If you meet the eligibility requirements for the Fund’s health care coverage, you may choose to enroll your eligible dependents. Eligible dependents are defined as follows:
- Spouse or certified domestic partner
- Your legally married spouse
- Your certified domestic partner* (A Certificate of Registration of Domestic Partnership must be filed with the California Secretary of State. Both partners must satisfy the criteria for domestic partnership under California law, and you may enroll your opposite-sex domestic partner only if at least one of you is age 62 or older.)
Clerk’s Helpers and Utility Clerks may not enroll a spouse/domestic partner for coverage.
Your child(ren) under age 26, if they are your
- Natural child
- Legally adopted child (or child placed for adoption)
- Step-child
- A child you are required to cover under a Qualified Medical Child Support Order.
- Your eligible domestic partner’s child(ren)* who meet the following criteria:
- They are unmarried, and
- They are dependent on you for support and maintenance, and
- They are (a) under age 19 or (b) under age 24 if also a full-time student at an accredited educational institution.
- A foster child, including:
- A foster child placed by a government agency or court order, under age 26
- A foster child who meets the criteria noted in the Fund’s Application for Coverage of a Foster Child as an Eligible Dependent.
- Your unmarried “over age” disabled child who is unemployable and totally dependent on you because of a permanent mental or physical disability.
The child must meet the criteria noted in the Fund’s Eligibility for Disabled Dependent Children document/form.
*Note that you might be responsible for paying federal taxes on the value of the coverage provided to your domestic partner or to his or her child(ren). Contact the Fund Office for more information.
Waiting Period for Dependent Eligibility
You will find information regarding the dependent eligibility waiting period for Participant job classifications below; and, all Participants should take note of the following general rules:
If you decide not to enroll your dependents when they first become eligible for coverage, you typically must wait until the next Open Enrollment period to do so.
Does your covered spouse’s/domestic partner’s employer offer health coverage? If so, he/she must enroll in the best employee-only health coverage available through that employer. Otherwise, his/her coverage under the Fund will be substantially reduced.
Refer to the “Making Changes/Life Events” section to see when you may make changes to your dependent coverage elections (e.g., if you have a baby).
Dependents of Participants Other Than Clerk’s Helpers and Utility Clerks
For Silver Clerks who meet the eligibility requirements for the Fund’s health care coverage
You may enroll your eligible children on the same date you are first eligible for coverage.
You may enroll your spouse/domestic partner as follows:
- He or she becomes eligible for coverage on the first day of the calendar month after you complete 24 months of employment, or
- You have the option to enroll him or her earlier. You may do so on the first of the month that is 60 days after you work 1,200 hours. If you elect this early enrollment, you will pay the full cost for his or her coverage until you complete 24 months of employment.
For Platinum Clerks (including Pharmacists)
You may enroll your spouse/domestic partner and eligible children on the same date you are first eligible for coverage.
For Platinum Plus Clerks, Fund Office Employees, and Union Local Employees
You may enroll your spouse/domestic partner and eligible children on the same date you are first eligible for coverage.
Dependents of Clerk’s Helpers and Utility Clerks
You may enroll your eligible children on the same date you are first eligible for coverage. You also have the option for earlier enrollment, as explained above [jump to link to Clerk’s Helpers and Utility Clerks eligibility under Affordable Care Act (ACA) info above]. If you opt for earlier coverage, you may be required to pay up to the full cost of their coverage until you have completed 18 months of employment.
You may not enroll your spouse/domestic partner.