HAR §14-51-23. Duration of elections

(a) An employee's benefit election shall remain in effect for the duration of the person's employment or the duration of this plan unless canceled or changed as provided below: (1) An employee may voluntarily cancel or change a benefit election during a designated enrollment period, in which case the cancellation shall become effective at the beginning of the following plan year. (2) An employee may make a new benefit election, or may cancel or change an existing benefit election pursuant to the conditions and limitations specified in section 14-51-24. The new benefit election or change shall become effective on the first day of the month following the date the employee files a benefit election form with the employing agency. The cancellation shall become effective on the last day of the month in which the employee files a benefit election form with the employing agency. (3) The plan administrator may cancel an employee's benefit election because the employee is no longer eligible for benefits under a component plan, in which case the cancellation shall become effective as of the same date on which the component plan coverage is canceled, and the employee may not make a new benefit election until the next designated enrollment period. 51-8 §14-51-23 (4) An employee's benefit election shall be canceled and such employee's participation in this plan shall cease at the end of the plan year in which the termination of employment occurred, except: (A) An employee may cancel his benefit election upon termination from service. (B) The benefit election of an employee who terminates from service but is re-employed during the same plan year and who continues enrollment in or newly enrolls in at least the same component plan(s) with the same coverage as that in effect at the time of the termination from service shall be deemed to continue without interruption upon re-employment. (C) The benefit election of an employee who terminates from service but is re-employed during the same plan year and who does not continue enrollment or enroll in at least the same component plan(s) with the same coverage as that in effect at the time of the termination from service shall be canceled upon re-employment unless such change is on account of one of the conditions listed under section 14-51-24(a). (D) An employee whose benefit election is voluntarily or involuntarily canceled shall be ineligible to re-enroll in the plan until the next enrollment period. (5) Upon termination of this plan pursuant to section 14-51-61, all benefit elections shall be canceled as provided for by section 14-51-63. (b) An employee on a leave of absence without pay shall be eligible to continue coverage in the plan provided that the employee makes any after-tax contributions required to continue coverage under the component plan in which the employee has elected to participate. If the component plan coverage is canceled as a result of non-payment of contributions, the benefit election authorization shall, likewise, 51-9 1