Life Changes

Making changes to your benefits during the year Direct Link

If you have a life change, such as getting married or having a baby, you should make sure your benefit coverage continues to match your needs. In most cases, you cannot change your benefit elections until the next annual Open Enrollment period unless you experience a qualified life event (QLE). If you experience a QLE during the plan year, you have 30 days to notify Petco and make your elections.

There are generally two categories of life event changes:

1. Changes in your / your spouses employment status of benefits such as:

  • Gain/loss of full time status affecting level of benefit coverage
  • Spouse gaining/losing employment

2. Changes in your personal life such as:

  • Marriage
  • Divorce
  • Birth/Adoption
  • Death

Types of qualified life events Direct Link

You may change your elections during the year if you experience one of the following qualified life event changes:

  • Legal Marital Status – Events that change your legal marital status, including marriage, death, divorce, legal separation (according to state law) or annulment
  • Number of Dependents – Events that change the number of your eligible dependents, including birth, adoption, foster care, placement for adoption or death of a dependent
  • Employment Status – Events that change your employment status, or the employment status of your spouse/domestic partner or dependent, including termination of employment; or any other employment status change that results in a gain or loss of eligibility under the relevant employer plan
  • Dependent Eligibility – An event that causes the gain or loss of a dependent's eligibility for benefits
  • Residence – Change in home location that is no longer in an HMO service area
  • Gain/Loss Other Coverage: Losing or becoming eligible in Medicare, Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

You can add or remove dependents based on the type of QLE, but you cannot change plans.

Two ways to process your qualified life event

  • Click on the Benefits Enrollment button at the top of any page and enter your login credentials. Once you are logged in to Alight, click on the Life Changes link under Manage Account in the Quick Link section to begin your election change.
  • Contact the Petco Benefits Service Center at 855-722-0241 to speak to a benefit counselor Mon.-Fri., 8 am to 8 pm EST.

IMPORTANT: If you don’t make enrollment changes within 30 days of your QLE, you will not be eligible to make any changes to your Petco benefits until the next annual Open Enrollment Period.

Verification requirements Direct Link

Proof of your QLE is required and must be submitted to the Petco Benefits Service Center within 30 days of your enrollment or your request will be denied. Refer to Qualifying Life Event and Required Documentation for additional details.​

Upload QLE verification documentation to the Petco Benefits Service Center website.

If you are enrolling dependents in a medical or dental plan for the first time, verifications will be required. Exact details of the required documentation will be provided to you by Alight benefits enrollment portal when you add a new dependent.