coverage. See the Auto and home insurance page for details.
Start, stop, or change your contribution to your health savings account (HSA). Contact HealthEquity toll-free at 1-877-873-8823 to do this.
Change your HSA beneficiary information. Use the Health Savings Account Beneficiary Designation form.
Change your or a dependent's tobacco use premium surcharge attestation. Use the PEBB Premium Surcharge Attestation Change form or log into PEBB My Account.

Plan change requirements

You can only change medical or dental plans during the PEBB Program's annual open enrollment (November 1–30) of if you have a special open enrollment event that allows a health plan change.
All eligible dependents must enroll in the same health plan, with some exceptions. (Dependents can have different providers.)
If you have a provider you want to stay with, contact the new plan or check the plan’s provider directory to make sure your provider is in the plan’s network.
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.

What is a special open enrollment?

The PEBB Program allows changes outside of the PEBB Program’s annual open enrollment when certain events create a special open enrollment. The change in enrollment must be allowable under the Internal Revenue Code and Treasury Regulations, and correspond to and be consistent with the event that creates the special open enrollment for you, your dependents, or both. You must provide proof of the event that created the special open enrollment (for example, a marriage or birth certificate).

What change may be allowed as a special open enrollment?

If this event happens...	Enroll dependent	Change medical plan	Change dental plan
Marriage, registering a domestic partnership (as defined by WAC 182-12-109), birth, adoption, including assuming legal responsibility for support ahead of adoption.	Yes	Yes	Yes
Child becomes eligible as an extended dependent through legal custody or legal guardianship.	Yes	Yes	Yes
Subscriber or dependent loses eligibility for other coverage under a group health plan or through health insurance, as defined by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).	Yes	Yes	Yes
Subscriber has a change in employment status that affects their eligibility for the employer contribution toward their employer-based group health plan.	Yes	Yes	Yes
Subscriber's dependent has a change in their own employment status that affects their eligibility for the employer contribution under their employer-based group health plan. (“Employer contribution” means contributions made by the dependent’s current or former employer toward health coverage, as described in Treasury Regulation 54.9801-6.)	Yes	Yes	Yes
A court order requires the subscriber or any other individual to provide insurance coverage for an eligible dependent.	Yes	Yes	Yes
Subscriber or a subscriber’s dependent enrolls in coverage under Medicaid or a state Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or loses eligibility for coverage under Medicaid or CHIP.	Yes	Yes	Yes
Subscriber or a dependent becomes eligible for a state premium assistance subsidy for PEBB health plan coverage from Medicaid or CHIP.	Yes	Yes	Yes
Subscriber or dependent has a change in enrollment under another employer-based group health insurance plan during its annual open enrollment that does not align with the PEBB Program’s annual open enrollment.	Yes	No	No
Subscriber’s dependent moves from another country to live within the United States, or from the United States to another country, and that change in residence resulted in the dependent losing their health insurance.	Yes	No	No
Subscriber or dependent has a change in residence that affects health plan availability.	No	Yes	Yes
Subscriber or dependent experiences a disruption of care for active and ongoing treatment that could function as a reduction in benefits for the subscriber or their dependent (requires approval by the PEBB Program)	No	Yes	Yes
Subscriber or dependent enrolls in Medicare or loses eligibility under Medicare; or enrolls (or cancels enrollment) in a Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug plan or a Medicare Part D plan.	No	Yes	No
Subscriber’s current medical plan becomes unavailable because the subscriber or subscriber’s dependent is no longer eligible for a health savings account (HSA).	No	Yes	Yes

For more details, see PEBB Program Administrative Policy Addendum 45-2A and refer to Washington Administrative Code (WAC) sections:

WAC 182-08-198: When may a subscriber change health plans?
WAC 182-12-205: May a retiree or survivor defer enrollment or voluntarily terminate enrollment under PEBB retiree insurance coverage?
WAC 182-12-262: When may subscribers enroll or remove eligible dependents?

How do I make a change when a special open enrollment event occurs?

The PEBB Program must receive the Retiree Change Form (form E) and any other required forms along with proof of the event that created the special open enrollment no later than 60 days after the event that created the special open enrollment. However, if adding a newborn, newly adopted child, or child for whom the employee has assumed a legal obligation for total or partial support in anticipation of adoption, the subscriber should submit the required forms to the PEBB Program as soon as possible. If adding the child increases your premium, the PEBB Program must receive this form no later than 60 days after the date of birth, adoption, or the date the legal obligation is assumed for total or partial support in anticipation of adoption.

If you are changing your medical plan to Premera Blue Cross Medicare Supplement Plan G due to you or your dependent enrolling in Medicare Part A and Part B, the PEBB Program must receive the required forms no later than six months after you or your dependent enroll in Medicare Part B. If you are changing your medical plan to a Medicare Advantage or Medicare Advantage-Prescription Drug (MAPD) plan, you have seven months to enroll that begins three months before you or your dependent first enrolled in both Medicare Part A and Part B and ends three months after the month of Medicare eligibility, or before their last day of the Medicare Part B initial enrollment period. The PEBB Program must receive Form E and the Medicare Advantage Plan Election Form (form C) no later than the last day of the month prior to the month you or your dependent enrolls in the Medicare Advantage or MAPD plan.

If you are changing from a Medicare Advantage Plan, also include a Medicare Advantage Plan Disenrollment form (Form D).

See PEBB Program Administrative Policy Addendum 45-2A for a list of special open enrollment events.
In most cases, the change will occur the first day of the month after the date of the event or the date the PEBB Program receives your required, completed enrollment forms, whichever is later. If that day is the first of the month, the enrollment change begins on that date. One exception is Medicare Advantage plans, which start the first of the month after the PEBB Program receives your required forms, per federal regulations. Other exceptions apply.

Note: Retiree subscribers may voluntarily remove an eligible dependent from insurance coverage any time during the year.

What changes can I make during the PEBB Program's annual open enrollment?

During open enrollment you can make changes to your PEBB account that will take effect January 1 of the following year.

Change medical and/or dental plans.
Add dental coverage. (If you enroll in a dental plan, you must stay enrolled for two years.)
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 previously deferred (postponed) PEBB retiree insurance coverage for other qualifying medical coverage. Note: You will need to provide proof of continuous enrollment in other qualifying medical coverage. You cannot enroll if there has been a gap in coverage.

To make a change during the PEBB Program’s annual open enrollment

The PEBB Program must receive the required Retiree forms no later than November 30. You may also make some changes using PEBB My Account. The forms for open enrollment are available November 1. The enrollment change will become effective January 1 of the following year.

What changes can I make online using PEBB My Account?

During the PEBB Program’s annual open enrollment you can make some changes online using PEBB My Account. If you cannot make changes online, PEBB My Account will direct you to the correct forms. You can:

Change your medical and dental plans.
Reattest to the spouse or state-registered domestic partner coverage premium surcharge.

Please print or save your confirmation page when you’ve completed your changes. Check back in two business days to verify the coverage you selected and your spousal or state-registered domestic partner coverage premium surcharge attestation is correct.

When you submit an online plan change, please wait two business days to make any additional online plan changes.