Employee Benefits Checklist Before Leaving a Job
List your work benefits before a job change. Track coverage dates, plan contacts, costs, doctors and prescriptions with this printable checklist.
Before you change jobs, find out what happens to your family’s benefits. Write down who is covered, who runs each plan, and when coverage would end. Ask what it would cost to keep or replace it. Save your personal records somewhere you can reach after your work login stops working.
Gather the plan details before comparing replacements. Keep policy numbers and personal records somewhere private.
List the coverage your household uses
Include medical, dental, vision, disability, life, and any other employer benefits you rely on. Note who is covered, the person or company that runs the plan, and where the current plan documents are stored.
| Benefit | People covered | Plan contact | Document location | Question to resolve |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
| ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ | ___ |
Record retirement-plan contacts separately. Don’t move retirement money just to tidy up the paperwork. Moving or taking it out can affect taxes and other parts of your finances. Get advice for your situation first.
Ask for dates in writing
For each benefit, ask what happens if employment ends or hours change. Request the coverage end date, whether you can keep or change the coverage, the deadline to choose, and the full cost.
The Department of Labor explains what can happen to health and retirement benefits after job loss. Use the actual plan documents and administrator’s response for your situation. Department of Labor guidance.
Compare more than the monthly price
For a health-plan comparison, check the monthly price and what you must pay for care. Find out whether your doctors and medicines are covered, when coverage starts, and how it handles care you already need. Ask the plan to confirm coverage for your doctors, medicines and ongoing care.
Marketplace assistance considers household income and other eligibility factors. HealthCare.gov explains how to report income and compare options after losing employer coverage. Don’t assume a month without wages means the application asks for zero annual income. HealthCare.gov guidance.
Printable benefits check
- Saved lawful personal copies of current documents.
- Recorded administrators and personal login access.
- Listed covered household members.
- Requested end dates and election deadlines.
- Asked for the full cost of available options.
- Included current doctors and prescriptions in comparisons.
- Kept retirement decisions separate from this week’s bill plan.
Update the inventory during open enrollment and after a household change. File the previous version with its date so you can tell which information was current when a question arose.
Useful gear for this job
Use what you already own, then fill the gaps that matter for this plan.
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Plan papers
Protected personal records
Sources
Frequently asked questions
- What should I compare between health plans?
- Compare the monthly price, what you pay when you use care, covered doctors and medicines, and the start date. Ask each plan how it covers any care you already receive.