Health Insurance
Adding a Dependent
UNDERSTAND
Insurance Eligibility
If you are a UW faculty or staff member who is enrolled in a medical and/or dental plan, your eligible dependents can be enrolled in the same plan you are. If you have previously waived your own UW health insurance coverage, you cannot enroll your dependents. You can enroll yourself at the next open enrollment, or with a qualifying change in family status. Qualifying changes in family status with respect to children are:
- Birth of a child, adoption of a child, or placement of a child for adoption
- Responsibility for an “extended dependent”
- Extended dependents are defined by the Health Care Authority as children who are not yours, but for whom you are the legal guardian or have legal custody. Health insurance coverage for extended dependents require Health Care Authority approval.
- When you have previously waived health insurance coverage and your child loses the non-state, continuous health insurance coverage
- If your dependent child meets the enrollment criteria, PEBB-sponsored coverage will begin the first of the month after the other coverage is lost. Adding a dependent child due to loss of other group coverage requires Heath Care Authority approval.
Coverage for newborns and newly-adopted children can begin at the date of birth. It can also begin the date you assume legal responsibility for the child’s support in anticipation of adoption.
There are important deadlines for adding dependents to your health insurance plan, so act quickly. You can add a dependent child to your health insurance plan as follows:
- Within 60 days of birth, adoption or assumption of the legal obligation to care for the child;
- Within 60 days of loss of other coverage, by providing proof of lost coverage; or,
- At the next open enrollment period.
Dependent Children
The term “dependent child” includes the following:
- Children through age 19:
- Who are naturally born, legally adopted, or a stepchild; or,
- For whom you have legal responsibility for supporting in anticipation of adoption; or,
- Whom you support under a court order or divorce decree.
- A dependent child of any age who is incapable of self-support due to developmental disability or physical handicap if the disability developed either before age 20, or during the time the child was covered in a Public Employees Benefits Board plan as a student. Proof of disability and dependency must be provided to the Health Care Authority upon application and as periodically requested thereafter.
- A child, who is a registered student attending an accredited secondary school, college, university, vocational school or school of nursing, through age 23 only if the child is dependent on you for maintenance and support. Coverage of dependent students continues year-round for those children registered for school three of the four school quarters, and for three full calendar months following graduation as long as you are covered at the same time.
- Married children who qualify as your dependents under the Internal Revenue Code and “extended dependent” children approved by the Health Care Authority.
ACT
Starting Your Child’s Health Insurance Coverage
If you have any questions about eligibility, or about the process of adding a dependent child to your health insurance coverage, contact Benefits & Work/Life.
EXPLORE
Washington State Health Care Authority
Insurance Coverage
Topics
Foster children are not recognized as eligible dependents or "extended dependents" by the Washington State Health Care Authority and are not able to enroll in coverage for benefits.
If a dependent's loss of eligibility under a plan for active employees is due to your death, your dependent(s) may be eligible to continue coverage under a retiree plan, provided they will immediately begin receiving a monthly benefit from your retirement plan.
Dependents may continue coverage until they lose eligibility under the rules. Application for surviving dependent coverage must be made within 60 days after your death. Contact benefits@u.washington.edu for assistance.
