Employers: New Members

Employers are responsible for ensuring their employees are immediately added to the SHBP Enrollment Portal by transmitting a new hire record to SHBP for each employee evidencing his/her benefits eligibility or ineligibility for SHBP coverage, even if the employee is not selecting coverage or is ineligible for coverage.  Below are answers to frequently asked questions.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • When Should New Hires or Newly Eligible Employees Enroll in SHBP Coverage?
    • New Hires must enroll in health coverage within 31 days of their hire date in a benefits eligible position, and 
    • Newly Eligible Employees must enroll in health coverage within 31 days of the date they transition to a benefits eligible position.

    For Employees added to the SHBP Enrollment Portal in a timely manner who: 1) choose to not initially enroll in coverage or 2) are initially ineligible to enroll in coverage, Employers ensure they have the opportunity to enroll in coverage at a later date within the required timeframes due to Open Enrollment, a Qualifying Event, a Special Enrollment Event, or if their eligibility status changes.

  • How Do My Employees Enroll in SHBP Coverage?

    Employers should direct their employees to take the following steps:

    • Visit the SHBP Enrollment Portal 24 Hours a Day/7 Days Per Week (for instructions on registering or logging in the SHBP Enrollment Portal, click here), or
    • Contact SHBP Member Services at 800-610-1863, Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET and Saturday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET

Employers must ensure their employees make elections directly with SHBP via the SHBP Enrollment Portal or SHBP Member Services. Directing your employees to make their elections through any other process than the two options provided above will result in them failing to make an election within the time period required by SHBP; and they must wait until the next Open Enrollment period, unless the employee experiences another Qualifying Event or Special Enrollment Event to enroll in health coverage.

An Employer’s failure to take steps to provide an election window for their employees by transmitting a new hire record to hire New Employees and the applicable record to update the benefits eligibility/ineligibility status for current employees, or an employee’s failure to enroll or make coverage changes within 31 days is considered waiving coverage even if the Employer is at fault.