What happens if an enrollment is submitted “late?”
Many plans do not permit enrollment outside the annual open enrollment period. If that is the case, the employee or dependent must wait until the plan’s next open enrollment period to enroll. However, if the employee or his dependent experiences a special enrollment event prior to the next open enrollment period, he may have an opportunity to enroll earlier. If your plan permits late enrollments, the employee or dependent may be treated as a “late entrant.” His effective date may be delayed, and he may be subject to a longer pre-existing condition exclusion period.
