Birth or Adoption of a Child

When you welcome a new child into the family, or a child becomes eligible for coverage, you can add that child to certain benefits without waiting until the next annual Open Enrollment period. These life events include:

• Birth, adoption, placement for adoption or legal custody of a child (including foster care and guardianship). You cannot cover a sibling of the employee or sibling of a registered domestic partner.
• Change in your child care costs or provider

*Benefits discussed here are governed by the plan contracts and policies, Stanford policies and applicable state and federal laws. If there is a conflict between the wording of this information and any policy, contract or law, the contracts, policies and applicable laws govern. We reserve the right to alter, amend or terminate any of the benefits described in our communications at any time. 

*Eligibility and Benefits for mothers and newborns:

Please note: The Educated Choices Flexible Benefit Program (the “Plan”) governs who is eligible to participate in the Plan and what benefits are available to participants.  Any questions regarding eligibility, enrollment, or covered services should be directed to the UHR Service Team.  Only Stanford University or its authorized representatives have the authority to interpret the provisions of the Plan. The Plan is governed by the federal law known as ERISA and, therefore, its self-funded benefit programs are not subject to any state insurance laws, including statutes and regulations related to benefits offered under the Plan. 

If you or your covered spouse or covered domestic partner give birth or adopt a child, both the Plan and federal law provide a 31-day period from the qualifying life event (QLE) date to enroll the newborn child or adopted child in the Plan. For example, if your child is born on April 3 and you contact Stanford via our My Benefits Portal or UHR Service Team on May 1 to enroll the child in the Plan and confirm the election, your child’s coverage will be effective as of April 3 since the enrollment occurred within 31 days of the birth. This means that any benefits available under the Plan, including those required by the Newborns’ and Mothers’ Health Protection Act (“NMHPA”), will be provided for your child only if your child is enrolled in the Plan as of the date of the child’s birth or adoption. Failure to enroll your child during the 31-day period will result in denial of any claims for benefits provided under the Plan, including under the NMHPA. These rules apply equally to enrollees in the self-funded Aetna medical plans or the fully-insured Kaiser medical plans available under the Plan, all of which comply with the benefits required to be provided to mothers and newborn children under the NMHPA.

Also, keep in mind that babies born at Kaiser cannot be added to a non-Kaiser plan and babies born at non-Kaiser facilities cannot be added to Kaiser plans per the QLE as the newborn's services will not be covered. The baby needs to be added to the same plan as the mother or to a similar plan that includes the facility within their network.

Important Reminders

1. Submit document(s) to verify dependent eligibility

Within 31 days of your life event, submit your documentation via the upload feature in My Benefits or fax to 866-539-0431. If documentation is not received, your dependents coverage will be canceled retroactive to the date of the life event.

Learn about dependent eligibility documentation requirements

2. Review your beneficiary designation

Log into My Benefits to review and update your beneficiary designation.

3. Prepare to Return to Work

You may want to review the Maternity & Expectant Parents page on the WorkLife website, which includes resources for child care and emergency and back-up care, financial assistance and workshops such as  BABBLE: Back After Baby Bonding Leave Ends.