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| MEDICAL |
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| Making
Changes |
Under IRS rules and/or state regulations, once you have made your medical
plan elections for the coming year, you may not change them during that
year unless you have a qualified change in status that results in the
gain or loss of eligibility for coverage. Qualified changes in status
generally include changes in:
- Your marital status, including marriage, civil union, divorce,
legal separation, annulment or death of a spouse
- Entering or terminating a domestic partnership (Valassis policy,
not IRS regulations, allows this change)
- The number of your dependents, including birth, adoption, placement
for adoption or death of a dependent
- Employment status for you, your spouse or dependent, such as starting
a new job, starting or returning from a leave of absence or stopping
employment
- Work schedule, such as a switch between part-time (less than 37.5
hours per week) and full-time employment (37.5 hours or more per week)
- Dependent status (for example, your dependent child over age 19
is no longer a full-time student)
- Residence or work location for you, your spouse or dependent (for
example, you move out of your HMO network service area)
If you make an election change, it must be consistent with your change
in status and must be made within 31 days of the event. If you marry,
for example, you may add your spouse to your medical plan.
If you have a qualified change in status, you must contact your Human
Resources Representative (Valassis Communications, Inc. and NCH associates
paid through ADP) or access www.valassisbenefits.com
within 31 calendar days of the qualified change in status (Valassis
Direct Mail and Sales & Marketing associates paid through PeopleSoft).
You will be required to supply additional documentation to support your
change, which will need to be submitted within 31 days of the event
as well. Otherwise, you will need to wait until the next open enrollment
period to make a change.
This 31-day limit does not apply to court orders that are determined
to be Qualified Medical Child Support Orders requiring you to cover
an eligible child under the medical plan. Valassis must follow the terms
of such a qualified court order regardless of when it is received.
Note: Your physician leaving the PPO or HMO network
is not considered a qualifying event. You will not be able to change
your medical plan option until the next open enrollment period.
Other Opportunities to Change Your Elections
In addition to qualified changes in status, IRS rules permit
you to make election changes during the year in the following circumstances:
- Court orders. If a Qualified Medical Child Support
Order is issued requiring health coverage for your child, you may
change your medical plan election to provide coverage for that child.
- Entitlement to Medicare or Medicaid. If you, your
spouse or dependent is enrolled in an Valassis-sponsored medical plan
and subsequently becomes entitled to coverage in Part A or Part B
of Medicare or in Medicaid, you may make an election to cancel medical
plan coverage for that individual.
If one of these events occurs and you wish to make a related change
in your current medical plan enrollment, you must contact your Human
Resources representative (Valassis Communications, Inc. and NCH associates
paid through ADP) or the Associate Resource Center (Valassis Direct
Mail and Sales & Marketing associates paid through PeopleSoft) within
31 calendar days of the event.
 
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Summary Plan Description
The legal summary of this benefit will be included in the
2011 Benefits Handbook.
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