You are able to change your coverage during a PEBB open enrollment period.  Annual open enrollment occurs each year within October and November. All plan changes made during annual open enrollment become effective on January 1 of the following year. As long as you maintain your eligibility, your coverage remains in effect for an entire calendar year (January 1 through December 31), unless you lose, waive, or defer coverage.

However, you may be able to change health plans when certain life events below occur during the year. The events below may create a special open enrollment opportunity (see WAC 182-08-198):

• You acquire or lose a dependent (i.e., marriage, divorce, birth).
• You or your dependent has a change in place of residence that affects your or your dependent's eligibility, level of benefits, or cost of insurance coverage.
• You or your dependent has a change in employment status that affects your or your dependent's eligibility, level of benefits or cost of insurance coverage.
• You move and a health plan that was not available to you before is available in your new location. You may choose to enroll in the newly available plan.
• A court order requires you to provide coverage for an eligible spouse, Washington State-registered domestic partner, or child and you add the dependent to your coverage.  A former spouse is not an eligible dependent.   
• You are a seasonal employee who is off during the annual open enrollment period. In this case, you may select a new plan when you return to work.
• You retire. You may change health plans at the time you apply for PEBB retiree coverage.
• You or an eligible dependent becomes entitled to Medicare or enrolls in a Medicare Part D Plan.
• You receive formal notice that the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) has determined it is more cost-effective to enroll an eligible dependent in PEBB medical than a medical assistance program.
• When you or your eligible dependents either become eligible or lose eligibility for a state’s premium assistance program under Medicaid or CHIP.

To initiate a plan change under any of the circumstances above, you must contact the personnel, payroll, or benefits office where you work no later than 60 days after the event. Retirees, COBRA, and Leave Without Pay members must notify PEBB. The requested change must match the qualifying event.

If you are a new employee and fail to select a health plan, you will be enrolled in Uniform Medical Plan (and Uniform Dental Plan, if your employer offers PEBB dental coverage) as a single subscriber.