What if I have more than one address?

Health plans are dependent on geography. The plans, carriers, networks, and pricing available to you depend on where you live, so your address determines which plans you can shop and enroll in. If you split your time between more than one location ( or you have a dependent who does — this article explains how to think about which address to use.

The short version: enroll using the address where you actually live and receive care. Below are some common situations and what to do in each.

Which Address Counts?

Your plan should be tied to the residence where you are currently living and where you'll use your coverage. This is the address where you can receive care from in-network providers.

If you have a permanent home in one state but you're temporarily living somewhere else and can claim a residential address there, you generally have two valid options:

Enroll where you currently reside. If you can claim a residential address at your current location, you can enroll in a local plan so you have in-network coverage where you actually are. When you move back to your permanent home, you would then submit a coverage change request due to a move (see below).
Enroll at your permanent home address if that's where you'll be receiving care, even if you travel elsewhere.

The goal is always the same: make sure your coverage's network matches where you'll actually be seeing doctors and filling prescriptions.

Example: Temporarily Living in a Different State

Say your primary residence is in Massachusetts, but you're currently staying somewhere else for an extended period.

If Massachusetts is where you'll be receiving care, enroll using your Massachusetts address.
If you're living elsewhere long enough to need local coverage, and you can claim a residential address at that location, you can enroll in a plan there so you have in-network access where you are. When you return home to Massachusetts, submit a coverage change request due to a move so that you can select a new plan to match your permanent address.

A permanent move to a new coverage area is a Qualifying Life Event (QLE), which lets you change plans outside of Open Enrollment. See Qualifying Life Events (QLE) for Special Enrollments for details on how to initiate the request and what documentation may be needed.

Important: A move-related plan change is time-sensitive. Submit your change request in your benefitbay® profile promptly after you move. Delaying may cause you to miss your window to update your coverage.

Example: A Dependent Who Is a College Student

Dependents don't always live at the same address as the employee. A common case is a child who is away at college in another state.

If your dependent wants their coverage tied to where their school is located (so they have in-network doctors and pharmacies near campus) they may need to be enrolled on a separate plan using their college address as their primary residence, rather than being included on your household plan.

Things to keep in mind:

Plan availability and networks near the college may be completely different from what's offered at your home address.
Enrolling the student separately lets their plan's network match where they actually live during the school year.
Make sure the student can claim a residential address at their college location before enrolling them there.
Some colleges may offer free or low-cost basic medical services at their campus health clinic, as well as student health insurance plans (SHIPs) for an added cost. In this case, you may choose to keep students on their family's plan for when they return home or to use in case of emergencies. Check with the dependent's institution to explore these options before making this decision.

Before deciding, weigh whether keeping the dependent on your household plan gives them adequate access to care where they're living. If the answer is no, a separate plan tied to the campus address is usually the better fit.