Qualifying Life Event (QLE)

Regarding health insurance, a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) is a change in situation (such as getting married or divorced, a change in residence, or a job loss) that makes a person eligible to enroll in health insurance outside the yearly Open Enrollment Period.

What Is a Qualifying Life Event for Health Insurance?

A Qualifying Event for health insurance purposes is a major event that affects a person’s health insurance needs, and qualifies that person to make changes or buy a health plan immediately, even if it’s outside of open enrollment dates.

Generally, Special Enrollment lasts 30 days before or after the qualifying event and allows an individual to immediately make plan changes or sign up for new coverage.

What Is a Qualifying Life Event?

An event that makes someone eligible for a health insurance Special Enrollment Period rather than waiting for an Open Enrollment Period is called a Qualifying Life Event.

There are four categories of qualifying life events:

1. Loss of health insurance
2. Changes in household
3. Changes in residence
4. Other qualifying changes

Loss of Health Insurance

• Turning 26 years old and losing coverage through a parent’s insurance plan
• Losing job-based coverage, COBRA, or a student plan
• Losing eligibility for Medicare, Medicaid, or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
• Losing health insurance for any reason other than not paying the premiums

Changes in Household

• Getting married, separated, or divorced
• Having a baby, adopting a child, or receiving a foster child
• The death of someone on your health insurance policy

How do I report a Qualified Life Event?

You can report a Qualified Life Event directly in the Employee Portal. The Advanstaff Employee Benefits Department may contact you for additional documentation as the carrier requires.

To get started

1. Log in to the Employee Portal
2. Locate the “Life Events” tile on the default dashboard
3. Follow the instructions