Dependents and Beneficiaries

Eligible Dependents

You may cover the following dependents on your insurance plan(s). Documentation may be required to verify a dependent's eligibility and to determine his/her tax status: 

  1. Your spouse or domestic partner
  2. You or your domestic partner's natural, adopted, or stepchild (ren) who meet one of the following criteria: (a) is under the age of 26; or (b) was disabled before age 19
  3. Child(ren) placed in your or your domestic partner's guardianship pending adoption
  4. Your or your domestic partner's foster child(ren) under the age of 26
  5. Child(ren) under the age of 26 for whom you or your domestic partner have court-ordered guardianship

Information for employees with domestic partners: The State of Arizona does not offer benefits to the domestic partners of employees. Therefore, the University of Arizona offers medical, dental, and vision insurance, dependent life insurance, and Domestic Partner Tuition Remission (at the University of Arizona only) to these families.

Adding or Removing Dependents on Your Insurance Coverage

You can only change your insurance coverage once a year during open enrollment. However, life changes that affect your family composition or employment (qualified life events) allow you to add or remove dependents from your health insurance. Qualified life events include:

  • Gaining a significant other through marriage or the establishment of a domestic partnership
  • Gaining a child by birth, adoption, guardianship, foster care, or court order
  • Losing a significant other or dependent through death
  • Moving in or out of the service area for more than 90 days (employee or dependent)
  • Losing insurance coverage provided through another employer (affecting you, significant other, or dependent)
  • Gaining insurance coverage from another source (affecting you, your significant other, or your dependent)
  • Going on unpaid leave of absence or returning from unpaid leave

In any of these circumstances, please complete a Qualified Life Event form within 31 days of the event. The form specifies the documentation you will have to provide for each event.

In addition, note that your children can no longer be covered under your insurance once they reach the age of 26. They will remain on your plans through the end of their birth month. Human Resources will automatically remove your child from your benefits.

Updating Beneficiaries

You will be asked to name one or more beneficiaries for your basic life insurance and any voluntary supplemental life insurance you obtain through your UA employment.  Whenever you experience a life change, it is a good idea to confirm that your beneficiary designations are still current with your wishes. You can change your beneficiaries anytime in UAccess Employee/Manager Self-Service.

  • From the Employee Main Home page, select the University Benefits tile.
  • Locate the Life Insurance – Basic, Dependent Life, Supplemental Life, or Unum Short-Term Disability tile as applicable.
  • Click "Review" in the lower right corner of the tile. Click on the beneficiary’s name to change personal information, or use the "Add Beneficiary" and "Update Beneficiary Designation" buttons to change beneficiary allocations.

Do you need more assistance? 

Connect with HR Solutions
Phone: 520-621-3660
Email: hrsolutions@arizona.edu