Benefits

GAIP: Dependent coverage

If you’re covered by GAIP, you also have the option to enroll your spouse or partner and children.

Enrollment deadline for dependents

The enrollment confirmation e-mail you receive from LifeWise each quarter contains instructions for enrolling dependents into your GAIP plan coverage. Once you receive your confirmation letter, use the LifeWise website to make changes to your dependent coverage. The deadline for each quarter is shown in the table below.

Deadlines for enrolling dependents
Quarter Coverage Periods Online Enrollment Deadline
Fall October 1 – December 31 October 31
Winter January 1 – March 31 January 31
Spring April 1 – June 30 April 30
Summer July 1 – September 30 June 30
Re-enroll dependents for another year

To continue dependent coverage from one plan year to the next, you’ll need to re-enroll your dependents in the fall, when the plan year begins. The deadline for re-enrollment is October 31. However, after fall quarter you don’t need to re-enroll dependents for each coverage period if you have continuous coverage for the plan year.

Enroll a dependent mid-quarter

A dependent who becomes newly eligible as a result of a qualifying life event (such as marriage, birth, or adoption) may be added mid-quarter if all the following apply:

  • You are covered under this program
  • You complete the appropriate enrollment form within 31 days of the date of your marriage or qualified domestic partnership registration
  • You complete the appropriate enrollment form within 60 days of the date of birth, placement for adoption, or date of adoption

Contact LifeWise if you’d like to enroll a dependent mid-quarter.

Monthly premium for dependents

If you’re eligible, the UW pays your premium for GAIP coverage. For dependent coverage, you pay the premiums for the plan year listed below. The University’s contribution to dependent premiums is 65 percent.

Premiums are typically deducted from your paycheck on the third, fourth, and fifth pay dates of the coverage period, except for the summer period. For the summer, instead of a paycheck deduction you’ll receive a bill from LifeWise for the entire coverage period. Contact LifeWise if you don’t receive this bill by mid-July.

2023 – 2024 premium rates (effective October 1, 2023):

Coverage Classification Monthly Premium
Student Only Paid by UW
Student & Spouse or Qualified Domestic Partner (QDP) $222.80
Student & Child(ren) $143.68
Student, Spouse or QDP* & Child(ren) $366.48

2022 – 2023 premium rates (effective October 1, 2022):

Coverage Classification Monthly Premium
Student Only Paid by UW
Student & Spouse or Qualified Domestic Partner (QDP) $209.56
Student & Child(ren) $135.13
Student, Spouse or QDP* & Child(ren) $344.69

Eligible dependents

An eligible dependent is defined as:

  • Your legally married spouse
  • Your qualified domestic partner if one of you is at least 62 years old
  • Your dependent children through age 25, including:
    • Your adopted children
    • Children legally placed for adoption, including a child for whom you’ve assumed total or partial legal obligation for support in anticipation of adoption (documentation required)
    • Stepchildren
    • Foster children or children for whom you’re the legally designated guardian (documentation required)
    • In addition, your child will be eligible for coverage under this program if required by a court order and if a copy of the court order is provided
  • Your dependent children who are incapable of self-support because of a physical handicap or developmental disability
    • Documentation is required
    • Please contact us for more information

End of dependent coverage

In most cases, your dependent coverage stops at the end of the month in which your job  ends. It will also stop at the end of the month in which any of these events occur:

  • Loss of eligibility for coverage under the plan as a “dependent child”
  • Dependent’s entry into Armed Services
  • Divorce or legal separation
  • Death of a dependent