Eligible dependents for healthcare coverage include:
- Your lawful spouse, unless legally separated
- Your eligible domestic partner, if both parties have registered a certificate of domestic partnership with the California Secretary of State (see SB 80 and AB 205 under State Legislation for laws affecting domestic partners)
- Your, your spouse’s, or your eligible domestic partner’s natural or legally adopted children or stepchildren, until age 26, regardless of dependent child’s marital or student status
- Your, your spouse's, or your eligible domestic partner’s unmarried dependent children age 26 or over who are incapable of self-support due to a physical or mental handicap and meet all the requirements
- Other dependents defined by specific law and plan contracts
If an eligible dependent is not already enrolled in your LACERA-administered healthcare plan and it is not within 30 days of a qualifying event, a waiting period under the late enrollment rules applies. See Manage Your Enrollment for more about late enrollment rules.
New eligible dependents include:
- New spouse or newly registered domestic partner
- Newborn child or children
- Newly acquired legally adopted children or stepchildren
You must enroll these dependents within 30 days of the date they become eligible family members, otherwise the late enrollment rules will apply. You and your dependent(s) must be members of the same health plan.
Documentation
In order to cover your eligible dependent(s), the documents listed below must be provided to LACERA at the time of enrollment. Your enrollment form will be processed upon receipt of all required documents. All original documents sent to LACERA will be validated, scanned and returned to you.
- For spouses or partners: photocopy of certified marriage certificate or photocopy of the certificate of domestic partnership with the California Secretary of State
- For eligible dependent children: a photocopy of certified birth certificate
- For adopted children: a photocopy of the adoption order
- For handicapped children: current physical or mental handicap verification form, physician statement, proof of continuous coverage for handicapped child, and proof of financial support (see Adult Disabled Dependent Eligibility for more details)
- Any copy of a certificate must be submitted with a signed attestation certifying that the copy submitted is a true and correct copy of the certificate and that the copy contains no alterations from the original
Survivor Eligibility
Your eligible surviving dependents include:
- Spouse or domestic partner eligible to receive continuing monthly benefits
- Unmarried natural or legally adopted children or stepchildren up to age 26 (if there is also a surviving spouse or domestic partner)
- Unmarried natural or legally adopted children or stepchildren up to age 18, or until age 22 if full-time students, who are receiving benefits (if there is no surviving spouse or domestic partner)
- Disabled dependents meeting all the specific requirements
Survivors’ eligibility for retiree healthcare coverage depends on the member’s retirement option. More information about eligibility for Survivor Healthcare is available in the Families and Survivors section.