Marriage - Benefits

Add a Spouse (Marriage)

If you recently got married, you can add your spouse — and any newly eligible stepchildren — to your benefits.

What This Event Means

Use this event if you are legally married and want to update your benefits.

This includes:

Adding your spouse to your benefits
Updating a domestic partner to a spouse
Adding your spouse’s child(ren) (stepchildren)

When to Act

You must complete your changes within 30 days of your marriage date.

If you miss the deadline, you may need to wait until Open Enrollment.

Updating an Existing Relationship

If your spouse is already listed as a domestic partner or other relationship:

Do not add them again
Send your marriage certificate to AskHR@utah.edu
Human Resources will update the relationship for you

Adding them again can create duplicate records and delay your enrollment.

Stepchildren (Important)

If your spouse has child(ren), they may be added to your coverage

Use the Marriage event to add both your spouse and any stepchildren.

How to Update

Log in to UBenefits
Select Change Your Benefits
Choose Marriage
Enter your marriage date
Add your spouse (if not already listed)
Add any eligible stepchildren
Select or update your coverage (medical, dental, etc.)
Review all changes carefully
Submit your elections

Entering the Correct Date (Important)

Your event date determines:

When coverage begins
How payroll deductions are calculated

Enter your marriage date.

Coverage will be effective as of your marriage date, which means:

Your spouse and stepchildren are covered starting that day
You may see retroactive payroll deductions

Documentation Required

If you haven’t done so already, please send your documentation to AskHR@utah.edu.

Examples of acceptable documentation include:

Marriage certificate

Documentation must:

Be from an official source
Clearly show your name and your spouse’s name
Include the marriage date

What to Expect

After you submit your changes:

You will receive a confirmation email to your UMail
Your updates will appear in UBenefits (View Your Benefits) the next day
Your changes are sent to the health plan administrator for processing

Weekly File Timing

Files are sent every Monday

If you submit changes after the weekly file is sent, they will be included in the next file.

Open Enrollment (If Applicable)

See Open Enrollment page.

Benefits Human Resources