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You Establish a Domestic Partnership
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You Establish a Domestic Partnership
Establishing a domestic partnership gives you the opportunity to change some of the coverage you have through the Corporation. You have 31 days in which you can:
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adjust your healthcare coverage, and
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change your FSA participation.
To cover your domestic partner under any of the Corporation's plans that offer domestic partner coverage, your domestic partner must meet the eligibility requirements outlined in the Summary Plan Descriptions, and you must complete an affidavit. Note that if you enroll a domestic partner for coverage, the contributions for that coverage may have to be paid on an after-tax basis if your domestic partner does not qualify as your tax dependent. Affidavit forms and additional information are available in the Expanded Benefits Eligibility Brochure in the Forms section.
Any changes you make because of your domestic partnership will be effective as of the date your domestic partnership was established, provided that you meet the 31-day deadline. If you miss this 31-day deadline, you must wait for the next annual enrollment period to change your coverage. To make changes, visit Employee Self-Service on The McGraw-Hill Companies intranet.
For other benefits—long-term disability, life insurance, and the 401(k) Savings and profit Sharing Plan—you can change your coverage or participation at any time. Please be aware that some changes may require you to provide evidence of insurability before coverage can begin.
Note that you may make changes only that are consistent with the start of your domestic partnership. For instance, you may cover your new domestic partner by switching from the "self only" to the "self plus one" coverage level. You may not, however, switch from one medical option to another—for example, from the Account-based Option to the Traditional Option. If you are unsure of the changes you may make, the How This Event Affects…chart that follows should help.
Limits on Domestic Partner Eligibility
Please note that not all of the Corporation's benefit plans offer coverage for domestic partners. For example, life insurance is not available for your domestic partner in many states because it is offered through contracts approved by state insurance commissions.
Things to Do
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Decide whether you, your domestic partner, and any dependent children should be covered by the Corporation's healthcare options or by plans available through your domestic partner's employer (if that employer would provide coverage for you, as the domestic partner). Visit Employee Self-Service on The McGraw-Hill Companies intranet to start the enrollment process. Remember to enroll within 31 days of establishing the domestic partnership.
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Ask Yourself: As a result of my domestic partnership, do I have access to other coverage for myself or for other members of my family who could be covered under the Corporation's plans? Which coverage should I choose? If I cover myself or any member of my family under both plans, how would the benefits paid by the plans be affected?
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Determine whether or not your domestic partner qualifies as your tax dependent? If so, you may need to submit a new W-4 to adjust your income tax withholding? You can access the form via Employee Self-Service on The McGraw-Hill Companies intranet. (Tax dependency will also determine whether the contributions for your domestic partner's coverage under Corporation plans will be pre-tax or after-tax, and whether you can use your Healthcare FSA to reimburse your domestic partner's eligible healthcare expenses.)
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Review your participation in the Healthcare FSA. Keep in mind that you may use The McGraw-Hill Companies FSA to reimburse yourself for your domestic partner's eligible expenses only if he or she is your tax dependent. Remember to make changes within 31 days of establishing the domestic partnership.
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Review your participation in the Dependent Care FSA, considering whether or not you and your domestic partner will need dependent care or whether your domestic partner will provide care that you were previously paying for using a Dependent Care FSA. Remember to make changes within 31 days of establishing the domestic partnership.
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Consider whether you need some (or additional) life or accident insurance for yourself or any other family members.
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Review your retirement savings and investment strategy
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Ask yourself: Do I need to adjust my retirement savings and investment strategy, now that I'm in a domestic partnership? What savings and retirement investment options does my domestic partner have available?
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Review your beneficiary designations and update them as necessary.
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Update your emergency contact information on Employee Self-Service on The McGraw-Hill Companies intranet.
Making Changes
After you've considered your options, if you decide to or need to change your benefits, you can do so via Employee Self-Service on The McGraw-Hill Companies intranet. If the change you are making is to your 401(k) savings participation or to the investment of your 401(k) Savings and Profit Sharing Plan investments, visit Your Benefits Resources or call 1-866-477-6820.
How This Event Affects…
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Enroll your domestic partner and/or new dependent children for coverage within 31 days of establishing the domestic partnership. Remember that you can change your coverage only within your current healthcare option (for example, go from the "self only" to the "self plus one" coverage level within your current medical option), but you cannot change from one medical option to another, for example, from the Account-based Option to the Traditional Option.
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Drop the Corporation's coverage if you prefer to be covered under your domestic partner's employer's plan.
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Enroll your domestic partner and/or new dependent children for coverage within 31 days of establishing the domestic partnership. Remember that you can change your coverage only within your current plan (for example, go from the "self only" to the "self plus one" coverage level within your current dental option).
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DMO coverage is not available for domestic partners in Georgia and Virginia, so in those states you can change from DMO coverage to The McGraw-Hill Companies Dental Plan.
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Drop the Corporation's coverage if you prefer to be covered under your domestic partner's employer's plan.
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Enroll your domestic partner and/or new dependent children for coverage within 31 days of establishing the domestic partnership.
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Drop the Corporation's coverage if you prefer to be covered under your domestic partner's employer's plan.
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Begin or stop participation, or make changes in the amount you contribute, within 31 days of establishing the domestic partnership.
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Remember that your domestic partner's eligible healthcare expenses may only be reimbursed from your FSA if your domestic partner qualifies as your tax dependent.
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Your coverage under the short-term and basic long-term disability (LTD) plans continues unchanged.
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Review your supplemental LTD participation. Keep in mind, you need to provide evidence of insurability to enroll in this coverage.
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Employee Life and Accident Insurance
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Your basic life insurance and travel accident coverage continues unchanged.
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Begin participation or change your coverage options under the supplemental life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance plans. Keep in mind, you need to provide evidence of insurability.
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Review and update your beneficiary designations as needed. Note that your domestic partner does not automatically become your beneficiary. If you die, your life and accident benefits will be paid to the beneficiary on record unless you update your beneficiary designation. If you die with no named beneficiary, your benefits will be paid in accordance with the guidelines stipulated in the Plan documents.
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Dependent Life and Accident Insurance
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If you live in Connecticut, New Jersey and New York and have a valid same-sex civil union you can purchase life and accident insurance coverage for your domestic partner.
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Coverage in other states is provided through insurance contracts that do not include domestic partner coverage. Therefore, if you live in a state other than those listed above, you cannot purchase life insurance coverage through the Corporation's plans for your domestic partner.
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Property/Casualty Insurance
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Review your auto, homeowner's, renter's, and other property/casualty insurance needs, and evaluate the METPAY coverage options.
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Review your participation in the 401(k) Savings and Profit Sharing Plan. Determine if you need to make any adjustments to your savings and investment strategy.
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Be aware that if you want your domestic partner to receive survivor benefits for these Plans, you need to submit a revised beneficiary designation form specifically naming your new domestic partner as your beneficiary.
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