A benefit premium was deducted but you did not enroll

Applies to: US W-2 employees who see a benefit premium on a pay stub for coverage they do not believe they elected. Independent contractors have nothing withheld from their payments.

Summary: Start by reading the deduction line on your pay stub and comparing it with the elections on record in your enrollment portal. Some deductions come from a step completed during onboarding that is easy to forget, and some are for coverage of a dependent that was added. If the two do not match, email support@ascen.com with the pay date and the exact line.

Check your pay stub first

Open your Paychecks page at app.ascen.com and look at the deduction lines. Each names the coverage it relates to. Understanding your US pay stub: earnings, taxes, and deductions explains what each section shows. Note the pay date and the exact wording of the line, because that is what identifies the deduction.

Then check what you are actually enrolled in

Your elections live in your benefits enrollment portal, not on your pay stub. Sign in and compare what is listed there against what was deducted. US Benefits Enrollment Guide covers how to get in and read your elections.

Two things account for most surprises. Coverage may have been elected during onboarding as part of a step that was completed quickly, and a plan elected for you plus a dependent costs more than one for you alone. Neither is an error, but both are worth confirming before assuming one.

Changing or cancelling coverage

Outside your enrollment window, elections can normally only be changed after a qualifying life event, which is why coverage cannot always simply be switched off on request. See How can I change my benefits? for what can be changed and when.

If the deduction really is wrong

Email support@ascen.com with:

• the pay date on the stub;

• the deduction line exactly as it appears;

• what you believe you elected, and when.

We compare the deduction against your elections on record and correct anything that does not match. For questions about the plans themselves, including what a plan covers and who to call about a claim, see Who do I contact about my healthcare benefits?.