Human Resources & Workforce Diversity
Marriage
What is the impact on your benefits when you marry?
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PERSONNEL RECORDS
You should know. . .
It's important to keep your staff benefits office informed of changes in your name, address, emergency contacts, and marital status. Your staff benefits office can help you make appropriate benefits changes when you marry.
What to do. . .
WISCONSIN RETIREMENT SYSTEM (WRS)
You should know. . .
Your spouse automatically becomes your beneficiary for WRS benefits only if you have never filed a WRS beneficiary designation. Any beneficiary designation that you filed before your marriage remains in effect until you file a new one.
It is very important that your WRS records always carry your correct and latest legal name.
What to do. . .
- Review your current WRS beneficiary designation and update it. You may obtain a new beneficiary designation form on-line.
- Contact your Benefits Office to report a name change to the WRS. Your authorized campus ETF agent must report the change.
You should know. . .
- You may change from single to family health insurance coverage without restriction if an application is received by your staff benefits office within 30 days of your marriage.
-
If your spouse is also a university or state employee
or an annuitant of the State of Wisconsin and eligible
for State Group Health insurance, you may each have
a single coverage or one of you may elect to have
family coverage, which will cover your spouse and
any eligible dependents. You may not have one single
contract and one family contract, or two family contracts.
-
If, at the time of marriage, you each have family
coverage or one has family coverage and the other
has single coverage, coverage must be changed to one
family plan or two single plans within 30 days of
marriage.
-
If
you and your spouse each have single coverage, no
dependents are covered and if one of you should die,
that individual's sick leave credits would not be
available for use by the surviving spouse.
What to do. . .
- Contact your staff benefits office before your marriage to discuss your coverage options.
You should know. . .
-
If you have single coverage, you may add coverage for your spouse by filing an application within 30 days after the marriage.
What to do. . .
-
Contact your staff benefits office before your marriage to update your coverage.
-
Review and update your beneficiary designation for the accidental death benefit in the EPIC Benefits+ plan. Your staff benefits office can provide a form.
You should know. . .
-
If you have single coverage, you may add coverage for your spouse by filing an application within 30 days after the marriage.
What to do. . .
-
Contact your staff benefits office before your marriage to update your coverage.
You should know. . .
- When you marry, if you are an active employee under age 70 and have the Basic Plan you may apply for Spouse and Dependent coverage within 30 days after your marriage.
- Unless you specifically provide otherwise, your WRS beneficiary is also your beneficiary for State Group Life Insurance proceeds.
What to do. . .
- Contact your staff benefits coordinator before your marriage to apply for spouse coverage.
- Review your current WRS beneficiary designation and update it. You may obtain a new beneficiary designation form on-line.
UNIVERSITY INSURANCE ASSOCIATION (UIA) LIFE INSURANCE
(Unclassified Faculty and Academic Staff only)
-
Review your beneficiary designation and update.
INDIVIDUAL AND FAMILY GROUP LIFE INSURANCE
You should know. . .
- If you have single coverage, you may add coverage for your spouse by filing an application with your staff benefits office within 30 days after the marriage.
What to do. . .
-
Contact your staff benefits office before your marriage to update your coverage and report your name change, if applicable.
-
Review your beneficiary designation and update the beneficiary designation form, if you require a change. Your staff benefits office can also provide the form.
-
Review your beneficiary designation and update. Your staff benefits office can provide a form.
ACCIDENTAL DEATH AND DISMEMBERMENT (AD&D) INSURANCE
You should know. . .
-
Active employees may add spouse coverage at any time except during a leave of absence.
What to do. . .
-
Contact your staff benefits office before your marriage to update your coverage.
-
Review your beneficiary designation and update the beneficiary designation form if you require a change. Your staff benefits office can also provide the form.
Medical Expense
- You
may increase your Medical Expense election when a
family member is added; or cease or decrease your
election if:
- you, your spouse or dependents become eligible under your new spouse's employer's medical expense account plan; and
- your spouse is a participant in his or her employer's plan, and
- coverage for the affected individual becomes effective or is increased under the other employer's plan.
Dependent Care
- You may enroll in or increase your Dependent Care election to accommodate any newly acquired dependent(s);
- You may decrease or cease coverage if your new spouse is not employed or if your spouse makes a dependent care reimbursement account coverage election through his or her employer.
What to do. . .
-
Complete a Change in Status form within 30 days after the marriage. The form is available from your staff benefits office or from the FBMC office (call 608-592-2020).
TAX SHELTERED ANNUITIES (TSA)
You should know. . .
What to do. . .
- Review your beneficiary designation, on file with your investment company, and update.
WISCONSIN DEFERRED COMPENSATION
You should know. . .
What to do. . .
- Review your beneficiary designation, on file with Wisconsin Deferred Compensation, and update.
You should know. . .
-
If your number of dependents has increased, your federal and state tax withholding may change.
What to do. . .
- File a new federal withholding certificate (W-4) with your staff benefits office.
- If you have a Wisconsin withholding agreement on file (form WT-4A), review and update.
SOCIAL SECURITY
-
If your name has changed, notify the Social Security Administration with form SS-5, Application for a Social Security card.
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This document was last revised on December 19, 2011
