Don’t Forget About CoverTN’s 30-Day Enrollment Rule
Employers participating in CoverTN cannot enforce any waiting period (or probationary period) before a new employee becomes eligible for coverage. In fact, CoverTN requires that all new employees must submit an enrollment form to BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee (BCBST) within 30 days of their hire date. Those who fail to enroll within 30 days of the qualifying event date must wait to sign up during CoverTN’s annual open enrollment period in October. This 30-day enrollment rule also applies to certain other types of applicants. See the Enrollment Timeframe Table below for a complete list of applicants to which this rule applies.
Enrollment Timeframe Table |
Type of Applicant |
Enrollment Deadline |
If 30-Day Enrollment Deadline Missed |
New employee |
30 days from hire date |
Must wait to enroll during open enrollment |
Spouse of new hire |
30 days from hire date of spouse |
Must wait to enroll during open enrollment |
Newly eligible employee
- who now meets the rule to be uninsured for six months prior to enrollment
- who lost credible health coverage
- who exhausted COBRA coverage
|
30 days from eligibility date |
Must wait to enroll during open enrollment |
Spouse of newly eligible employee |
30 days from eligibility date of spouse |
Must wait to enroll during open enrollment |
New spouse of enrolled employee |
30 days from marriage date |
Must wait to enroll during open enrollment |
Enrollment forms must be submitted within the allotted timeframe or coverage will be denied. Keep in mind that BCBST will also accept enrollment forms up to 45 days prior to the qualifying event date. This allows individuals coming off a health plan to avoid any gap in coverage.
Coverage for applicants enrolling during open enrollment take effect January 1 of the following year. For more information, review the CoverTN Business Owner’s Reference Manual online at bcbst.com.
To order a copy of the enrollment form, call Member Services at
1-888-887-3224.
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®BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Inc., an Independent Licensee of the BlueCross BlueShield Association.