SECHQ1-15-R-0001_Supplemental_Health_Benefits_Program_-_Attachment_1_-_Domestic_Partner_Eligibility_Requirements.pdf

Domestic Partner Eligibility Requirements

Section A Definitions

Domestic Partner - a person who is neither married nor related by blood or marriage to the employee; is the employee's sole spousal equivalent; lives together with the employee in the same residence and intends to do so indefinitely; and has a reciprocated responsibility w ith the employee to provide for the other’s welfare.

Dependent - a Member who is covered under this evidence of coverage as the eligible spouse, eligible child, eligible Domestic Partner of an Employee, or eligible child of a Domestic Partner.

Section B Eligibility and Enrollment

Eligibility of Employee’s Domestic Partner: To be covered as a Dependent, a Domestic Partner must meet the eligibility requirements described in this section. .

Domestic Partner means a person who has a Domestic Partnership with the Employee, as defined below.

Domestic Partnership means a relationship between a Domestic Partner and Employee that satisfies the requirements of A below.

A. Domestic Partner must meet all of the following requirements:

1. The Employee and Domestic Partner are both eighteen years of age or older and have the legal capacity to enter into contracts;

2. The Employee and Domestic Partner are not parties to a legally recognized marriage either to each other or to anyone else;

3. The Employee and Domestic Partner share no blood or familial relationship that would bar marriage under the laws of the state in which the couple resides, and neither the Employee nor the Domestic Partner is a member of another Domestic Partnership or substantially similar relationship.

4. The Employee and Domestic Partner’s share a close, committed and exclusive that is meant to be of lasting duration.

5. The Employee and Domestic Partner share a common legal residence, have done so continuously for at least 6 months, and have submitted documentary evidence of such cohabitation that is satisfactory to the SEC;

6. The Employee and Domestic Partner are Financially Interdependent and submit documentary evidence of such interdependence that is satisfactory to the SEC;

have both signed appropriate affidavit, enrollment form or other document (s) required by the SEC confirming their Domestic Partnership and agree to notify the SEC in writing of the termination of the Domestic Partnership within 30 days of the date of termination.

Financially Interdependent means the parties are jointly responsible for the financial obligations of the Domestic Partnership. The Employee and Domestic Partner can establish that they are Financially Interdependent by submitting to the SEC any one of the following documents:

a. Joint mortgage or lease on place of residence.

b. Joint title on motor vehicle

c. Agreement establishing joint bank or credit card account;

d. Agreement with a third party lender for joint repayment of indebtedness;

e. Designation of one partner as the other’s beneficiary with respect to life insurance or retirement benefit.

f. A joint will or reciprocal wills in which each partner designates the other a executor or primary beneficiary;

g. Durable powers of attorney by each partner in favor of the other

h. Health care directives of living wills in which each partner gives the other authority to make health care decisions; or

i. Other documentation determined by the SEC to be sufficient to establish under the circumstances of the particular case that the Employee and Domestic Partner are Financially Interdependent.

Section C Dependent Children of Domestic Partners

Eligibility of Dependent Children of Domestic Partners: A Domestic Partner’s child, who meets the eligibility guidelines stated in the evidence of coverage for the child of a spouse, is eligible for coverage to the same extent as the eligible children of a spouse.

Section D Enrollment Opportunities and Effective Dates

Enrollment Opportunities and Effective Dates: The terms and conditions for the enrollment, including special and late enrollment of a Domestic Partner or the eligible child of a Domestic Partner under this evidence of coverage will be the same, respectively, as that of an Employee’s spouse and eligible child of an Employees’ spouse.

A. First Eligibility Date

1. Domestic Partner shall be the date established by the SEC’s Enrollment procedures.

2. Child of a Domestic Partner shall be the same as that of the Domestic Partner if the child meets the definition of a Dependent Child as set forth in the evidence of coverage. Otherwise, the First Eligibility Date for the child will be the date on which the child first meets the definition of Dependent Child as set forth in the evidence of coverage.

B. Coverage of an eligible Domestic Partner and eligible child of a Domestic Partner shall be effective on the date set forth in the eligibility Schedule.

Section C Continuation of Coverage

If the Employee is subject to COBRA, continuation coverage under COBRA will be made available to eligible Domestic Partners and the Dependents of Domestic Partners. The terms and conditions of the continuation coverage for Domestic Partners will be the same as the terms and conditions to the continuation coverage provided to a spouse and the Dependents of a spouse under COBRA.

Attachment 2