Life Events

Life Events and Your Benefits

During the course of your Deschutes County career, you are likely to experience many changes, large and small, in your life outside of work. Marriage, birth, retirement, a death in the family, and other life passages can have a corresponding impact on your benefits.

The window for making adjustments outside the annual Open Enrollment period is limited, so it's important to act when changes are permitted. These pages outline the steps you'll need to take to modify your benefits when you have a change in family or employment status — and the timeframe for taking action.  Remember that you are allowed to make changes only to those benefits directly affected by the qualifying life event.

Employees are responsible for communicating any changes in dependent eligibility to the Benefits Team. Only qualified dependents are eligible for coverage under the health plan and the employee may be personally liable for reimbursement to Deschutes County for any benefits received by ineligible dependents.

Make necessary changes to your Deschutes County benefits within 31 days of the official date of your qualifying event.  Contact Benefits for details on how to make the necessary changes.  We can be reached by email at benefits@deschutes.org, or by phone at 541-388-6553.

Qualifying Changes in Family or Employment Status

• marriage
• divorce
• birth or adoption
• spouse gains or loses employment
• death of a spouse or dependent
• dependent child reaches age 26
• approved leave of absence extending three months or longer
• loss of other health coverage

Why the Period for Making Changes is Limited

Many of the benefits plans offered through Deschutes County are paid with pre-tax dollars. In exchange for that tax advantage, you legally cannot enroll in, cancel, or make changes to your medical, dental, vision, or dependent care flexible spending account plans outside the annual Open Enrollment period, unless you experience one of the qualifying events described above.