Benefits: Life Circumstances Tool

  • Life Circumstances Tool
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Open Enrollment doesn't have to mean reviewing every benefit from scratch. We want to help you identify what might be changing for you and your family this year and how those changes could affect your benefits choices.

This tool is a quick way to notice life changes you haven't yet connected to a benefits decision. Answer where you stand on nine common situations below, and we'll flag what's worth a closer look before you enroll.

When you're done, click Show my results to see what's worth looking at this Open Enrollment.

Just want to know what's different this year? Visit Updates and Changes.

01  My health or my family's health is changing.

CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS
  • Will you or a family member need specialist care this year?
  • Will you need new medications or prescriptions this year, and are they covered under your current plan?
  • Have your dental or vision needs changed?
  • Do you have enough accrued sick and vacation time to cover six months if you couldn't work?
  • If something happened to you, would your family be financially okay?
Does this apply to your situation this year?

02  I have an upcoming surgery or procedure.

CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS
  • Are your providers and the surgical facility in-network?
  • If you're on the High-Deductible Health Plan, have you considered whether timing the procedure later in the year (after your deductible is met) would reduce your costs?
  • Do you have enough accrued sick and vacation time to cover six months if you couldn't work?
  • If something happened to you, would your family be financially okay?
Does this apply to your situation this year?

03  I'm expecting or planning for a new child (pregnancy, adoption, or foster care).

CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS
  • Have you researched what your health plan covers for the type of birth you're planning: hospital, birthing center, home birth, or doula?
  • Do you know how soon after birth or placement you need to add your baby to your health plan?
  • Are you considering short-term disability coverage to protect your income during leave?
  • Have you thought about pediatric dental and vision coverage for your new dependent?
  • If something happened to you, would your family be financially okay?
  • Can you estimate how much you anticipate spending on healthcare or dependent-care expenses to ensure you don't contribute more than you'll spend?
Qualifying life event: Adding a dependent is a qualifying life event; you don't have to wait for Open Enrollment to make coverage changes.
Does this apply to your situation this year?

04  My caregiving responsibilities are changing; I'm caring for an aging parent or relative.

CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS
  • Do you provide financial support for a parent or relative?
  • Are you paying for care for a parent who is unable to care for themselves so that you can work?
  • Are you feeling the emotional weight of caregiving?
Does this apply to your situation this year?

05  I'm saving for something specific or thinking about my financial future.

CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS
  • If you're on the High-Deductible Health Plan, are you maximizing your Health Savings Account contributions?
  • Can you estimate how much you anticipate spending on healthcare or dependent care expenses, and are you contributing only what you're confident you'll spend?
  • Have you considered whether a Health Savings Account might serve your long-term financial goals better than a Flexible Savings Account?
Does this apply to your situation this year?

06  I want to protect my income or my family's financial future.

CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS
  • If something happened to you, would your family be financially okay?
  • If an unexpected medical emergency occurred today, would your current savings be enough to cover your deductible and out-of-pocket maximum?
  • Do you have enough accrued sick and vacation time to cover six months if you couldn't work?
  • Do you anticipate any changes to your household income that affect what you can afford?
Does this apply to your situation this year?

07  My marital or partnership status is changing.

CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS
  • Do you need to add or remove a spouse or domestic partner from your health plan?
  • Is your spouse or domestic partner adding you to their health plan?
  • Have you factored in how moving to a "Self Only" or "Family" tier will impact your monthly take-home pay?
  • If you're on the High-Deductible Health Plan and your spouse joins your plan, have you thought about increasing your Health Savings Account contributions to the higher family limit to take full advantage of your Health Savings Account?
  • Have you reviewed your dental and vision coverage to ensure your spouse or partner is covered?
  • If something happened to you, would your family be financially okay?
Qualifying life event: Marriage, divorce, and registering a domestic partner are qualifying life events; you don't have to wait for Open Enrollment to make these changes.
My marital or partnership status is changing

08  My dependent status is changing; I'm adding a dependent, or a dependent is aging off my plan or becoming ineligible.

CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS
  • Are you adding a new dependent to your plan this year?
  • Do you know the exact date your dependent ages off your plan?
  • Have you reviewed your dental and vision coverage to reflect the change in dependents?
  • Have you considered enrolling in one or both dependent life plans?
Qualifying life event: Changes in dependent status are qualifying life events; in some cases, you don't have to wait for Open Enrollment to make these changes.
Does this apply to your situation this year?

09  I am anticipating a change in my financial situation; I need to consider how much to contribute to my Flexible Spending Account.

CONSIDER THESE QUESTIONS
  • How certain are you about your medical expenses next year?
  • Have you considered the impact on your take-home pay?
  • Are you anticipating dependent care expenses such as childcare or elder care that a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account could help cover?
  • Are you on the High-Deductible Health Plan? If so, you have a Health Savings Account, which handles unused funds differently than a Flexible Spending Account.
  • What "guaranteed" expenses do you have (prescriptions, therapy, dental, vision) that you know you'll spend?
Does this apply to your situation this year?