Dependent Enrollments And Deletions
- Family Member Additions
- Newborn or Adopted Children
- Dependent Children
- New Spouse Enrollment
- Domestic Partners
- Tax Implications
- Family Member Deletions
Family Member Additions:
Married employees or retirees can enroll separately. However, when married employees are both employed or retired, and enrolled in a CalPERS-sponsored health plan in their own right, one parent must carry all children from either parent under his or her plan. Children and dependents cannot be split between parents. When split enrollments are discovered, they will be retroactively canceled.
Newborn or Adopted Child of the Employee Enrollment
The coverage starts at birth, or when the employee receives physical custody of the adopted child. The premium, however, is changed effective the first of the month following the birth or physical custody. While the coverage is mandatory, it is not automatic. You must provide us with proof of birth or adoption paperwork, complete an enrollment worksheet and sign a final HBD-12 for the enrollment to be complete.
Economically Dependent Child Enrollment
Enrollment of an economically dependent child who resides with the employee requires the completion of an economically dependent affidavit, which is available in the Office of Payroll & Benefits. If coverage is approved within 60 days following the date the child became a family member, it will become effective on a prospective basis. Enrollments submitted later than 60 days after the permitting event (date dependent became a family member) are considered late enrollments, and the effective date of the coverage for new dependents will be the first of the month following a 90 day wait from the date the enrollment request was received by the Office of Payroll & Benefits.
New Spouse Enrollment
Enrollment of new spouse and/or stepchild, within 60 days following marriage: The coverage will become effective on a prospective basis. The spouse’s Social Security number is required, as well as a copy of the marriage certificate. Enrollments submitted later than 60 days after the permitting event (date of the marriage) are considered late enrollments, and the effective date of the coverage for new dependents will be the first of the month following a 90 day wait from the date the enrollment request was received by the Office of Payroll & Benefits.
Domestic Partner Enrollment
Eligibility and Enrollment Rules – The addition of a domestic partner is not a permitting event for a change of Health Plan unless there is a concurrent event, such as a move, that would normally allow a plan change. CalPERS’ will use the same enrollment statutes and regulations for domestic partnerships as are currently used for spouses.
Process:
- An eligible employee seeking to enroll a domestic partner must:
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Register the partnership with the California Secretary of State. The Declaration of Domestic Partnership form is available through the Secretary's Web site or,
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Present to the Office of Payroll & Benefit Services evidence of a same sex legal union, validly formed in another jurisdiction, deemed to be substantially equivalent to a registered domestic partnership in California.
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- The following are eligible to register with the Secretary of
State:
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Specified same-sex domestic partnerships between persons who are both at least 18 years of age; or,
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Specified opposite sex domestic partnerships where one person is over the age of 62.
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The Enrollee must provide a copy of the registered Declaration of Domestic Partnership provided by the Secretary of State to the Office of Payroll & Benefits or, if retired, to the CalPERS’ Office of Employer and Member Health Services.
Effective Date of Domestic Partner Enrollment
For Domestic Partnerships registered with the Secretary of State prior to January 1, 2005, the permitting event date shall be January 1, 2005. The effective date of enrollment in health can be no earlier than January 1, 2005 and shall be the first day of the month following date of receipt of the enrollment request by the employer or CalPERS.
For Domestic Partnerships established after January 1, 2005, applications for enrollment will be processed in the same manner as other family additions. Enrollment documents submitted within 60 days of the permitting event will provide Health Benefit coverage effective on the first day of the month following the month in which the employer received the enrollment document.
Enrollments submitted later than 60 days after the permitting event (file date of the registered domestic partnership) are considered late enrollments, and the effective date of the coverage for new dependents will be the first of the month following a 90 day wait from the date the enrollment request was received by the Office of Payroll & Benefits. If the late enrollment is made during the Open Enrollment period, the effective date of coverage is the first of the month following the 90 day waiting period, or the Open Enrollment effective date, whichever is earlier.
Tax Implications
Providing health benefits to a domestic partner and children of a domestic partner is a taxable benefit for the enrolled individual(s). Employees, annuitants and their partners should consult their tax counselors regarding withholding requirements for these additional benefits.
Family Member Deletions:
Mandatory notification to the Office of Payroll & Benefits is required for the following events:
- Death of a dependent (copy of the death certificate required)
- Marriage of an enrolled child, prior to age 23
- Enrolled child attains age 23 (if incapable of self-support because of a mental or physical disability that existed prior to age 23, a member questionnaire for the CalPERS Disabled Dependent Benefit; and a medical report for the CalPERS Disabled Dependent benefits must be completed and approved by CalPERS in order for the dependent to continue coverage beyond age 23).
- Family member enrolled as an employee, or as a dependent of another CSU or CalPERS agency. (Proof of other coverage and date obtained required)
- Divorce of spouse (copy of the final divorce decree required)
- Termination of domestic partnership (copy of the notice of termination of domestic partnership completed and filed with the State of California required)
The effective date of all mandatory transactions is the first of the month following the event.
If an employee and his/her spouse/domestic partner are both enrolled under another CSU or CalPERS agency, all eligible children must be enrolled as dependents of one parent. If "split" family member enrollments are discovered, it is necessary to correct their enrollment status retroactive to the earliest date on which the children could have all been covered by one parent.