Office of Human Resources - Benefits Design & Management
Domestic Partner and Children Coverage
CONFIDENTIAL
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Can I cover my domestic partner’s child or children?
Yes, with the same restrictions as for your own children.
Which plans will cover a domestic partner or the domestic partner’s children?
You may enroll them in the medical, dental and vision plans, and they may be covered under the Standard Dependent Life Insurance plan. In addition, see the Qualified Tuition Reduction Program at the bottom of this page.
How does a person qualify as a domestic partner?
A person must satisfy all of the following criteria to be considered a domestic partner:
- Continuously share the same permanent residence as the ASU employee for at least 12 consecutive months before filing an application for benefits. The employee and the domestic partner also must expect to continue to reside with one another indefinitely;
- Must not have signed a declaration or affidavit of domestic partnership with any other person and has not had another domestic partner within the 12 months prior to filing an application for benefits;
- Must not have any other domestic partner or spouse of the same or opposite sex;
- Must not be currently married to anyone or legally separated from anyone else;
- Must not be a blood relative any closer than would prohibit marriage in Arizona;
- Must have been mentally competent to consent to contract when the partnership began;
- Must not be acting under fraud or duress in accepting benefits; and
- Must be at least 18 years of age.
A domestic partner also must be financially interdependent in at least three of the following ways:
- Must have a joint mortgage, joint property tax identification or joint tenancy on a residential lease;
- Must hold one or more credit or bank accounts jointly—such as a checking account in both names;
- Must assume joint liabilities;
- Must have joint ownership of significant property such as real estate, a vehicle or a boat;
- Must name the partner as a beneficiary on the employee’s life insurance, under the employee’s will, or employee’s retirement annuities—and be named by the partner as beneficiary of the partner’s life insurance, under the partner’s will or the partner’s retirement annuities;
- Must each agree in writing to assume financial responsibility for the welfare of the other such as durable power of attorney.
AZ Attorney General Life Care Planning Online; or - Must provide other proof of financial interdependence as approved by the Director of the Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA).
Do I have to provide any documentation of a domestic partner relationship?
| Instructions and additional tax forms www.asu.edu/hr/benefits/enrollmentforms.html |
Yes. Please complete and submit the Enrollment Packet—with Domestic Partner OR Enrollment Packet— with Domestic Partner's Child via the confidential Benefits e-fax at 480.993.0007 for approval. All the forms you need are on the HR Forms page.
- Only submit one enrollment form for both your domestic partner and children.
- Submit a Declaration for Tax Status form for each dependent.
IMPORTANT: If your application is approved, your domestic partner coverage will be effective the first of the month following the date your application was received by the ASU Benefits Design & Management Office.
Can I cancel domestic partner coverage at any time?
You may terminate coverage within 31 days of dissolving the domestic partner relationship by completing a Dissolution of Domestic Partnership form and Benefits Declaration for Change/Enrollment Form and submitting them via the confidential Benefits e-fax at 480.993.0007.
Can I cover a new domestic partner after terminating another relationship?
Yes. Twelve months after canceling the original coverage, you may submit another Qualified Domestic Partner Affidavit, Qualified Domestic Partner Declaration of Tax Status, and Benefits Declaration for Change/Enrollment Form. All the forms you need are on the HR Forms page.
Will information I submit regarding a domestic partner and children be kept confidential?
Yes. To comply with federal HIPAA regulations for confidentiality, only approved employees on the Benefits Design & Management or State team will receive and have access to this documentation.
To ensure confidentiality, use the Benefits e-fax at 480.993.0007 to submit all documents.
Are my domestic partner and children eligible for the Qualified Tuition Reduction Program?
MORE INFO MAIL CODE 7805 |
The Qualified Tuition Reduction Program, authorized by Arizona Board of Regents policy 6-902 and governed by SPP 505, is not currently available in the State of Arizona benefits package for domestic partners. Therefore, ASU offers a program, administered by the University Provost’s Office, to eligible employees and their same or opposite sex domestic partner and eligible dependents.
Subject to applicable admission standards, domestic partners and/or his/her dependent(s) may enroll in courses at ASU per the applicable employee cost outlined in University policy SPP505.
To apply:
- If your qualified domestic partner is participating in the Arizona State health care benefits program, please complete only the Request for Domestic Partner Tuition Benefit form and return the form to Beverly Buddee at mail code 7805.
- If not participating in the Arizona State health care benefits program, please complete both the Qualified Domestic Partner Affidavit (for reduced in-state tuition waiver) and the Request for Domestic Partner Tuition Benefit forms and return forms to Beverly Buddee at mail code 7805. (If applying for medical benefits, return the forms to Human Resources as the forms indicate.)