Employee Eligibility
Full-time or regular part-time employees working at least 20 hours per week become eligible for benefits on the first of the month following 30 days of continuous active employment.
Dependent Eligibility
You may cover your spouse or domestic partner and your eligible dependent children up to age 26.
An eligible dependent includes:
- Your legal spouse-an eligible dependent spouse does not include an individual from whom you have obtained a legal separation or divorce
- Your Domestic Partner- as long as he or she meets the definition of Domestic Partner as stated in the Domestic Partner Affidavit
- A dependent child until the child reaches his or her 26th birthday.
The term “child” includes the following dependents:
- A natural biological child;
- A stepchild;
- A legally adopted child or a child legally placed for adoption as granted by action of a federal, state, or local governmental agency responsible for adoption administration or a court of law if the child has not attained age 26 as of the date of such placement;
- A child or grandchild under your (or your spouse's or Domestic Partner's) legal guardianship as ordered by a court; provided, however, that if such child or grandchild is under your Domestic Partner’s legal guardianship and is not also your tax dependent, Your Domestic Partner must be properly enrolled in the planfor such child or grandchild to be enrolled in the Plan;
- A child who is considered an alternate recipient under a QMCSO;
- A child of a Domestic Partner (provided such Domestic Partner is properly enrolled in thePlan).
Enrollment
If you are a new hire, you have 31 days from the hire date to enroll for coverage. If you experience a Qualifying Life Event, you have 31 days from the event date to enroll or change your coverage.
Please follow these steps to access the enrollment tool or register your account:
- Visit www.getardentbenefits.com/enroll.
- If you already have an account, enter your email user ID, then enter your password. Select how you want to receive the verification code (email or phone) and then enter the code to verify your information.
- If you are new to our enrollment tool, Select "First time user? Create an account."
- Enter your Social Security number, which will link your login to your record in our enrollment tool. Like with many secure websites, you may be asked to prove you are human. reCAPTCHA software will display images, and you must choose the correct ones.
- You will need to confirm your personal information and answer two out of three questions correctly.
- You will be asked to verify both your email address and personal phone number.
- You will receive an email with a six-digit verification code. If you don't see it in your inbox, check the spam or junk mail folders. Use the code to verify your email address.
- You can verify your phone number via text or call. Request a text code, and you will receive a six-digit code via text, or you can request a call. Press # when prompted on the call to finish your authentication.
- Create a password for your account. It must be at least eight characters long and include:
-An uppercase letter.
-A lowercase letter.
-A number and/or symbol
- Accept the terms on the online authorization.
- To return to the enrollment site, enter your email address as your user ID and enter your password. Select how you want to receive the verification code (email or phone). Enter the code to verify your information.
Review and confirm your choices
- Review your benefits elections.
- Make sure to submit your elections.
- Print and retain a copy of your benefits summary page.
Verify your dependents
- You must verify your newly enrolled dependents within 30 days from the enrollment date. You will receive a communication from the Ardent Benefits Service Center about the required documentation and the steps you must take to complete the dependent verification process.
Important: Spouses or domestic partners who have medical coverage available through their own employer must enroll in their employer’s plan for primary medical coverage.If you enroll your spouse/domestic partner, coverage under the Ardent medical plan will be secondary.If your spouse/domestic partner is not employed, is self-employed without accesstocoverage, or is employed but not eligiblefor coverage in his/her employer's medicalplan, you canenroll your spouse/domestic partner, and coverage under the Ardent medical plan will be primary.
If you are enrolling your spouse or domestic partner in Ardent’s medical coverage, you must answer the Spousal/Domestic Partner Employment Verification question during your benefits enrollment. If applicable, your spouse’s or domestic partner’s employer may be asked to verify eligibility for coverage under the employer’s plan.
