Upon legal separation or divorce, the Plan must be notified to remove a spouse from coverage. A copy of the legal separation court document or divorce papers is required. Your spouse (and any stepchildren) will be removed from coverage on the last day of the month in which your divorce or legal separation is finalized. In order for your ex-spouse (and any stepchildren) to be eligible for COBRA continuation coverage, notification to the Plan must be done within 60 days of the date of divorce or legal separation.
If your spouse was appointed as your beneficiary, we encourage you to complete a new Beneficiary Designation form and HIPAA Authorization form, which may be found under the Health Plan Resources page of this website. We have provided samples of a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) which discuss division of pension benefits – Pre-Retirement QDRO, Post-Retirement QDRO and a QDRO checklist. All Pension-related documents may be found on our website here. It is also important to contact Carpenters’ Retirement Services to find out if additional information is required.
See also Pension FAQ.
