Advocate Health Care
Benefits
Domestic Partners

 
Resources    Forms   

Dental HMO    Dental HMO Copayment Schedule    MetLife PDP    MetLife Dental ID CARD    Rates   
Disability Certification    Disability Council    Eligibility Requirements    Long Term Disability Plan    Restricted Duty    Short Term Disability Plan    Social Security Disability Benefits   Vocational Rehabilitation Services   
Dependent Coverage    Eligibility    Enrollment Process    Estimated Imputed Income Chart    Paying for Benefits   
Account Rules    Eligible Dependent Day Care Expenses    Eligible Health Care Expenses    Reimbursement Process    Tax Advantages   
ActiveHealth®    Healthe Actions    Healthe Eating    Healthe Breathing    Healthe Care    HealthMedia    Healthe TRENDS    Know Your Numbers    Questions & Answers   
FAQs  
Special Features    Beneficiaries    Optional AD&D Insurance    Optional Life Insurance   
HDHP   HMO   HMO Physician Search   HSA   Medicare Part D   Non-Duplication of Benefits   PPO   PPO/HDHP Covered Services   PPO Physician Search   Rates   Woman's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998  
PTO Sharing/Donation  
Auto and Homeowners' Insurance    Long Term Care Insurance    Universal Life Insurance   
Retirement Savings Plan    Portable Pension Plan   
Primary Benefits   Secondary Benefits   Rates  

   expand  |  collapse

   

Enrollment Process
To enroll your domestic partner for Advocate benefits, you need to contact Advocate InfoExpress and add your domestic partner as you would any other dependent under the benefit plans. If you aren't a new hire or newly benefits-eligible, you'll need to provide a qualifying event date. You and your domestic partner will need to complete and return a notarized copy of the Affidavit of Domestic Partnership form along with two valid proofs of eligibility as described on the affidavit. No other special documentation of your domestic partnership is required by Advocate but may be required by the insurance carriers. Coverage will be effective as of the date of the qualifying event.

Please note that Advocate relies on your commitment to provide the notarized affidavit and required documentation when you enroll your domestic partner for coverage under the plans. Payroll deductions will start, and coverage is effective back to the date of the qualifying event. If you don't return the notarized affidavit and required documentation within 45 days of your enrollment, or if the documentation you provide doesn't meet the requirements as outlined in the affidavit, domestic partner coverage will be revoked and no refunds will be made. Your next opportunity to enroll your domestic partner for coverage under the plans will be during the upcoming Annual Enrollment period.

Eligible life events and domestic partnerships
Benefit elections that you make during Annual Enrollment are generally effective throughout the upcoming calendar year (January 1 through December 31). Because of the tax advantages available through the Advocate benefits program, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) limits your ability to make benefit coverage changes during the year.

You may change certain benefits immediately during the year only if you have a qualified work, family or eligible life status change. With regard to your domestic partnership, the following will be considered qualified events:

Filing and approval of an Affidavit of Domestic Partnership
Ending your domestic partnership by filing a Statement of Termination of Domestic Partnership.
Change in your domestic partner's employment status or eligibility for benefits, or
Death of your domestic partner.

Any change must be requested within 30 days of the date of your qualified life event. Also, the change must be consistent with the event. The change will generally take effect as of the date the status change occurred if you notify Advocate InfoExpress of the status change within 30 days of the event. You must submit any required documents to support such change within 45 days of the event date. If you do not notify Advocate InfoExpress within 30 days of the event, but do so within 90 days of the event, the effective date of your coverage change will be as of the date you call Advocate InfoExpress. You must submit any required documents to support the change within 45 days of such notice. Generally, if you do not notify Advocate InfoExpress of the change within 90 days of the event, you will have to wait until the next Annual Enrollment period to change your coverage.

Health care continuation coverage
Advocate’s health care continuation coverage allows you and your eligible dependents to continue group health care coverage after your employment with Advocate ends, if you pay for the full cost of the continuing coverage.

Technically, health care continuation coverage doesn't have to be offered to your domestic partner. However, Advocate will offer the option to continue benefits. You'd have the same options to continue coverage for your domestic partner as you would for a spouse or other dependent. The coverage would be in effect from the date of your eligible event.

If the event is the dissolution of your domestic partnership, you will need to provide documentation to the Domestic Partner Benefits Administrator for your domestic partner to be extended health care continuation coverage.