Name and Address Changes

A member whose name is legally changed, who wants to correct their name or who has a new home address should complete a Subscriber Change Request form and submit it to you. You will then need to fax or mail the Subscriber Change Request form to the Blue Shield Processing Department:

For companies with 1 to 50 eligible employees
Blue Shield of California
P.O. Box 3008
Lodi, CA 95241-1912
Fax: (209) 367-6475

For companies with 101 or more eligible employees
Blue Shield of California
P.O. Box 629014
El Dorado Hills, CA 95762-9014
Fax: (916) 350-8800

Leave of Absence

When an employee takes a leave of absence consistent with your company's personnel policy, no special action is needed regarding Blue Shield coverage.

If your company requires employees to pay for their group health plan coverage during a leave period, payment must be made payable to your company and not to Blue Shield. We will include the name of the employee on leave on your monthly billing statement.

If an employee is on an approved family leave and your company is subject to the federal Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, payment of the employee’s dues will maintain coverage for any allowable time periods.

The length of an employee leave of absence or any subsequent termination is determined by your company's personnel policy.

You must notify Blue Shield when you terminate the employee by calling the Group Eligibility Customer Service at
(800) 325-5166. An employee who is on leave and is terminated may qualify for continuation coverage similar to a terminated employee who is actively working on his or her last day of coverage.

Divorce or Legal Separation

When an employee divorces, his or her dependent children do not lose eligibility for coverage, and may continue to be covered as the employee’s dependents. If the employee decides to cancel the children's group coverage, he or she may elect COBRA or Cal-COBRA Continuation for them within the 60-day election period.

The former spouse does lose eligibility for coverage under the group plan, but may be eligible for COBRA or Cal-COBRA continuation coverage.

Termination of Domestic Partnership

When a domestic partnership legally terminates or a same-sex marriage ends in divorce, group coverage of the employee's domestic partner or same-sex spouse ends at the end of the month in which the termination or divorces occurs. The coverage for children of the employee's domestic partner or same-sex spouse also ends.

Although the employee's domestic partner or same sex spouse and their children are not eligible for federal COBRA, coverage with Cal-COBRA is possible.

For possible Cal-COBRA coverage, the employee must provide Blue Shield or the employee's benefits administrator with the domestic partner's or the same-sex spouse's forwarding address, so that the appropriate notification can be mailed.

Please consult your Administrator's Guide for more information.