Health Insurance - Covered Dependents

The dependents listed below are eligible to be included in your GSEHP coverage if you choose “individual plus one dependent” or “individual plus two or more dependents” when you enroll. At any time, the plan may require proof that a spouse or child qualifies as a dependent. If two family members work for the RF, both can have employee-only coverage or one can be covered as the dependent of the other. You cannot be covered as both an employee of the RF, and as a dependent of another RF employee. If both mother and father are RF employees, their dependent children may be covered as dependents of either the mother or the father, but not both.

Your eligible dependents include the following (for details, see the Graduate Student Employee Benefits Handbook):

• Your spouse or eligible domestic partner
• Your eligible children 

Your eligible children include:

• children up to 26 years of age as follows:
  • biological children,
  • stepchildren*,
  • foster children as defined by the health plan,
  • children for whom you are the legal guardian,
  • eligible children of your domestic partner* or 
  • children legally adopted by or placed for adoption with you or your spouse**;
• your unmarried children who reach the limiting age and are mentally or physically disabled before reaching the limiting age and are incapable of self-support due to the disability.  The dependent must depend on your for support and maintenance as defined by the Internal Revenue Code, and you must declare the child as an income tax deduction. (The plan requires periodic medical documentation.)
• your child who is an alternate recipient under a qualified medical child support order (QMCSO). (You may obtain, without charge, a copy of the procedures governing QMCSO determinations from RF Office of Sponsored Programs Administration.)

* The child’s biological parent must remain legally married to you (the covered member) or be your qualified, covered domestic partner.

** The child is considered “placed for adoption” if you (the covered member) intend to adopt the child, and if the child is available for adoption and has not reached the age of 18 as of the date of placement for adoption. The adoption does not have to be final for the child to be eligible for coverage, but the legal process for adoption must have commenced.