We know the COBRA regulations can be confusing for both employers and former employers. You are not alone, help is on our user board.
Adding Dependents to COBRA
When you sign up for COBRA health insurance, you are being allowed to continue coverage under your former employer’s health insurance plan, so you are entitled to the same rights and benefits as an active employee. If you get married to someone with a child, have a baby or adopt while you’re on COBRA, (any time a dependent is added), that is considered a qualifying event for COBRA, so you’re allowed add that dependent to the insurance plan. the coverage will be identical to your own, but you will still pay the full bill (instead of having the employer pay a large portion). Contact the plan administrator within 60 days of the event, for the paperwork to elect a dependent child.
If you want to add a child that wasn’t covered before, that may not be possible if you waived their coverage. Most health insurance plans won’t let you add dependents without a qualifying event like marriage or birth.
Adding Parents
Health insurance through the company plan does not include dependent coverage the spouse and children. So while your domestic partner may be covered, your parents won't. And for now the health insurance companies are still for profit (except for the wildly profitable non profit, Kaiser). Think about it. A good 80% of our health care is used in our later years.
If you could add older adults to your plan without underwriting, premiums would leap. Adding children, who have relatively few claims is much easier (and more profitable).
To verify if you can add your parent to your health plan, contact your health plan adminstrator and request the summary plan description.
A Breed apart:
Companies that want to attract more workers (i.e. Bank of America) expand their coverage to include parents. Some health insurers, like Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan (BCBSM) allow you to add "sponsored dependents." So adult dependent coverage is not unheard of, just rare.
Your (Tax) papers please!
You may have to prove that your parent is a qualified dependent by showing copies of your income taxes with your parent listed as a dependent.
You can claim a parent as dependent if they are below 65, don't gross more than $3,650 and you pay for over 50% of the parent's total support.
If your parents are 65 or older, they can't be added to the health plan, because they qualify for Medicare.
Craig Casey is an Writer, Coach, Blogger, Husband, and Former Health Insurance Agent helping people on the web since 1999 with their health insurance problems.
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