You must enroll in order to be covered for any of the benefits under the Stryker Corporation Welfare Benefits Plan.

You are required as a condition of enrollment to provide your Social Security number and the Social Security numbers of each family member for whom you are requesting coverage. You must enroll via the Benefits Enrollment Site at http://enroll.stryker.com, or by completing an enrollment form and returning it to your Benefits representative along with the required dependent documentation within 30 days of your hire date (including your date of hire) in order to complete the enrollment on a pre-tax basis.

The cost of coverage for a domestic partner and their eligible children (if any) will be deducted from your paycheck on a post-tax basis, and the cost Stryker pays for this coverage will be treated as imputed income unless they qualify as a tax dependent.

If you fail to enroll or provide dependent documentation to your Benefits representative within 30 days of your date of hire, you may still be able to enroll them for coverage, as long as you do so within 120 days of your date of hire (including your date of hire). However, contributions will be deducted from your paycheck on a post-tax basis for the remainder of the plan year in which you properly completed the enrollment and will be payable retroactively to your date of hire. (In specific locations, HMO and other fully insured plans are offered, which are administered by the insurance carriers. These carriers may not always agree to the extension of benefits for those enrolling after 30 days of their hire date. Please contact your Benefits representative for more information.)

If you don't properly enroll and submit all of the requested documentation within 120 days of your date of hire (including your hire date), you will not be enrolled in any of the healthcare coverages. You will not be able to enroll for medical, prescription drug, dental or vision coverage during the year unless you have a qualifying life event or qualify for a HIPAA special enrollment period.

If failure to enroll with all of the required documentation within the applicable timeframes is due to circumstances beyond your control, please submit an appeal for further consideration as instructed in the Medical and Rx Claims Procedures, Dental or Vision section.

You may choose to waive coverage under the plan. If you waive coverage, you will not be able to enroll until the next annual enrollment period unless you experience a qualifying life event or HIPAA special enrollment event.

In certain circumstances, you may also have the option to enroll in a Stryker medical plan not listed among your available options on the Benefits Enrollment Site. If you wish to enroll in a plan that's available in your area but not listed as an option, you must contact your Benefits representative during the annual enrollment period (or within 30 days if you are newly hired or have a qualifying life event that permits a medical plan election) to request a change.

You must check your enrollment confirmation for any errors. If you do not correct any errors within the enrollment period, you will not be permitted to make any changes unless you subsequently have a qualifying life event or qualify for HIPAA special enrollment rights as described under "Making changes."