(a)(1) An enrollment for self and family includes all family members who are eligible to be covered by the enrollment. Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, no employee, former employee, annuitant, child, or former spouse may enroll or be covered as a family member if he or she is already covered under another person's self and family enrollment in the FEHB Program.
(1) An enrollment for self and family includes all family members who are eligible to be covered by the enrollment. Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, no employee, former employee, annuitant, child, or former spouse may enroll or be covered as a family member if he or she is already covered under another person's self and family enrollment in the FEHB Program.
(2) Dual enrollment. (i) A dual enrollment exists when an individual is covered under more than one FEHB Program enrollment. Dual enrollments are prohibited except when an eligible individual would otherwise not have access to coverage and the dual enrollment has been authorized by the employing office.
(i) A dual enrollment exists when an individual is covered under more than one FEHB Program enrollment. Dual enrollments are prohibited except when an eligible individual would otherwise not have access to coverage and the dual enrollment has been authorized by the employing office.
(ii) Exception. An individual described in paragraph (a)(2)(i) of this section may enroll if he or she or his or her eligible family members would otherwise not have access to coverage, in which case the individual may enroll in his or her own right for self only or self and family coverage, as appropriate. However, an eligible individual is entitled to receive benefits under only one enrollment regardless of whether he or she qualifies as a family member under a spouse's or parent's enrollment. To ensure that no person receives benefits under more than one enrollment, each enrollee must promptly notify the insurance carrier as to which persons will be covered under his or her enrollment. These individuals are not covered under the other enrollment. Examples include but are not limited to:
(A) To protect the interests of married or legally separated Federal employees, annuitants and their children, an employee or annuitant may enroll in his or her own right in a self only or self and family enrollment, as appropriate, even though his or her spouse also has a self and family enrollment if the employee, annuitant or his or her children live apart from the spouse and would otherwise not have access to coverage due to a service area restriction and the spouse refuses to change health plans.
(B) When an employee who is under age 26 and covered under a parent's self and family enrollment acquires an eligible family member, the employee may elect to enroll for self and family coverage.
(iii) Children are entitled to receive benefits under only one enrollment regardless of whether the children qualify as family members under the enrollment of both parents or of a parent and a stepparent and regardless of whether the parents are married, unmarried, divorced, legally separated, or in a domestic partnership. To ensure that no person receives benefits under more than one enrollment, each enrollee must promptly notify the insurance carrier as to which family members will be covered under his or her enrollment. These individuals are not covered under the other enrollment.
(b)(1) A child under the age of 26, or a child of any age who is incapable of self-support because of a mental or physical disability which existed before age 26, is considered to be a family member eligible to be covered by the enrollment of an enrolled employee or annuitant or a former employee or child enrolled under Sec. 890.1103 of this part if he or she is--
(1) A child under the age of 26, or a child of any age who is incapable of self-support because of a mental or physical disability which existed before age 26, is considered to be a family member eligible to be covered by the enrollment of an enrolled employee or annuitant or a former employee or child enrolled under Sec. 890.1103 of this part if he or she is--
(i) A child born within marriage;
(ii) A recognized natural child;
(iii) An adopted child;
(iv) A stepchild; or
(v) A foster child.
(2) Meaning of stepchild. Except as provided in paragraph (b)(5) of this section, for purposes of this part, the term ``stepchild'' refers to the child of an enrollee's spouse or domestic partner and shall continue to refer to such child after the enrollee's divorce from the spouse, termination of the domestic partnership, or death of the spouse or domestic partner, so long as the child continues to live with the enrollee in a regular parent-child relationship.
(3) Meaning of domestic partner. For purposes of this part, the term ``domestic partner'' is a person in a domestic partnership with an employee, annuitant, former employee or child enrolled under Sec. 890.1103.
(4) Meaning of domestic partnership. For purposes of this part, the term ``domestic partnership'' is defined as a committed relationship between two adults of the same sex, in which the partners--
(i) Are each other's sole domestic partner and intend to remain so indefinitely;
(ii) Maintain a common residence, and intend to continue to do so (or would maintain a common residence but for an assignment abroad or other employment-related, financial, or similar obstacle);
(iii) Are at least 18 years of age and mentally competent to consent to a contract;
(iv) Share responsibility for a significant measure of each other's financial obligations;
(v) Are not married or joined in a civil union to anyone else;
(vi) Are not a domestic partner of anyone else;
(vii) Are not related in a way that, if they were of opposite sex, would prohibit legal marriage in the U.S. jurisdiction in which the domestic partnership was formed;
(viii) Provide documentation demonstrating fulfillment of the requirements of paragraphs (b)(4)(i) through (vii) of this section as prescribed by OPM; and
(ix) Certify that they understand that willful falsification of the documentation described in paragraph (b)(4)(viii) of this section may lead to disciplinary action and the recovery of the cost of benefits received related to such falsification and may constitute a criminal violation under 18 U.S.C. 1001.
(x) Certify that they would marry but for the failure of their state of residence to permit same-sex marriage.
(5) Notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (b)(2) of this section, the child of an enrollee and a domestic partner who otherwise meet the requirements of paragraphs (b)(4)(i) through (viii) of this section but live in a state that has authorized marriage by same-sex couples prior to the first day of Open Season, shall not be considered a stepchild who is the child of a domestic partner in the following plan year. The determination of whether a state's marriage laws render a child ineligible for coverage as a stepchild who is the child of a domestic partner shall be made once annually, based on the law of the state where the same-sex couple lives on the last day before Open Season begins for the following plan year. A child's eligibility for coverage as a stepchild who is the child of a domestic partner in a particular plan year shall not be affected by a mid-year change to a state's marriage law or by the couple's relocation to a different state. For mid-year enrollment changes involving the addition of a new stepchild, as defined by this regulation, outside of Open Season, the determination of whether a state's marriage laws render the child ineligible for coverage shall be made at the time the employee notifies the employing office of his or her desire to cover the child.
(6) Termination of domestic partnership. An enrollee or his or her domestic partner must notify the employing office within thirty calendar days in the event that any of the conditions listed in paragraphs (b)(4)((i) through (vii) of this section are no longer met, in which case a domestic partnership will be deemed terminated.
(7) Tax issues. The fair market value of coverage provided to a stepchild who is the child of a domestic partner will be taxed in accordance with applicable tax laws unless the enrollee establishes that the stepchild qualifies for favorable tax treatment.
(c) Child incapable of self-support. When an individual's enrollment for self and family includes a child who has become 26 years of age and is incapable of self-support, the employing office must require such enrollee to submit a physician's certificate verifying the child's disability. The certificate must--
(1) State that the child is incapable of self-support because of a physical or mental disability that existed before the child became 26 years of age and that can be expected to continue for more than 1 year;
(2) Include a statement of the name of the child, the nature of the disability, the period of time it has existed, and its probable future course and duration; and,
(3) Be signed by the physician and show the physician's office address. The employing office must require the enrollee to submit the certificate on or before the date the child becomes 26 years of age. However, the employing office may accept otherwise satisfactory evidence of incapacity that is not timely filed.
(d) Renewal of certificates of incapacity. The employing office must require an enrollee who has submitted a certificate of incapacity to renew that certificate on the expiration of the minimum period of disability certified.
(e) Determination of incapacity. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (e)(2) of this section, the employing office shall make determinations of incapacity.
(1) Except as provided in paragraph (e)(2) of this section, the employing office shall make determinations of incapacity.
(2) Either the employing office or the carrier may make a determination of incapacity if a medical condition, as specified by OPM, exists that would cause a child to be incapable of self-support during adulthood. [78 FR 64876, Oct. 30, 2013]