Health and Welfare - Dependent Coverage FAQs

• May I enroll a parent who is dependent upon me in the Plan?

  No, parents are not eligible to participate as dependents under the Plan even if they are solely dependent upon you for support.

• May I enroll my dependent grandchild in the Plan?

  Yes, if your dependent grandchild is solely dependent upon you for support and can be claimed as a dependent for IRS tax reporting purposes.

• May I enroll my foster child in the Plan?

  Yes, foster children and adopted children are eligible for enrollment in this Plan.

• How and when may I add a dependent to my coverage?

  Dependents should be added to the plan when you are first eligible for enrollment or, upon acquiring a new dependent, within 30 days after they first qualify for enrollment; otherwise your dependent(s) may not be added to the Plan until the next open enrollment period. There is, however, an exception for eligible dependents who decline enrollment because they have other health insurance coverage. In this case, the dependent may later request enrollment within a 30 day period after the other coverage ends.

• Is my domestic partner an eligible dependent?

  If you have properly registered your domestic partnership with a state, county, city or other municipality that recognizes the rights of domestic partners, you may enroll her/him in the Plan. In order to effectuate enrollment of a Domestic Partner, the Plan Office must receive (i) proof of Domestic Partner status in the form of an official certification of registration of domestic partnership and (ii) either (a) an "affidavit of dependency" for tax purposes or (b) advance remittance of at least six months of taxes that the Plan Office determines are due on any additional imputed federal taxable income to the Participant, including the Employer's portion of such taxes.

• I am getting divorced. When does coverage end for my former spouse and do I have the option to continue her coverage as my dependent after the divorce?

  Coverage will end at the end of the month of the date your final decree is entered. You do not have the option to continue coverage on behalf of you former spouse.

• Can my former spouse make self-payments?

  COBRA continuation coverage is available for up to 36 months from the date of the final decree.

• What self-payment options are available when my child is no longer eligible for dependent coverage?

  COBRA continuation is available for up to 36 months. As an alternative, you may want to consider applying for private insurance because it may be more affordable than COBRA coverage, and because private insurance may become unaffordable should you later become sick. The COBRA rates are not adjusted for age or family size and are based on the actual composite premiums that are paid to the various carriers on behalf of plan participants. Both Kaiser and Blue Shield HMO, as insured programs, offer conversion plans as well.

• What happens to a dependent's coverage upon death of a participant?

  Upon a Participant's death, the Participant's surviving Dependents will continue to be covered until the Participant's Hour Bank (if any) has been exhausted. If the Participant dies while a Regular or Disabled Retiree, the Participant's Dependents will remain eligible for Plan coverage after the Participant's death. If the Participant died before becoming a Regular or Disabled Retiree, then the Participant's Dependents will be eligible for coverage if the Participant would have met the requirements for Regular Retiree coverage contained in the SPD Section 4.1, determined without regard to the age 62 requirement. The surviving Dependents (as a family unit) must pay Retiree Monthly Coverage Payments as described in the SPD Section 4.4, though the Board may establish a separate premium level for surviving Dependents. Coverage of a surviving Spouse will cease upon the Spouse's remarriage.