What a waiver is and who signs one

A waiver is a short form saying no thank you

It is one page. You confirm that coverage was offered to you, that you are turning it down, and usually you say why. That is the whole thing.

Who signs one

Anyone who is eligible for the coverage and is not enrolling. That includes people who already have coverage somewhere else, people covered through a spouse, and people on a parent's plan.

If you are enrolling yourself but not your spouse or your children, you do not need a separate waiver for them. Just leave them off the enrollment form.

Why we ask, even though you are declining

The carrier looks at the whole eligible group, not just the people who signed up, before it agrees to write the coverage. It needs to see that everyone who was offered coverage answered one way or the other. Missing answers look like an incomplete group and can hold up the whole company's start date.

Your employer also needs the record. If a question ever comes up about whether coverage was offered to you, the waiver is the answer.

What a waiver does not do

• It does not cancel any other coverage you have. If you are covered through a spouse, that stays exactly as it is.
• It does not enroll you later or hold a place for you.
• It is not a penalty and it does not count against you.

If you change your mind

Usually you wait for the next open enrollment. The exception is a qualifying life event, which is a short list of things that let you join in the middle of the year. Getting married, having or adopting a child, and losing the coverage you had are the common ones.

If one of those happens, tell your HR contact quickly. There is a limited window after the event, and it is shorter than most people expect.

If you are declining because of something going on medically

That is a conversation worth having before you sign anything, and it is not one to have over email. Anything to do with your health or your care goes to our benefits desk at (623) 257-7625.