Eligible Dependents

If you (the retiree) are eligible for this plan, the following dependents are also eligible for this plan if they satisfy the eligibility requirements specified below:

• A lawful spouse, unless legally separated. A lawful spouse means only a legal union between one man and one woman, as husband and wife.
• A domestic partner meaning a partnership consisting of two people in which the members:
  • Shared jointly the same permanent residence for at least six months immediately preceding the date of the signed affidavit (please see below) and intend to continue to do so indefinitely.
  • Have a close personal relationship with each other.
  • Are not legally married to anyone.
  • Are each eighteen years of age or older.
  • Are not related to each other by blood in a degree of kinship closer than would bar marriage in the State of Washington.
  • Were mentally competent to contract when the domestic partnership began.
  • Are each other's sole domestic partner.
  • Are jointly responsible for each other's common welfare including basic living expenses. "Basic living expenses" means the cost of basic food, shelter and any other expenses of a member of the domestic partnership. The partners are not required to contribute equally or jointly to the cost of the basic living expenses if they agree that both are responsible. A domestic partner is also subject to satisfaction of certain enrollment and tax prepayment requirements, including an Affidavit of Domestic Partnership. Please contact Participant Services at the Trust Office for the appropriate documents.
• Children through age 25 including:
  
  • Natural children and legally adopted children.
  • Children placed with you (the retiree) for adoption before the adoption is finalized.
  • Stepchildren.
  • Children of domestic partners.
  • Legally placed children meaning any child who is placed with you (the retiree) by an authorized placement agency, or by judgment, decree, or other court order specifying you have legal custody.
  Paternity (for male retirees) must be established for natural children born out of wedlock. The effective date of coverage for a child born out of wedlock is the earliest of the following:
  • The date of birth, if paternity is acknowledged jointly with the consent of the mother immediately after birth in connection with the application for the original birth certificate.
  • The date a written acknowledgment is submitted to the Department of Vital Statistics officially acknowledging paternity to establish yourself as the natural father on the original or a substitute birth certificate, provided you are named as the child's father on the child's birth certificate.
  • If you did not acknowledge paternity, the date of entry of a decree or judgment issued by a court with jurisdiction finding that you are, as a matter of law, the natural father of the child.
  A child who reaches age 26 has attained the "limiting age." Benefits are continued beyond the limiting age for unmarried children who are permanently and totally disabled, provided the child continues to have the same principal place of residence as you, and does not provide over one-half of his or her own support for the calendar year. Coverage may continue under this plan for the duration of the disability as long as you continue to be eligible under this plan. If coverage for a child with a disability is needed, you must submit a copy of the most recent Report of Confidential Social Security Benefit Information to the Trust Office before that child reaches the appropriate limiting age. This extension of eligibility does not include life insurance benefits. Please see "permanently and totally disabled."
• A noncustodial child who is under age 19 (or ages 19 through 23 and full-time students) who you are required to cover by virtue of a court or administrative agency's issuance of a Qualified Medical Child Support Order (QMCSO).
  If a Medical Child Support Order requires you to cover a noncustodial child, the child's other parent, legal guardian or a state Medicaid agency may also have the right to enroll that child as your dependent. The Medical Child Support Order must show the name and last known address for the parent and child, give a reasonable description of the coverage to be provided by the plan, state the period for which the order applies and specifically state that the child must be covered under this plan. The plan has procedures for determining whether a Medical Child Support Order is "qualified" within the meaning of the plan. A copy of these procedures can be obtained, without charge, from the Trust Office. The request for enrollment must be received within 60 days of the date of the order for a child covered under a Medical Child Support Order. Coverage for an otherwise eligible child that is required under the order will become effective on the date of the order if all the eligibility requirements are met.

Please see the definitions for "children," "fulltime student" and "permanently and totally disabled" in "Glossary of Terms."

The Board of Trustees reserves the right to request documented proof of dependency at any time. Whenever documented proof of dependency or any other documentation is requested by the Trust Office, it must be received within 60 days of the request or eligibility and the dependent's right to enroll will be denied. Please see "Enrollment Documentation."

For circumstances which will result in a loss of eligibility for dependents, please see "Suspension of Coverage" on page 17 and "Termination of Coverage" on pages 17-18.