Did You Know – Health Insurance Companies May Now Require Proof of Your Relationship to Dependents for Coverage

Navigating the how-to’s of health insurance can get confusing especially when looking to select a policy. For those who are looking to add a dependent for coverage on the insurance policy, there are a few extra steps you will need to take. Many health insurance companies now require proof of dependents relationship with whom you’re looking to add to your policy. To understand who is eligible for dependency you can read more here.

The shift in proof of relationship requirements happened when health insurance companies started extending the age of eligible dependents to 26 years old. Prior to the health care reform, most insurance companies did not cover dependents over the age of 23. This change meant that companies would have to pay more per employee for health insurance. Companies wanted to make sure no one was trying to trick the benefits system by having an ineligible dependent on their policy, so the proof of relationship documentation went into effect.

Proving your relationship to the dependent is easy if you have the following documents:

Acceptable forms of proof for a spouse:

• Government certified Marriage Certificate and most recently filed tax return or proof of joint ownership (bank statement or lease)

OR

• Signed marriage license and proof of joint ownership

Acceptable forms of proof for a partner:

• Government certified Civil Union Certificate and proof of joint ownership that is no more than 6 months old

Acceptable forms of proof of dependents (biological/adopted/stepchild):

• Government certified birth certificate

OR

• Hospital issued birth certificate if child is being added onto the policy after a recent birth
• Adoption certification

OR

• Adoption placement and petition for adoption

• Government certified birth certificate, and government certified marriage certificate, and most recently filed tax return

OR

• Government certified birth certificate, and government certified marriage certificate, and proof of joint ownership that is no more than six months old

OR

• Government certified birth certificate, and government issues civil union certificate, and proof of joint ownership that is no more than six months old

OR

• Government certified birth certificate and signed marriage license

OR

• Government certified birth certificate and government certified Civil Union Certificate

Acceptable forms of proof for a legal ward or foster child:

• Government certified birth certificate and court ordered document of legal custody

OR

• Government certified birth certificate and foster care documents

*Documentation requirements may vary upon health care provider.

Make sure you have the proper proof of relationship ready when you go to add a dependent onto your insurance policy. For help obtaining government-issued vital records, contact VitalChek. We are a leading provider of government certified vital records with our quick and easy to use online ordering platform.