ELIGIBLE DEPENDENTS

• Your lawful spouse
• Your eligible domestic partner
• Your unmarried natural or legally adopted children or stepchildren, under 19 or up to 23 who are enrolled as full-time students and depend on you for financial support
• Your unmarried dependent children over 19 who are incapable of self-support due to a physical or mental handicap and meet specific requirements

NEW ELIGIBLE DEPENDENTS

• A new spouse
• A newly registered domestic partner
• A newborn child   
• Newly acquired legally adopted children and stepchildren

If you add a dependent due to birth, marriage, domestic partnership, or adoption you must enroll them within 30 days of the date they become eligible family members.  If you are married or a domestic partner both you and your dependents must be members of the same plan.

If you re-enroll or add a dependent that has full-time student status you must notify LACERA within 30 days of the date they become eligible.  You must also provide proof of their attendance in an accredited or licensed educational institution. 

Contact LACERA to obtain forms for enrolling newly eligible dependents or refer to the Retiree Health Care section of the Brochures and Forms page.

ELIGIBLE SURVIVING DEPENDENTS

• Your surviving spouse or eligible domestic partner who is eligible to continue to receive retirement benefits.
• Surviving Children (without a surviving spouse/domestic partner)
  Your surviving unmarried natural children, legally adopted children or stepchildren, up to age 19, or until age 22 if enrolled as full-time students and receiving retirement benefits.
• Surviving Children (if there is also a surviving spouse/domestic partner)
  Your surviving unmarried natural children, legally adopted children or stepchildren, up to age 19, or until age 23 if they remain unmarried and enrolled as full-time students.
• Your disabled dependent children who satisfy each requirement described below.

ELIGIBILITY OF ADULT DISABLED DEPENDENTS
The LACERA-administered health care benefits program recognizes disabled adult children of LACERA members or their eligible domestic partners as eligible dependents, provided the disabled adult child meets all of the following requirements:

• Is incapable of self-support due to a physical or mental handicap.
• Became disabled before age 19, or between ages 19-23 while enrolled as a full-time student in an accredited educational institution.
• Is fully dependent on LACERA member or member's eligible domestic partner for financial support.
• Has been continuously covered by a County-sponsored plan, and/or proof the disabled child meets the other above conditions and has been continuously covered by any other group or individual medical insurance plan is provided.
• Medical evidence of total disability, subject to the conditions of both LACERA and your LACERA-administered health care plan, is provided.

Enrollment and continuation of coverage requirements vary according to the LACERA-administered health care carrier. For a complete listing of each carrier's eligibility requirements and required documentation, click here or contact Retiree Health Care by calling 1-800-786-6464, then pressing 1.

11/10/08