Available coverage for domestic partners includes:

• Health insurance 
• Dental insurance
• Accidental death and dismemberment insurance
• Spouse/partner and dependent voluntary term life insurance
• Voluntary vision insurance

Children of either you or your domestic partner may be insured under any of the benefit programs providing they meet the guidelines which the insurance carrier and the university have established.

What changes when you add a domestic partner:

• Your family status for benefits will change.
• If you are classified as employee only for benefits coverage, adding a domestic partner with or without a child(ren) will increase your costs.
• If you already cover your child(ren), adding your partner’s child(ren) to your coverage will not result in an increased cost to you.
• There will be associated changes in premiums and university contributions when adding a domestic partner with or without dependents.
• There may be changes in your tax liability.

Costs for Adding a Domestic Partner

There are important tax implications to be aware of when covering a domestic partner. Visit domestic partner tax implications for more information.

Rates and enrollment instructions. 

Starting the Process

1. In order to cover a domestic partner, you must file an affidavit of domestic partnership (which is valid for same or opposite-sex partners): Affidavit for Domestic Partnership (pdf)
2. You only need to complete this affidavit once and it will remain in effect until such time the relationship ends.
   • If the relationship ends: It is your responsibility to notify University Benefits by filing an Affidavit for Termination of Domestic Partnership (pdf).
   •  A new affidavit is required for a new domestic partner relationship.
3. Complete the affidavit and submit it to University Benefits by email to benefits@uiowa.edu or by campus mail to 120 USB.
4. Upon review and approval of your affidavit, University Benefits will contact you by email with instructions to update your elections in Employee Self Service.
   • You will be required to submit supporting documentation for anyone that you are adding to your plan (e.g. domestic partner, children). University Benefits will contact you for this information.

COBRA Coverage

The university will apply the federal COBRA regulations for your domestic partner. If your domestic partner's insurance is canceled as a result of termination of your employment, ending of the domestic partner relationship, or a child of the partner no longer qualifying as a dependent, then the individual who loses the coverage will be eligible to continue the insurance on a voluntary basis through COBRA.

The issue of benefits for your domestic partner is complex. If you have additional questions, please feel free to contact University Benefits. All information supplied by you and your domestic partner is kept confidential and this information is only released to the insurance carrier or to parties which are involved in the processing of enrollments and deductions.