Eligibility
Eligible employees are defined as full-time employees who work at least 30 hours per week (or 25 hours per week if you participated on the plan prior to December 31, 2013).
You and your dependents are eligible for Mercer County’s health benefit plan on your date of hire if you apply for coverage within 30 days of your hire date.
Eligible dependents are your spouse, domestic partners (same and opposite sex), children up to age 26, or disabled dependents of any age.
Elections made now will remain until the next annual enrollment unless you or your family members experience a status change event. If you experience a qualified status change event, you must contact HR within 30 days. Qualified life or family status changes are defined as:
- Marriage, divorce, or legal separation
- Gain or loss of an eligible dependent for reasons such as birth, adoption, court order, disability, death, marriage, or reaching the dependent-child age limit
- Changes in your dependent’s employment affecting benefit eligibility
- Changes in your dependent’s benefit coverage with another employer that affects benefit eligibility
Spouse Eligibility Requirements
An employee’s spouse who is working for another employer and is eligible for benefits through that employer may only be covered under this Plan if such spouse is covered for health benefits under his or her own employer’s plan, even if coverage under that plan is less comprehensive than coverage under this Plan. A spouse will be considered not eligible for his or her own employer’s coverage if the spouse works fewer than the minimum hours needed to qualify, or has not yet satisfied any applicable waiting period for coverage.
Mercer County will require verification of spouse coverage eligibility. If you have listed a spouse as a dependent, please complete the Spouse Primary Coverage form available under forms.