New Eligibility Attestation Process for Incapacitated Dependent Adult Children
Effective July 1, 2017, a new eligibility attestation process for incapacitated dependent adult children will be implemented for NRECA-sponsored group benefit medical with prescription drug, dental, vision, child life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance plans. The attestation will be required:
- At the time of initial enrollment
- Each year during annual enrollment
The attestation will be done using the NRECA Statement of Dependency Form, which also is used for enrolling common-law spouses, domestic partners, adopted children and stepchildren for whom an employee has legal guardianship. It has been updated to include information for incapacitated dependent adult children.
Beginning with this year’s annual enrollment, a statement of dependency form will be provided for affected employees. As with other statement of dependency processes, we ask benefits administrators (BAs) to help ensure the form is completed correctly, signed—it requires the employee and BA’s signatures—and returned to NRECA. This annual certification will help us ensure an incapacitated dependent adult child remains eligible for the enrolled coverage and NRECA group benefit plans remain in compliance.
Employees won’t have to provide supporting documentation with the attestations. However, they should keep the documents for their records. The plan may request required eligibility documentation from an employee at any time, including during the incapacitated dependent adult child eligibility review, which is conducted approximately every five years.
Eligibility requirements for incapacitated dependent adult children
As a reminder, to be eligible for coverage in NRECA group benefit plans, an incapacitated dependent adult child must be:
- 26 years of age or older (any dependent can remain in coverage until age 26)
- Unmarried
- Reported annually as a dependent on the employee’s federal income tax return because of permanent and total disability (as defined by IRS Publication 501)
- Covered under the applicable NRECA plan as the employee’s eligible dependent with no break in coverage or covered under another insurer’s plan continuously since becoming disabled
Direct outreach to those affected
BAs of employees who have incapacitated dependent adult children enrolled in NRECA group benefits coverage have already been notified by email about this change. Affected employees will be contacted directly by mail this summer, well in advance of annual enrollment, to let them know about the new process and address any concerns.
If you have questions about the eligibility attestation process, contact the Member Contact Center at 866.673.2299 or contactcenter@nreca.coop. For questions about eligibility for incapacitated dependent adult children, contact the employee benefits services team at 866.673.2299.