Dependent Eligibility and Required Proof of Relationship

Who’s Eligible?

For all plans:

• Your spouse

Which Documents Are Required?

• Your marriage certificate
• One additional document showing the marriage is still current. Acceptable documentation may include one of the following:
  • A joint household bill
  • A joint bank or credit account
  • A joint mortgage or lease
  • The first page of the most current tax returns showing the same current address (individually or joint)
  • Legal documentation such as a court order

Who’s Eligible?

For the Health Insurance

• A child can be covered until they turn 26, even if they are married or enrolled in school.
• Coverage ends at the end of the month in which the child turns 26. Continuation of Health Coverage (COBRA) would then apply.

For the Dental and Vision Plans

• A child can be covered until they turn 24, unless they are married, enlisted in the military, working full time, or not chiefly dependent on the employee for support.
• Coverage ends at the end of the month in which the child turns 24.

For All Other Plans (Voluntary Products)

• A child can be covered until they turn 26, even if they are married or enrolled in school.
• Coverage ends on the child’s 26^th birthday.

Incapacitated Dependents

Subject to approval by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama: Unmarried dependent children may be eligible for incapacitated dependent coverage if they are unable to support themselves due to a disability and became so before they would normally lose dependent coverage. They must meet the following criteria:

• They are 19 or older.
• They are dependent on the employee for support.
• They are not enlisted in the military.
• Documentation confirming the dependent's medical status is also required.

Which Documents Are Required?

• Your child’s birth certificate or, if the child is a newborn, a record of live birth issued by the hospital
• If covering a stepchild, a marriage certificate

Which Documents Are Required?

• Your child’s birth certificate and a valid court order of adoption
• A valid pre‑adoption placement order issued by a licensed child placement agency

Once documentation is received and verified, eligibility rules are the same as for a biological dependent. 

Which Documents Are Required?

• The child’s birth certificate and a valid court order of permanent legal custody

Once documentation is received and verified, eligibility rules are the same as for a biological dependent. 

Who’s Eligible?

You may add one Sponsored Adult Dependent for benefit coverage if they meet all of the following requirements:

• They share a primary residence with you (other than as a tenant or renter) and have lived with you for at least 12 continuous months immediately prior to the benefit plan’s effective date of coverage.
• They are at least 19 years old as of the effective date of coverage.
• They are not your relative.
• They are not employed by you and were not employed by you during the time you shared a residence.
• Neither you nor the dependent are or were married during the period of shared residence.

Which Documents Are Required?

• Documentation showing 12 or more continuous months of shared residency with the dependent, including the current month. Acceptable documentation may include one of the following:
  • A joint household bill
  • A joint bank or credit account
  • A joint mortgage or lease
  • The first page of the most current tax returns showing the same current address (individually or joint)
  • Legal documentation such as a court order
• A signed affidavit verifying the individual meets the eligibility requirements

Please note: 

These arrangements are not recognized by the federal government, so employer contributions toward coverage for a sponsored adult dependent are taxed as income to the employee by the IRS.

Who’s Eligible?

Sponsored child dependents must be the natural‑born child, legally adopted child, or a child in the permanent legal custody of the Sponsored Adult Dependent (SAD), and must meet the following criteria. 

Which Documents Are Required?

• The child’s birth certificate
• Documentation showing 12 or more continuous months of shared residency with the Sponsored Adult Dependent, including the current month
• A signed affidavit verifying the individual meets the eligibility requirements for a Sponsored Child Dependent
• If requested, additional documentation needed to confirm eligibility (for example, birth certificates, adoption paperwork, or divorce decrees)

Once documentation is received and verified, eligibility rules are the same as for a biological dependent.