Understanding Allowed Dependent Relationships by Plan
You can use the Allowed Dependent Relationship by Plan program (P085500) to define dependent relationship information for employee dependents that can be covered under a dependent benefit plan or benefit plan option. If you add only a single record, by entering a * in the Relation field for a benefit plan, then any dependent relationship is valid. If only a certain subset of relationships is valid, then you must define each of those valid relationships.
If all employee benefit plans are set up, and any dependent relationship is valid, then you can run the Automatically Setup SS Dependent Selection program (R085505) without defining allowed dependent relationships for each plan.
You might use this program to define allowed dependent relationships for benefit plans in an organization that covers domestic partners. Certain tax advantages that could apply to employee benefits do not apply to benefit plans that cover domestic partners. To track the DBAs for benefit plans that include a spouse and benefit plans that include a domestic partner, you might set up separate benefit plans that specify allowed dependent relationships by plan. For example, if an organization offers employee benefit plans that cover domestic partners, then the human capital management administrator might create a benefit plan with these benefit plan options and allowed dependent relationships:
Benefit Plan Option |
Dependent Relationship |
|---|---|
Benefit Plan Option |
Valid Dependent Relationship |
Employee Only (not a dependent plan) |
Not applicable |
Employee + Spouse |
Spouse |
Employee + Domestic Partner |
Domestic partner |
Employee + Spouse + Family |
Spouse, child, step/foster child |
Employee + Domestic Partner + Family |
Domestic partner, child, step/foster child |
No Coverage (not a dependent plan) |
Not applicable |
Your employee self-service software includes automatic selection of benefit plans that makes enrolling in benefits easier and faster for employees. The system automatically displays benefit plans and benefit plan options based on the number of dependents and their relationship to the employee.