Eligibility Verification FAQs

Why is my employer verifying dependent eligibility?

Under the federal law that governs employee benefit plans (ERISA), an employer is required to follow the terms of its plans, including covering only eligible dependents. Enrolling ineligible individuals is a very serious issue. When ineligible individuals incur claims, the total cost of health care benefits increases, which means you pay more for coverage. This review will help ensure only eligible dependents are enrolled in the benefit plans.

What happens if I don't provide documents by the deadline?

If you fail to complete the verification process, your unverified dependents will be removed from the medical, dental, vision, and/or supplemental life benefits. A dependent whose coverage is terminated due to insufficient or missing documentation is NOT eligible for COBRA coverage.

If you provide documents by the deadline that are found to be incorrect or incomplete, you will receive a letter outlining the reason for our ruling and instructions for submitting additional documentation.

How do I get a copy of my marriage certificate, dependent's birth certificate, or other vital records?

Copies of birth certificates and other personal vital records can only be obtained from the state or country in which they were originally filed. Some resources for obtaining documents:

Vital records information for all states is available from the National Center for Health Statistics on the Centers for Disease Control website.

Instructions for obtaining a Consular Report of Birth Abroad (CRBA) for individuals born abroad to U.S. citizen parents are available on the U.S. Department of State website.

A free transcript of a federal tax return can be obtained by contacting the local IRS office. Local IRS office information is available on the IRS website.

You can order copies of your vital records online through VitalChek.

Obtaining records can sometimes take longer than expected. Be sure to request your records in a timely manner.

My dependent's birth certificate states that it cannot be reproduced. Should I submit an original?

No. For this purpose, a copy of the birth certificate is acceptable.

IMPORTANT! When submitting documents to UnifyHR, send copies only. All documents received by UnifyHR are destroyed after review. Documents will not be returned to you.

Will my employer help me pay the costs of obtaining documents that must be obtained for this process?

No. You must pay any costs associated with obtaining, copying, or delivering acceptable documents.

If I submit my verification documents via mail, how will I know if they were received?

If you send copies via postal mail, you may check the status online within 7-10 business days. A confirmation statement will be mailed to you if no additional documentation is required. If additional information is required, a notice will be mailed to you. You may also check the status online at https://app.unifyhr.com.

Is this process confidential? What happens to the documents when the process is complete?

Yes. All employee documentation submitted during this process, both hard and soft copy, will remain protected throughout the process and destroyed within 90 days after completion of the verification process.

What type of files can I upload to the online system? Is there a size limitation?

Acceptable file types are pdf, gif, jpg, jpeg, bmp, and png. You may upload photos of documents taken from a smartphone, provided they are legible. The maximum size per document upload is three megabytes (3 MB).

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