Newly Eligible Benefits Enrollment
Welcome to your East West Family of Companies’ benefit enrollment. We’re excited you’re here! As a Full-Time Year-Round employee, you are eligible to participate in our health insurance options. We strive to offer a comprehensive array of benefits and hope you can put together a combination that works best for your and your family’s individual needs. There are a lot of options, with information available on this website as well as resources available to help you make an educated decision. Please see below for some of those next steps and information.
Quick Overview
Benefits can be confusing, luckily there are a ton of resources available to help. With so much to consider when making your choices, we'll start with some simple things like timeline to make elections, what included without enrolling and what happens if you don't enroll.
Benefits Enrollment Timeframe
You are eligible for benefits starting the first of the month following one full month from the date you are hired or moved to a Full Time Year Round status.
- If, for example, your start date is between 3/2 and 4/1, your benefits would be effective 5/1.
- March dates in this case would be considered a partial month, and April would be that first full month.
You have 31 days from this benefit effective date to make elections.
- If your effective date is 5/1, you would have until 5/31 to make or change elections.
Don't wait too long! Your benefits would start on that effective date. Making elections early helps ensure there are no delays in coverages being active and that there are no missed premiums to be withheld at a later date.
After the window closes, you will not be able to change your elections for the current plan year unless you experience a Qualifying Life Event. The next open window to make elections will be during the annual enrollment period for the following plan year.
Please note: Not making elections will default as a 'Waived' election. You must complete your elections to have coverage.
Updated Resources
Next Steps
Where to go from here? Review the plan information, understand the options, and enroll.
Educate
With offering 3 different Medical Plans, 2 Dental, 2 Vision, and a comprehensive listing of other voluntary benefits; education is important to feel confident in the elections you are making.
Explore the Benefits Guide for an easy summary and this website for more in-depth explanations.
Contact Health Advocate if you have any specific medications, procedures, or treatments to ask how the different plans will cover those.
Compare the plan premiums with the coverage offerings. The most expensive plan is not always going to be the one that best fits your needs.
Utilize the AlexGo tool, answer a few basic questions and get a cost comparison on the medical plans: AlexGo Tool.
Newly Eligible Benefits Q&A: 4th Thursday of the month.
Updated Resources
Common Questions and Takeaways
A lot to remember, that's okay, you don't need to!
Reminders & Common Questions
Below you will find some quick-hitters to help you through the enrollment process. For more in-depth FAQs about the plans and offerings, please take a look at the FAQs to the right.
Communication
You will receive important communications throughout the year from the Benefits team via email and mailed insurance cards from Anthem.
- Confirm that Benefits@eastwest.com emails are making it to your inbox and not your junk folder.
- Be sure that you update your mailing address in UKG.
Elections
There are more to your elections than the big 3. Here are some important considerations for benefits outside of Medical, Dental, and Vision. Feel free to take a deeper dive with the materials on the right or located on this Website.
Health Care and Limited Purpose FSAs have a longer wait period for eligibility. These are use-it-or-lose-it accounts.
- Eligibility is the first of the quarter following 6 months from your 1st day in Full-Time Year-Round status. That means if you are hired or had a status change on or before 4/1 and electing a Health Care FSA or Limited Purpose FSA, the funds won't be available until 10/1.
- It is important to keep this in mind as they are use-it-or-lose-it accounts with minimal rollover. Have a plan to use the funds between 10/1 and 12/31.
Supplemental Life Coverage; Guaranteed Issue Amount and EOIs:
- The Guaranteed Issue Amount is the amount you can elect without needing to complete a medical questionnaire known as an EOI (Evidence of Insurability).
- The Newly Eligible window for making elections is the only time that the $150,000 Guaranteed Issue Amount is applicable for individual coverage.
- This means if you decide to add this coverage at a later date, during an annual enrollment window, any amount in addition to the current election will be subject to the EOI approval.
What about the 401k?
- You are auto enrolled at a 6% contribution on the first of the month following 2 months.
- This is not elected through UKG during your enrollment, but separately on your Fidelity profile.
- Visit our section on 401k for more information.