Mid-Year Changes

A T-Mobile employee in a denim jacket looking at a smartphone in front of a bright pink background.

Quick Links

Life is always changing, right? Certain life changes, called "qualifying events," allow you to change your benefits mid-year. A few examples are:

Having or Adopting a Child
Getting Married
Getting Divorced
Enrolling a Domestic Partner
Ending a Domestic Partnership
Spouse, Domestic Partner or Dependent Gains Eligibility for employer's plan
Spouse, Domestic Partner or Dependent Loses Eligibility for employer's plan
Change in Dependent Daycare Expenses
Employee, Spouse or Domestic Partner turns age 65 while actively employed

You can make your changes as early as the date of the qualifying event, but not before. Your coverage starts on the date of the event itself, meaning it is retroactive back to the date the baby was born, the date you got married, etc. Since coverage is retroactive you may owe extra payments back to the date of the change.

You can make changes up to 31 days after most eligible qualifying events. If you don't make these changes during that period, you'll have to wait until the next open enrollment period in October to make changes effective January 1.

Helpful Tips

Below are some helpful tips to consider when making a mid-year change.

Change your benefit elections within 31 days of the qualifying event by logging in.
Update your beneficiary information if needed
Check your confirmation statement to ensure accuracy
Provide dependent verification documentation by your deadline (if applicable)
Watch your paychecks for retro deductions (if applicable) and make sure your new deductions are accurate
Update your payroll tax withholdings in ADP

Update your address in Workday
Review 401(k) and Stock Plan contributions and beneficiaries
Submit your name change in Workday
Apply for or update Social Security card
Update bank account information for payroll direct deposits in Workday
Contact your attorney to create or revise your will
Check out LiveMagenta.com for free resources and tools

Provider Contact

T-Mobile Benefits Center
Toll Free: (855) TMO-BENS or (855) 866-2367
t-mobilebenefits.com/login
Hours: M-F 5 a.m. – 5 p.m. Pacific

Mid-Year Medicare Eligible Life Event

You or Your Spouse or Domestic Partner Become Eligible for Medicare While Still Employed

If you continue to work for T-Mobile after you become age 65 (and/or if your covered spouse/qualified domestic partner (DP) becomes age 65 while you are still working at T-Mobile), medical/prescription drug coverage will continue for you and/or your spouse/DP.

However, you and/or your spouse/DP (if age 65 or older) may choose to be covered under:

a T-Mobile medical option only;
a T-Mobile medical option and Medicare; or
Medicare only.

If you or your spouse/DP wish to be enrolled in Medicare only, you must notify the Benefits Center at 855-866-2367 within 31 calendar days of your/spouse/DP gaining eligibility for Medicare to waive your medical plan coverage. Premium deductions will stop as of the effective date of the medical plan change.

For additional details on Medicare, please refer to The Medicare & You Handbook found at www.medicare.gov.

Medicare and Domestic Partner Coverage

To avoid potential late enrollment penalties, T-Mobile recommends that your domestic partner enrolls in Medicare during their Initial Enrollment Period.

Coordination of Benefits with Medicare

As an employee actively working at T-Mobile, if you and/or your spouse/DP choose to remain enrolled in your T-Mobile medical plan option, T-Mobile’s medical plan coverage will continue to remain primary for health insurance expenses, even if enrolled in Medicare A and or Medicare Part B (except for Medicare enrollment due to End Stage Renal Disease in which Medicare becomes primary under separate Coordination of Benefits provisions). Most members do not pay a premium for Medicare Part A. Members do pay a premium for Medicare Part B. Often, Medicare Part B will not pay any additional expenses towards your claims, since the T-Mobile plans contain the same type of plan design as Medicare, and Medicare Part B is not a Supplemental Plan. If you choose to defer enrollment in Medicare Part B until you are no longer covered with T-Mobile, typically any penalties for delaying enrollment in Medicare Part B, may be waived as long as you provide proof to Medicare that you were continuously covered under T-Mobile’s medical plan as an actively working employee, up until the time you enroll in Medicare Part B at a later date (Medicare provides a coverage form for you to provide to T-Mobile to verify continuous coverage). T-Mobile recommends you contact Centers for Medicare/Medicaid (CMS) to confirm the Medicare enrollment requirements and provisions at 800-633-4227 or visit www.medicare.gov. Please note that domestic partners are generally not able to delay Medicare Part B enrollment without incurring late enrollment penalties.

Medicare and the Health Savings Account

Important: If you are currently enrolled in the Health Savings Account (paired with the T-Mobile HSA Plan), enrollment in Medicare (Part A and/or B), causes you to be ineligible to contribute to the Health Savings Account and to receive T-Mobile contribution to your Health Savings Account. If you intend to continue to contribute to the Health Savings Account and to receive T-Mobile contribution to your Health Savings Account, you should contact Social Security and advise that you want to defer your options to enroll in Medicare Part A and Part B at this time. T-Mobile recommends that you consider your enrollment options carefully and discuss the impacts of enrollment in Medicare with your tax professional, for more information.