Understanding Dependent and Beneficiary Information

Some of the benefit plans that the organization offers can include coverage for employees' dependents. For example, the medical and dental plans might have options for spouse and family coverage. Other benefit plans, such as life insurance and retirement plans, require a beneficiary who is entitled to receive benefits from the plan in the event of the employee's death. Before you can enroll an employee's dependents in a benefit plan or enter a person as a beneficiary for a plan, you must create a record for those dependents and beneficiaries. These records include personal information about the dependents and beneficiaries:

• Birth date

• Disability information

• Student status

• Tax ID number

After you create a record for a dependent or beneficiary, you can link that record to the corresponding employee record. You can also enter supplemental data for dependents and beneficiaries. Supplemental data is any additional information that you want to store in the dependent and beneficiary database. For example, you can use supplemental data to track student status verification.

You can review information about a dependent or beneficiary to verify that it is correct.