County of Summit employees working 30 or more hours per week are entitled to health benefits on their date of hire.

Newly hired benefit eligible employees will receive a benefit enrollment email with a link and password information to the benefit system, BenXpress. New hires must enroll or waive County of Summit health within 30 days of their benefit eligibility date. Please refer to the plan year Insurance Benefits menu tab for plan and rate information. Benefit coverage is retroactive to your hire date, and you will be responsible for paying premiums for the retroactive period.

If you are enrolling dependents (spouse or child) for the first time, you must upload the required dependent documentation during the enrollment process while making your benefit elections. If the required documentation is not submitted within the 30-day eligibility period, your dependent(s) will not be covered.

ELIGIBILITY AND REQUIRED DOCUMENTS

Employee/Spouse

• Copy of Marriage License (Legal Copy)
• Copy of Divorce Decree (if applicable)/Separation Agreement

Child

• Legible copy of birth certificate (not proof of birth letter) listing employees name
• Copy of adoption or guardianship papers listing employee and child (if applicable)

Step-Child

• Legible copy of birth certificate showing one or both parent’s name.
• ​Copy of a valid court order showing who is responsible for providing healthcare coverage with one or both parent’s name.

Please note: In addition to the birth certificate court order you must be able to prove the employee/step-child relationship (a valid birth certificate along with a valid marriage certificate listing both employee and spouse would prove the employee is tied to the step-child). Federal law allows eligible dependent married or unmarried children to be covered until they reach age 26. 

YOU MUST REPORT ALL CHANGES IN FAMILY STATUS TO THE DIVISION OF EMPLOYEE BENEFITS, insurance@summitoh.net  WTITHIN 30 DAYS OF THE EVENT. Failure to report changes in a timely manner may result in delay, denial of coverage, or the loss of the option to exercise COBRA continuation.

Once your Qualifying Life Event (QLE) documentation is emailed and reviewed by the Division of Employee Benefits, an event is created in the benefit system, and you will receive an email prompting you to complete the enrollment process in BenXpress. Benefit coverage is retroactive to the date of the event (e.g., date of birth, marriage, divorce), and you will be responsible for paying premiums for the retroactive period.

If you are enrolling dependents (spouse and/or child(ren)) for the first time, you must upload the required dependent documentation during the QLE enrollment process while making your benefit elections. If the dependent documentation is not submitted and approved within the 30-day eligibility period, your dependent(s) will not be covered.

QUALIFYING LIFE EVENTS

Marriage

• Addition of spouse and stepchildren. You must notify your Benefit Coordinator or email a copy of your marriage abstract/certificate (legal copy) to insurance@summitoh.net within 30 days of the event. If you plan to add a stepchild(ren) to your plan, you must also upload the required dependent documentation within 30 days of the event. Remember to review your beneficiaries!  

Divorce/Legal Separation

• Removal of spouse and stepchildren. You must notify your Benefit Coordinator or email a copy of the divorce/separation agreement to the Division of Employee Benefits, insurance@summitoh.net,  within 30 days when there is a change in martial or relationship status, such as, in the case of divorce, dissolution, or legal separation. Remember to review your beneficiaries!  

Birth/Adoption of a Child

• Addition of a child. You must notify your Benefit Coordinator or email the Division of Employee Benefits stating the date of birth to insurance@summitoh.net,  within 30 days of the birth or adoption of a child to ensure your dependent is added to your plan. Rember to review your beneficiaries!

Loss/Gain of Health Coverage

• Losing existing or gaining health coverage, including job-based, individual, student plans, eligibility for Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP. You must notify your Benefit Coordinator or email the Division of Employee Benefits Department documentation stating the date of loss/gain of coverage to insurance@summitoh.net,  within 30 days of the gain/loss of coverage and submit documentation with the date of loss/gain of coverage.

10% Increase or Decrease in Salary

• When an employee experiences a salary increase or decrease of 10% or more, it is considered a QLE. The benefit system automatically generates an email notification to the employee, prompting employees to complete the event.