Eligibility and Enrollment
Hormel Foods' benefits are designed to support your unique needs.
Who Is Eligible
Coverage is available to you and your eligible dependents, including your spouse or domestic partner and your children up to age 26.
When Coverage Begins
Elections made during Open Enrollment (November 2 - 16, 2026) take effect January 1, 2027 and stay in place for the full plan year. Dependent documentation must be received by December 16, 2026. Outside of Open Enrollment, you have 60 days from a qualifying life event to make a change, and the new coverage takes effect based on the date of that event.
Eligible Dependents
Coverage for Health Care and Life Insurance Benefits is available to you and your eligible dependents, which includes your spouse/domestic partner and children up to age 26.
Domestic partner eligibility
Your domestic partner qualifies through either path below.
- Registered domestic partner or civil union partner from a jurisdiction that recognizes such partnerships.
- Or: both adults 18 or older, not married to or legally separated from anyone else and no other domestic partners.
- In a committed, mutually exclusive relationship of at least 12 months intended to be permanent.
- Joint responsibility for welfare and financial obligations.
- Share the same principal residence and intend to do so permanently.
- Not related by blood; each mentally competent.
- A Declaration of Domestic Partnership form plus supporting documentation is required before coverage is approved (Oracle: Help Desk / My Knowledge).
Dependent children
Children are eligible up to age 26, regardless of student or marital status.
- Your children
- Your domestic partner's children (only if your domestic partner is on coverage)
- Stepchildren
- Legally adopted children
- Legal ward (custodian)
- Children in the process of adoption placed in your home
- Children covered by a Qualified Medical Child Support Order (QMCSO)
- Disabled children who meet the requirements in the Summary Plan Descriptions (health care coverage only)
If your child is turning 26 during the calendar year, their healthcare coverage under your plan will continue through the end of the month in which they turn 26. This event qualifies as a life event, allowing them to enroll in a new health insurance plan through their own provider at that time.
Documentation Requirements
Documentation must be provided by December 16, 2026 to verify dependent eligibility.
Spouse
- Registered marriage certificate
- OR most recent 1040 tax return
Children
- Registered birth certificate showing names of parent(s)
Stepchildren
- Registered birth certificate
- Registered marriage certificate
Legal ward children
- Court or legal paperwork granting guardianship or custodianship
Qualifying Life Events
- Change in dependents (birth, adoption, or a child losing eligibility)
- Change in marital status (marriage, divorce, or legal separation)
- Change in employment status (yours or your spouse/domestic partner's, gaining or losing coverage)
- Entitlement to or loss of Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP eligibility
- Marketplace eligibility or a change in address/location affecting coverage
- Turning 26 off a parent's plan, or a death in the family
When a Qualifying Life Event occurs, you have 60 days from the date of the event to request changes to your coverage or enroll a new dependent. Your change in coverage must be consistent with your change in status. These life events need to be submitted in Oracle under Benefits by selecting Report a Life Event. Contact the Horizon Solution Center with questions.
How to Enroll
- Log in to Oracle at yoursource.hormel.com or the Oracle HCM Cloud mobile app.
- Go to the Benefits section and select Enroll Now.
- Choose Discovery to review each benefit individually, or Express to review current elections and change only what you need.
- Review and add your dependents and beneficiaries.
- Select Edit, then Enroll under each benefit you want.
- Confirm and submit your enrollment.
- Save, screenshot, or print the confirmation page - no confirmation statements are mailed.