Adoption/Guardianship of Dependent Child

Adopting a child is a joyful event in one's life. As a guardian you become the primary person responsible for the child's needs and progress in life. Obviously you will be considering the child in this process, but you must also consider yourself, other family members, and the family environment. A review of your benefit plans is certainly in order at this time.

Plan Checklist

Items regarding the Health Plans apply only to participants in the Southern California IBEW-NECA Health Plans. However, if you participate in another electrician health plan, it is likely that similar considerations will apply.

• Children who would lose eligibility as a dependent child on or after June 30, 2011 under the old eligibility rules (due to age or lack of full-time student status) will have their coverage continued until the last day of the calendar month in which they attain age 26 presuming the Participant retains eligibility under the plan through that date.
  
  The law also allows plans the option of denying coverage to dependents who are eligible to enroll for another employer-sponsored health plan OTHER than their parents' group health plans until the first Plan Year commencing in 2014 at which time this potential limitation of coverage is eliminated. This Board of Trustees has adopted this option until July 1, 2014.
• You may want to review your designation of beneficiary for the Life Insurance Death Benefit and the DB and DC Pension Plans.
• Review the rules for coordination of benefits. Coordination of benefits rules govern who will have the primary coverage for your child if both you and your spouse have group health coverage.
• If you think you might be taking Family/Maternity/Paternity Leave you should take a look at the Family and Medical Leave Act information in the Active Health SPD to see how your benefits may be affected. The Family/Maternity/Paternity Leave also affects DB Divesting Service periods - see SPD link for more information.

Also Consider...

Planning Notes:

Financial planners recommend that whenever there is an addition to your family you should update a number of personal plans and documents. Here is a checklist of some items which you may need to update, revise, or consider:

• Will
• Living Trust
• Estate Plan
• Durable Powers of Attorney
• Designation of Beneficiary: IRA, 401k, Life Insurance
• Adequacy of Life Insurance
• Adequacy of Disability Insurance