Eligibility and Enrollment
Eligibility
To be eligible for the City of Akron’s Employee Benefits Program, you must be a regular full-time active employee who has met the elgiiblity period requirements. New employees are eligible for benefits on the 1st day of the month following their date of hire unless they are an elected or appointed official.
- Eligible Dependents Include:
- Your Lawful Spouse
- Your Child under age 26, a child is defined as a natural child, stepchild, adopted child, or child for whom the employee has legal guardianship or legal custody, and your disabled child age 26 or older.
- NOTE: Eligibility under a legal guardianship or custody ends when the employee ceases to be a legal guardian or custodian and COBRA continuation is not available for the child.
Eligibility Verification is required upon enrolling in the City of Akron Benefit Plan for employees and dependents. You have 31 days from your effective date to supply your one time verification for you and your dependents.
Note: If your spouse works and is eligible for health and/or prescription drug insurance coverage from his/her employer, your spouse must enroll in the employer’s health plan or you may have to pay a $150 monthly spousal surcharge to have your spouse enrolled in the City of Akron’s health plan as primary.
Your spouse may be enrolled in the City of Akron’s health plan as secondary and you do not have to pay the $150 spousal surcharge. For additional information, please refer to the “Spousal Provision” guidelines and forms. Employees who want to enroll a spouse in the benefits plan as either primary or secondary must submit a completed “Spousal Provision Form”.
RESOURCES
Eligibility Verification Documents
- Spouse: Marriage Certificate
- Dependent Child Under 26: Birth Certificate or adoption decree naming the employee or employee’s lawful spouse as the parent OR copy of court order naming the employee as the child’s legal guardian or custodian
- Disabled Dependent: Birth Certificate or adoption decree naming the employee or employee’s lawful spouse as the parent OR copy of court order naming the employee as the child’s legal guardian or custodian and Disability Verification Form
If You Don’t Enroll
If you are a new hire and you do not return the required forms, you will only be enrolled for the Group Life Insurance that is provided by the City of Akron. You will not have medical/prescription, dental, or vision benefits. Your next opportunity to enroll for the medical/prescription, dental or vision benefits will be at the next Open Enrollment period or if you have a qualifying life event.
Qualifying Life Events
If you experience a Qualifying Life Event outside of open enrollment you must enroll or make changes within 31 days of the Qualifying Event. Failure to report changes in a timely manner may result in a delay of coverage until the next open enrollment period.
NOTE: If you have a qualifying event, you have 31 days from the date of the event to notify the Employee Benefits Division that you need to make a change to your benefits. If you do not notify the Employee Benefits Division, complete a change form and submit supporting documentation within 31 days you will not be eligible to make any changes to your benefits until the next Open Enrollment period.
It is your responsibility to notify Employee Benefits when your spouse and/or other dependents lose or obtain other health insurance coverage. You are personally responsible for any benefits paid should you provide inaccurate information or fail to provide timely notification to Employee Benefits.
