When coverage ends

Coverage for you and your dependents under the Stryker Corporation Welfare Benefits Plan ends on the earliest of the following dates:

The date you leave Stryker or fail to pay required coverage costs (unless you are on an approved leave and payments are made upon your return)

The date you are no longer an eligible employee

The date you drop coverage due to a qualifying life event

If you elect to drop healthcare benefits during annual enrollment, on the December 31 following the annual enrollment period

The date the plan is terminated

The date the plan administrator terminates your coverage for reasons as described in the "Termination of Coverage for Cause" box that follows

In addition, dependent coverage also ends:

On the date your coverage ends

On the last day of the month in which your dependent child turns age 26

On the date your dependent child otherwise ceases to qualify as a dependent under the plan

In the case of your spouse, on the date your divorce or annulment is final. In the case of your domestic partner, on the date you and your partner complete a Termination of Domestic Partnership form and have it approved by your Benefits representative

Termination of coverage for cause

The plan will provide prior written notice to you that your coverage will end on the date identified in the notice if:

You commit an act, practice, or omission that constituted fraud, or an intentional misrepresentation of a material fact including, but not limited to, false information relating to eligibility or status; or

You commit an act of physical or verbal abuse that imposes a threat to the plan's staff, third party or insurance carrier's staff, a provider or another covered person.

When your coverage ends, claims will be paid for covered healthcare services that you received before your coverage ended. However, once your coverage ends, benefits are not provided for healthcare services that you receive after coverage ended, even if the underlying medical condition occurred before your coverage ended.

If you are enrolled in a medical plan option other than the UnitedHealthcare PPO, HSA, or Out-of-Area plan, check the supplemental summary plan description for the applicable plan (provided in the Location-Based Provisions section) or contact your Benefits representative for specific information regarding eligibility requirements. If coverage under the plan ends, you or your dependents may be able to choose COBRA continuation coverage. For more information, see "COBRA: continuing healthcare coverage."