Can You Add Your Girlfriend to Your Health Insurance?
One of the biggest fears for most when it comes to health insurance financial security is bringing a partner. One can be wondering whether one can add his or her girlfriend to his or her health insurance, especially after a long-term relationship.
It's not easy, but knowing eligibility and what is involved in adding a partner to your insurance plan, along with all the necessary documents, is a must. That is when the article comes in to guide you through understanding everything about how to add your girlfriend to your health insurance.
Eligibility Criteria for Adding a Partner to Health Insurance
What does "partner" mean in health insurance terms?
Even the definition of "partner" within health insurance can be somewhat ambiguous. Most insurance companies do generally allow you to include your spouse or domestic partner on your insurance, but a "girlfriend" is not always included in those definitions unless you meet certain conditions. Some insurers will still distinguish between married couples and unmarried couples. Many states and workplaces will only recognize domestic partnerships.
A "domestic partner" is generally a person you've lived with for some time, and possibly one you are financially interdependent with. A "spouse" is a legal partner, often gained by marriage. It will be easier to determine eligibility in most cases with these partners.
Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance vs. Government Plans
In general, the eligibility of adding a partner depends on the type of health insurance plan you hold. For example, under employer-sponsored health insurance plans, there may be more room regarding adding a partner, but most employers recognize only legally married spouses or domestic partners that are defined by specified criteria.
Furthermore, depending upon whether you have your government health insurance plan through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace, for instance, your eligibility rules will sometimes vary by state. Some states accept domestic partnerships or civil unions, while others only permit spouses. Medicaid typically has tighter rules and does not always allow your addition of a non-spouse partner.
Requirements for Adding a Girlfriend
You will typically only be allowed to add a girlfriend to your health insurance in situations where the insurer's policies allow you to include domestic partners or cohabiting partners. This could mean you need to provide evidence of cohabiting and living together as domestic life. Evidence could be proof that you have lived together for some time (sometimes six months or more) and you are also financially interdependent with the other person, for example, by sharing bills or having a joint bank account.
Health Insurance Policies: Proof of Relationship
To add your girlfriend to your health insurance, most providers will ask for documentation proving the relationship. This may include:
• A lease or utility bills that include both names, as proof of shared residence.
• Joint bank accounts, credit cards, or insurance policies that indicate shared responsibility for financial matters.
• Friend, family, or colleagues' affidavits- swearing to the fact that your relationship is genuine
General Documentation Requirements
These would likely include personal identification for both parties birth certificates, ID cards, or Social Security numbers of the two proof of this relationship. You may need to submit this form during your organization's open enrollment periods or following a qualified life event, such as a move or a new baby.
Proof of Relationship
To qualify for inclusion of a girlfriend, you are required to provide evidence that your relationship meets the insurers' requirements. Frequently, the most commonly required document would be proof of cohabitation. This can include:
• A lease or rental agreement with both names on it.
• Utility bills, including gas, electricity, or water, are in both names.
• Joint bank accounts or credit card statements that indicate shared financial responsibilities.
Domestic Partnership Certificates
In places where domestic partnerships are recognized, in many instances, registering your relationship as a domestic partnership would be necessary to qualify for health insurance coverage. Domestic partnership registration is a formal legal process that may confer the same benefits your girlfriend would have as a spouse in the eyes of the law and on the part of insurance providers.
Requirements for domestic partnership registration vary by state and employer. Some places may ask you to sign a declaration or affidavit attesting to your relationship's authenticity and duration. Once registered, you can submit this certificate to your insurer to add her to your plan.
Conclusion
In other words, it will depend upon a few factors, including your health insurance company's policy, your relationship status, and your location. By and large, most of the insurance plans require proof of domestic partnership or cohabitation; otherwise, the procedure differs greatly between employer-sponsored plans and government programs.
Always check with your employer or health insurance provider to determine their specific requirements and what kind of documentation is required. If it is too difficult to add your girlfriend to the insurance, think about other alternatives such as individual plans or investigating alternate coverage through a government program.