Dependent means the following:

The enrolled employee's legal spouse and his or her unmarried children under 21 years or, if a full-time student in an accredited school, 23 years of age who are dependent on the enrolled employee for support, and who are enrolled under the Plan.

 The following are considered children:

•  the enrolled employee's natural child;

• the enrolled employee's adopted child, a child placed for adoption with the enrolled employee, a stepchild living in the enrolled employee's home or a nonresident stepchild if there is a qualified medical child support order that requires the spouse to provide health insurance coverage; and

• children related to the enrolled employee by blood or marriage, which may include grandchildren if the natural mother or father are an eligible family dependent and enrolled in this plan or for whom the employee is the legal guardian (the enrolled employee will need to give us a court order showing legal guardianship).

An enrolled employee's or an enrolled dependent's newborn child will be covered for 31 days after it is born. We must have notice of the birth and in the case of a newborn of a male dependent, proof of paternity. To continue the newborn's coverage beyond this 31‑day period, the child must be eligible under the terms of the contract and the enrolled employee must sign a new application within 60 days listing the child as a dependent. If this is not done, coverage for the child will lapse at the end of 31 days.

In addition, incapacitated children can remain enrolled past the age of 23. An incapacitated child is an unmarried child who is incapable of self‑support because of a physical handicap or mental retardation. The incapacitating condition must have existed before the child's 23rd birthday. In order to obtain continued coverage for an incapacitated child, the enrolled employee must complete a special application and have it approved by us before the child's 23rd birthday.

Newly Acquired Dependents
If an enrolled employee marries while he or she is enrolled under the Plan, his or her spouse and the spouse's children become eligible to apply for coverage on the date of the marriage. The new stepchildren must meet the eligibility requirements for all children in order to be enrolled.

An enrolled employee's or an enrolled female dependent's newborn child will automatically be enrolled for 31 days after it is born. To continue the newborn's coverage beyond this 31-day period, the child must be eligible under the terms of the Plan.

Adopted Children
A child will be enrolled as an enrolled employee's dependent child for 31 days after the date the child is placed with the enrolled employee for the purpose of adoption. "Placement" means the enrolled employee has assumed and retained a legal obligation for full or partial support of the child in anticipation of adoption.

In order to continue this coverage beyond the first 31 days, the enrolled employee must sign a new application within the first 31 days listing the child as a dependent, along with proof of placement. If this is not done, coverage for the child will terminate at the end of the 31st day after placement.

Special Enrollment
An eligible individual will not be considered a late enrollee in the following situations:

•  If you and/or your eligible dependents lose coverage under another group or individual health benefit plan due to:

  • the exhaustion of federal COBRA or Oregon state continuation;
  • the loss of eligibility due to legal separation, divorce, death, termination of employment or reduction in hours; or the employer contributions were terminated; or
  • involuntary loss of coverage under Medicaid, Medicare, CHAMPUS/Tricare, Indian Health Service, or a publicly sponsored or subsidized health plan, like Oregon Health Plan.
    
    In all of the above situations, you and/or your eligible dependents become eligible for coverage under this Plan on the date the other coverage ends.  Note that loss of eligibility does not include a voluntary termination of coverage, a loss because premiums were not paid in time, or termination of coverage because of fraud.
    
    
• If you declined coverage when you were first eligible and you subsequently marry, you become eligible for coverage under this Plan on behalf of yourself, your spouse, and any eligible dependent children on the date of marriage.
  
  
• If you declined coverage when you were first eligible and you subsequently acquire a new dependent child by birth, adoption, or placement for adoption, you become eligible for coverage under this Plan along with your eligible spouse and eligible dependent children including the newly acquired child on date of the birth, adoption, or placement.
  
  
• A spouse and/or dependent child for whom you declined coverage becomes eligible for coverage under this Plan on the date a court has issued an order for you to provide such coverage.
  
  
• If you and/or your eligible dependents enroll during an open enrollment period under the Plan, if any.  Contact the Administrator to find out if you have an open enrollment period.
  
• If you and/or your eligible dependents are employed by an employer who offers multiple health benefit plans and you and/or your eligible dependents enroll during an open enrollment period under the Plan, if any.  Contact the Administrator to find out if you have an open enrollment period.