Life Events – How to Change your Benefits

If the circumstances of your life change, Harvard has many resources and services that can help you – as well as perks that you may want to take advantage of. You may also be able to adjust your benefits to meet your new needs.

Certain events as defined by the IRS permit you to make benefit changes during the year that normally can only be made during the annual open enrollment, held each year in October/November. If you experience such a "qualified" event, you have 30 days to make any eligible changes. The change(s) must be consistent with the qualifying event.

Events that permit you to make benefit changes include:

Effective March 20, 2024 - We Are Moving!

On March 20, Harvard Benefits will be moving to 124 Mount Auburn Street.

Our new location does not allow for unscheduled walk-in traffic, so in-person meetings will be by appointment only. We strongly encourage virtual Teams/Zoom appointments when possible.

Virtual and in-person appointments for faculty, staff, and retirees can be scheduled by calling 617-496-4001 or by emailing benefits@harvard.edu.

Effective January 1, 2024: Address Change Auto-Enrollment

Beginning January 1, 2024, if you have a change in address that affects your medical plan enrollment (moving outside your medical plan's service area) and you do not make a new election within 30 days of the change, you will be defaulted* into a new medical plan as follows (retroactive to your change in address):

Default Medical Plan Enrollment
Type of Move Current Medical Plan Enrollment Default Medical Plan Enrollment
Into New England

BCBS PPO
BCBS PPO Plus

BCBS POS
Outside of New England BCBS HMO
BCBS POS
BCBS POS Plus
BCBS PPO
Outside of Massachusetts

HUGHP HMO
HUGHP POS
HUGHP POS Plus

BCBS POS
Any of the Above Waived Waived

For more information, please read the Change of Address FAQs.

* This does not apply to retirees. If you are are a retiree and you move outside your plan's service area and do not make a new election within 30 days, your medical coverage will be terminated retroactive to the date of your address change.

How To Make Changes When You Have a Qualified Life Event

Marriage, registration of domestic partnership, and adoption/birth of a child: Go to PeopleSoft Self Service where you can add the event, upload the supporting documentation, and make changes to your benefits. Note that you cannot add the event prior to the event date.

All other qualified life events: Call Benefits as soon as possible at 617-496-4001, or by email at benefits@harvard.edu, in order to make changes within the 30-day enrollment period. Once you have contacted Benefits, an enrollment packet with instructions on how to make changes via PeopleSoft will be mailed to your home. The packet will also include information on submitting any required documentation.

Also related:

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of employee benefits information presented here. If there is any discrepancy between the information presented here and Harvard’s formal benefits plan documents, the latter will prevail.