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Can I Change Benefits?

Life events that let you update your coverage.

Learn what qualifies and what steps to take.

Once you’ve completed your enrollment as a new hire or during the Annual Open Enrollment period, your benefits elections remain in effect throughout the benefit year, which ends on December 31. The only way you can make changes to certain benefits is if you have a qualifying life event and report the event within 31 days.

The criteria for a “qualifying life event” is determined by the IRS, and examples include:

  • Marriage or divorce
  • Starting or ending a Registered Domestic Partnership
  • Birth, adoption, custody change, court order, or death
  • Your child no longer meets the eligibility requirements
  • You gain or lose insurance coverage
  • Your job status changes from benefits eligible to non-benefits eligible due to a change in hours worked per week.

For additional information, please reference the Summary Plan Description in the Resources section.

Please note: You must report the change within 31 days of the event.

This is a one-time opportunity to change your benefit coverage outside of the open enrollment period. If all of the following apply, you can make changes:

  1. You have a qualifying life event.
  2. You report the change within 31 days of the event.
  3. The change affects your eligibility under one of the Caltech-provided benefit plans.

Before you begin, make sure you have the relevant supporting documentation, such as a marriage certificate, birth certificate, divorce decree, or documentation showing loss or gain of other insurance coverage. Then, follow these steps:

  1. Log in to JPL VPN, access JPL Space, and look for the Workday icon in your Portal Resources in the lower right of the screen. 
  2. Go to JPL Benefits under Personal on the left side navigation. 
  3. Under Action, choose Change Benefits / Submit Life Events. 
  4. Choose Life Event. 
  5. Upload supporting documentation. 
  6. Click Submit. 

For additional information about the documentation required for dependents, please visit the Resources section.

For any questions, or if you need assistance understanding when to make changes or what documentation is required, please contact:

Ask HR
(818) 354-4447