Eligibility rules and waiting periods

When you're setting up health benefits, you control exactly when new hires become eligible. Most employers choose a standard 90-day waiting period, but you can customize eligibility rules to match your workforce needs and ACA requirements.

Setting Your Waiting Period

Your waiting period is the time between when someone starts work and when their coverage begins. The ACA caps this at 90 calendar days, but you can choose any period up to that limit:

• First day of employment — immediate coverage
• 30 days — quick access for new hires
• 60 days — balances access with administrative time
• 90 days — maximum allowed under ACA rules

For variable-hour employees, you'll need additional rules to determine who qualifies as full-time under the ACA.

Measurement and Stability Periods

The ACA provides safe harbor methods for tracking variable-hour employees. These rules help you determine which employees work enough hours to require an offer of coverage.

Initial measurement period tracks hours for new variable-hour employees. You can set this between 3 and 12 months. During this time, the employee works while you measure their average hours to determine if they'll qualify as full-time.

Stability period follows the measurement period. If an employee averaged 30+ hours per week during measurement, they're considered full-time for the entire stability period regardless of current hours. This period must be at least 6 months but no shorter than the measurement period.

Your Benefi configuration enforces these rules automatically. When you set your eligibility parameters, the system tracks measurement periods, calculates average hours, and triggers enrollment when employees qualify. This removes the manual burden of ACA compliance tracking while ensuring you meet all regulatory requirements.