What are Stop Dates?
The stop date entered on an employee's enrollment is the date a benefit ends. This date also becomes the end date on the benefit's deductions.
For changes to employee's benefits that you know ahead of time, a future stop date can be entered for the benefit.
If an employee's benefit changes, it is recommended that you do not change the employee's current benefit. Instead, stop the current benefit and re-add the employee in the same plan with the new coverage or contributions. Re-adding the benefit provides an online audit trail of changes.
Example of future stop date
In the beginning of May 2000, an employee who currently has health coverage notifies the benefits department that she will be going on to her spouse's health plan effective the first of July 2000. The stop date of June 30, 2000 would be entered upon notification and the employee's benefit and deductions would not stop until that date.
Example of changing a current benefit
All benefit changes at River Bend Hospital need to be effective by the first of the month. When an employee notifies the benefits department in mid-July 2000 that with the birth of her first child she wants to change from single + one to full family coverage. The benefits department will input a stop date of July 31, 2000 on her current health benefit and add another benefit for the same plan with the full family option for August 1, 2000.
This will leave an audit trail of when the employee changed coverage from single + one to full family.