Dependent Eligibility Verification FAQs

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• What is the Dependent Eligibility Verification?

  The Dependent Eligibility Verification (DEV) is the process of re-verifying the eligibility of your spouse, domestic partner, children, stepchildren, and domestic partner children (family members) enrolled for state health and dental benefits. Government Code section 22843.1 mandates re-verifying the eligibility of your family members. Government Code section 22959 authorizes extending this review to your family members enrolled for dental benefits.

• When will the re-verification occur?

  Three Year Cycle Schedule

  2021	2022	2023
  January April July October	February May August November	March June September December

  This three-year cycle repeats. If you enroll family members within six months of your birth month, their eligibility will be re-verified at your next cycle. Example: If August is your birth month and you enroll a spouse in May 2021, the eligibility of your spouse will be re-verified in 2022.

  * The DEV function in mylCalPERS will activate in February 2018. If January is your birth month, you will initially re-verify your family members in 2021.

• How will I know to re-verify my family members?

  Ninety (90) calendar days before your birth month, CalPERS will send you a letter providing the re-verification due date, listing the enrolled family members for re-verification and the acceptable re-verification documents. You are to promptly provide re-verification documents to your campus benefit office. The benefit office will re-verify the same family members for dental benefits, if enrolled. Delay in providing re-verification documents to your benefit office may result in your family members losing health and/or dental coverage.

  Benefit offices will keep all documents used in the DEV process in your benefit file without a purge date.

• Will I be required to provide original documents?

  You should provide copies of the documents and write “Not for Official Use” on them.

• What re-verification documents are required?

  Spouse or Domestic Partner

  • A copy of the marriage certificate or domestic partnership registration filed with the California Secretary of State or a comparable agency in another jurisdiction listing the family member as the domestic partner.  
    AND
  • A copy of the first page of the employee’s federal or state income tax return from the previous tax year listing the employee and the spouse or domestic partner.  
    OR
  • A combination of other documentation, including but not limited to, a household bill, account statement, or insurance policy listing the name and address of the employee and the spouse or domestic partner, or other documents that substantiate the existence of a current marriage or domestic partnership. Household bills and account statements older than 60 calendar days are unacceptable.

  Natural-born Children

  • A copy of the birth certificate naming the employee as the parent.

  Adopted Children

  • A copy of the birth certificate or adoption certificate naming the employee as the parent.

  Stepchildren

  • A copy of the birth certificate naming the employee’s current spouse as the parent.

  Domestic Partner Children

  • A copy of the birth certificate naming the employee’s current domestic partner as the parent.
• Why are two documents required for re-verifying a spouse or domestic partner, instead of just the marriage certificate or the Declaration of Domestic Partnership?

  The first document establishes the life event allowing the enrollment of the dependent (i.e., marriage or registering as domestic partners), while the second required document substantiates the relationship is current.

• Will I be reimbursed for the cost of obtaining re-verification documents?

  You will be responsible for any charge related to obtaining copies of the required documents.

• Why am I required to provide the documents again, when I provided them at the initial enrollment of my dependents?

  Providing a copy of the documents for the initial DEV cycle will enable a more direct process for your campus benefit office to re-verify your family members. Benefit offices will keep all documents used in the DEV process in your benefit file without a purge date. In subsequent re-verifications, you need not provide birth certificates for natural-born children or adoption certificates for adopted children again. You also need not provide the marriage certificate, domestic partnership registration, and birth certificates for stepchildren or domestic partner children if the marriage or domestic partnership remains current.

• What about the documents that I provided to HMS Employer Solutions (HMS) during the Dependent Eligibility Verification (DEV) project in 2013 and 2014?

  HMS securely destroyed the documents received during the DEV project to protect the privacy of you and your family members.

• What happens if I do not provide the required documents during the re-verification cycle?

  If you do not respond or provide the required documents to your benefit office during your re-verification cycle, CalPERS will remove your family members from health benefits. Your benefit office will remove the same family members from dental benefits, if enrolled.

• How will I know if my family members are removed from health and/or dental benefits?

  CalPERS will mail a Cancellation Notice to you 30 days prior to the first of your birth month if administratively removing your family members from health benefits. CalPERS will include Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) continuation of coverage information with this letter. The dis-enrollment of your family members is effective the first of the month after your birth month.

  Your campus benefit office will inform you in writing explaining they are removing the same family members from dental benefits and the effective date, if enrolled. Your benefit office will include COBRA information with this letter.

• What about family members enrolled for dental benefits only?

  Your benefit office will track your family members who are enrolled for dental benefits only, and re-verify their eligibility for continued coverage once every three years, following the DEV schedule.

  If your benefit office removes your family members who are enrolled for dental benefits only, your benefit office will inform you in writing who will be dis-enrolled and the effective date, and provide you COBRA information.

• What happens if I provide documents after my family members are removed from benefits?

  If you provide re-verification documents for dis-enrolled, eligible dependents after the first day of your birth month but before the last day of your birth month, your campus benefit office may rescind the dependent deletion. YOU MAY INCUR AN ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE FOR THE UNPAID PREMIUM FOR THE MONTH AFTER YOUR BIRTH MONTH.

  If you provide re-verification documents for dis-enrolled, eligible dependents after the birth month, your benefit office re-enrolls the family members prospectively (first of the month following receipt of documents) for health and/or dental benefits. THIS WILL RESULT IN A GAP IN THE DEPENDENT’S BENEFIT COVERAGE. COBRA continuation of coverage is an option for dependents during the lapse in coverage.

• If my enrolled child turns 26 during the re-verification period, how should I proceed?

  If your child's 26^th birth date coincides with your re-verification cycle, CalPERS will administratively remove your child from health benefits on the birth date. Your benefit office will remove your child from dental benefits, if enrolled.

• Can I remove a dependent from the CalPERS health plan, if my dependent obtained non-CalPERS health coverage during my re-verification cycle?

  You should contact your benefit office immediately if you wish to remove a dependent due to a “permissive qualifying event” (e.g., family member obtains non-CalPERS health benefits, family member enters military, custody change for child under age 18, or child reaches age 18). The dependent should be removed due to a qualifying permissive event rather than ineligibility found during the re-verification process.

• How should I respond if during my re-verification cycle, I receive a notice from CalPERS to re-certify a parent-child relationship (PCR) dependent or a disabled child age 26 and over?

  The DEV is separate from the process to re-certify a PCR dependent or a disabled child age 26 and over. Follow the instructions on these notices to re-certify these dependents.

• I need to remove a dependent due to a qualifying event and receive a Dependent Re-verification notice. How should I proceed?

  Notify your benefit office immediately of any qualifying event that occurs during the re-verification period, such as divorce or termination of domestic partnership. In these situations, the dependent should be removed due to the qualifying event rather than ineligibility found during the re-verification.

• Where can I find more information on health and dental benefits?

  The CalPERS website contains health benefit information. Your campus benefit website contains dental benefit information. You also may obtain dental benefit information on the CSYou Intranet site at csyou.calstate.edu.