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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 spouse becomes employed or unemployed
  • 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 and 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. Go to caltech.edu.
  2. Log in with you Caltech credentials (same user name and password as you use for caltech.edu).
  3. Once logged in, click “My Benefits.”
  4. On the next page, click “Change Your Current Benefits.”
  5. Select the reason for the change and the date of the life event.

Please note: If you are adding a dependent to your coverage, please provide the dependent’s social security number. If you do not have the number, such as for a newborn baby, please provide it to the HR office once received from the Social Security Administration.

  1. You will view your profile. To update your information, you must visit caltech.edu and access “My Personal Information.” Click “Continue to next step.”
  2. Take a moment to review your family. Click “Next.”
  3. You will see a list of all of your benefits. Click “Edit coverage” under each benefit you want to update.
  4. Follow the prompts to make the appropriate updates.
  5. Once you have edited all the necessary benefits, click the green “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the screen.
  6. Save the Employee Summary Report that is prompted after you complete your benefit changes.

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:

Benefits Office
[email protected] or call (626) 395-6443
(M-F, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. PT)