Before you begin
Health Wallet Manager has no dedicated qualifying life event flow. Instead, you can use existing tools that match the benefit change the member needs. Depending on the situation, you can:
Enroll a member who is newly eligible for a benefit.
Unenroll a member who has lost eligibility.
Increase the funds available on a flexible spending account (FSA) or limited-purpose FSA (LP-FSA).
Update a member’s recurring contributions.
What you can’t do
For FSAs and LP-FSAs, you can’t edit a member’s election amount directly once their benefit is active. The available tools can increase the member’s available funds or remove the member from the benefit, but they can’t lower an active election. The election amount and available funds are normally the same figure for these benefits, but after you add funds via Initial Funding, the member's balance reflects the new amount while the Annual Election Amount field still shows the original amount.
What counts as a qualifying life event
A qualifying life event is a change in a member’s circumstances that may allow them to adjust their benefit elections outside open enrollment, provided the change is consistent with the event. Common examples include marriage or divorce, the birth or adoption of a child, a change in employment status that affects the member’s eligibility for the benefit, or a member or dependent gaining or losing other coverage.
To confirm whether a situation qualifies and what changes it allows, refer to IRS guidance.
Choose the right path for your scenario
Use the table below to find the right tool for the member’s situation. Each path has its own section with steps.
The member’s situation | What you’ll do | Section |
Newly eligible for a benefit | Enroll them | How to enroll a newly eligible member |
Lost eligibility/must exit | Unenroll them | How to unenroll a member from a benefit |
FSA or LP-FSA election amount increased and they need funds now | Add the difference via Initial Funding | How to increase available funds on an FSA or LP-FSA |
HSA or DC-FSA contribution should change going forward | Update recurring contributions | How to update recurring contributions |
How to enroll a newly eligible member
Use this path when a qualifying life event makes a member newly eligible for a benefit. You can enroll one member manually or several at once with an enrollment spreadsheet.
For the full steps, see Enroll members in benefits.
How to unenroll a member from a benefit
Use this path when a qualifying life event causes a member to lose eligibility. Unenrolling removes the member from the benefit offering.
For the full steps, see Unenroll members from a benefit plan.
How to increase available funds on an FSA or LP-FSA
Why you can’t edit the election amount directly
Once a member’s FSA enrollment is active, the election amount can’t be edited in Health Wallet Manager. To change the funds available to the member, use the Initial Funding workflow above.
Use this path when a qualifying life event raises a member’s FSA or LP-FSA election amount, and they need the additional funds now. You add the increase using the Initial Funding workflow. Before you enter an amount:
Initial funding is additive. Enter only the supplemental amount needed to reach the new total election, not the full new election. For example, if a member’s election rises from $1,000 to $1,500, you would enter $500.
This workflow can only increase a balance. It can’t reduce one.
For the full steps, see Increase FSA & LP-FSA starting balances.
How to update recurring contributions
Use this path for changes that should apply to future contributions, including Health Savings Account (HSA) and dependent care FSA (DC-FSA) changes.
For the full steps, see Update recurring contribution amounts. If a member needs funds before the next scheduled contribution, see Make a catch-up contribution.
For HSAs and DC-FSAs, the election amount is for reporting only
On HSAs and DC-FSAs, the annual election field doesn’t move any money — it’s recorded for reporting, and you can safely enter the true amount. What actually funds the account is the initial and recurring contribution amounts. To change what an HSA or DC-FSA member receives after a qualifying life event, update their contributions rather than the election. FSAs and LP-FSAs work the opposite way: the election drives the member’s starting balance.