Eligibility

You are eligible to participate in the county group health, life and long term disability plans as well as the Flexible Benefits Program if you are an elected official, an appointed official or a regular employee who is employed by the county on a continuous basis for a regular work week of at least 32 hours.

"Dependent" or "Eligible Dependent" of an Employee or retired employee who is a member of an Eligible Class includes that person’s:

• legal spouse (Note: A common law spouse is considered a legal spouse, however, you are required to obtain a Certificate of Informal Marriage from the County Clerk.);
• children up to age 26*. For purposes of determining eligibility, an Employee's "children" includes:
• natural children;
• legally adopted children (including children placed with adoptive parents pending finalization of adoption proceedings);
• stepchildren up to age 18;
• children permanently residing in the Employee's or retired employee’s home and for whom the Employee or retired employee is the appointed permanent legal guardian or permanent legal custodian; and
• foster children up to age 18 for whom the Employee or retired employee furnishes documents from the State of Texas;
• children over age 26 who remain dependent on the Employee or retired employee for support and maintenance because the child becomes incapable of self support due to mental or physical incapacity. The incapacity must have commenced prior to reaching age 26 under the Plan or a prior health Plan of the Customer (if the child was insured on the date of termination of the prior health Plan); and
• unmarried grandchildren under age 26 for whom the Employee or retired employee furnishes (a) a certificate of financial dependency, (b) birth certificate on the grandchild, (c) birth certificate on the grandchild’s mother or father indicating that the Employee is the biological or adoptive parent and (d) the grandchild is claimed as a dependent on your Federal Income Tax Return.

*For dependents reaching age 26, coverage continues until the end of the calendar month in which the dependent child turns age 26.

No person may be covered both as an employee and dependent and no person may be covered as a dependent of more than one employee.

Note: Dependents not listed above (i.e.; in-laws, parents, grandparents, and non-qualifying relationships and other such non-qualifying dependents) are not eligible dependents under the Employee Benefits Program. Any change of dependent status must be made within the same calendar year of qualifying change.

 

Retired Employees

 

Retired employees of the county who regularly receive benefits under a formal retirement plan of the county and their dependents who were covered under the group benefits plan (in effect at least one year prior to the retirement) are eligible to participate in the group health and life plans, with the exception of the optional term life, dependent life, and long term disability.