Eligibility
Understanding the rules of benefits eligibility is important. Please read the below information carefully and ensure that you understand when you can enroll yourself and/or your eligible dependents for coverage.
Employee Eligibility:
Any employee who works an average of 30 hours or more per week will be eligible to begin coverage on the 1st of the month coincident with or following 30 days of employment. This does not include Temporary or Seasonal Employees. No changes can be made to elected coverage during the year unless there is a qualifying life event such as marriage, divorce, loss or gain of other coverage, birth of a child, adoption of a child, or death of dependent. Open Enrollment is held once a year at which time any changes can be made to benefits.
Upon termination of employment, benefits will end on the last day of the pay period in which the employee’s employment ends.
When can I enroll and make changes?
| Benefit Event | Enrollment Window | Effective Date |
|---|---|---|
| New Hire | Within 30 days from date of eligibility | First of the month coincident or following 30 days of employment |
| Qualifying Life Event | Within 30 days from date of qualifying event | Effective date of approved qualified event |
| Open Enrollment | During the annual Open Enrollment window | Effective January 1st of the upcoming year |
Who can I cover?
| Dependents Eligible for Coverage | |
|---|---|
| Spouse | Legally married spouse |
| Dependent Children | Dependent children [includes: step-children, adopted children, foster children] up to age 26 regardless of student status |
What is a Qualifying Life Event?
A Qualifying Life Event (QLE) is a significant change in your personal situation that allows you to enroll in or change your health insurance coverage outside the annual Open Enrollment Period.
Qualifying Life Events include: Birth/Adoption of Child, Employee/Dependent Gain of Other Coverage, Employee/Dependent Loss of Other Coverage, Marriage, Divorce/Legal Separation, Death of Dependent, and Significant Change of Daycare Cost.
If you experience a Qualifying Life Event and wish to change your insurance coverage, you must notify Human Resources within 30 days of the effective date of the life event. Documentation supporting your qualifying life event must be emailed to the HR Department.
Documentation for Qualifying Life Events and Dependents
Sinclair reserves the right to require documentation of dependent eligibility including but not limited to, birth and marriage certificates, adoption papers and guardianship documents. Employees will be required to reimburse the Plan for any benefits paid by the Plan for a dependent at a time when the dependent did not satisfy these conditions. It is the employee’s responsibility to notify Sinclair if a dependent no longer qualifies, so that appropriate COBRA notices may be sent.
How to Change Benefit Coverage Due to a Qualifying Life Event:
Access BenefitSolver in one of the ways listed below:
- Access BenefitSolver, the benefits enrollment site, in one of the ways listed below
- Log on to The Bridge and select the Benefits Icon on the home page
- Or go to sinclairenrollment.com
- If you are inside the Sinclair domain, you will automatically be logged in through single sign-on
- If you are outside of the Sinclair domain, you will need to register an account using Company Key: sinclair
- Once logged in, select the icon to “Change My Benefits”
- Click on > Life Event
- Select the reason that best matches your individual situation
- Enter the effective date of the life event
- Proceed through the enrollment process to select your desired coverage. Remember to click Approve to finalize your enrollment.
- Email supporting documentation to SinclairBenefits@sbgtv.com
- Supporting documentation must include your name, your dependent’s name (if applicable) and the effective date of the life event.
- Depending on the life event, some examples of supporting documentation may include a letter stating the effective date of other coverage, a COBRA offer letter, a birth certificate, marriage certificate.