Will My Son Be Covered Under My Husband's Health Insurance After I Get Married?

Employer-sponsored health insurance plans do not allow changes to plan benefits until an open enrollment period. Open enrollment occurs annually and gives employees the opportunity to change benefit elections and add or remove dependents. However, if a qualifying life event occurs outside of the enrollment period, an employee can make benefit changes and add new dependents.

Qualifying Events

• Special enrollment periods qualify for benefit changes. A special enrollment period occurs when life Special enrollment periods qualify for benefit changes. A special enrollment period occurs when life changes require an addition or alteration to plan benefits. Marriage is a qualifying event, and children coming into the marriage are eligible for benefits. To cover a child under the new spouse's health insurance, the spouse must contact his plan administrator within 30 days of the marriage to enroll the new dependents in the plan. Pregnancy, childbirth and adoption are also events eligible for health insurance plan changes. Plan participants must notify the insurance provider within 30 days of the child's birth or adoption. With some insurers, notice must be in writing.

Dependent Children

• Most health insurance plans provide coverage to dependent children until they are age 19, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Plans generally cover dependents up to age 25 if they are full-time students. Once a child is no longer eligible for benefits, you must notify the employer and/or plan administrator within 60 days. Parents who keep children on their benefits when they are no longer eligible for coverage run the risk of a denied insurance claim when the insurer discovers the child is no longer a qualified dependent.

Legal Separation and Divorce

• If a divorce or legal separation occurs, the covered spouse and dependent child may be able to extend health insurance for up to 36 months under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget and Reconciliation Act (COBRA). Once notified of the divorce or legal separation, the health insurance company must advise all covered dependents of their rights to extend coverage through COBRA. COBRA is a temporary health insurance solution the spouse who loses benefits can take advantage of until she can obtain individual coverage for her and her child.

Plan Participant's Rights

• It is important for plan participants to understand the facts surrounding health insurance plans. Plan participants have several important rights. Health insurers have a legal obligation to make participants aware of these rights through written documents that contain plan rules. For example, plan administrators must notify participants of their rights to continue coverage when changes in employment threaten a loss of benefits. They also must provide a description of what the insurance plan covers and how it operates. The participant may reference this material when an event such as a new marriage or childbirth requires changes in health insurance benefits.