Employee Coverage Requirements
You are eligible for employee coverage as a full-time employee of Georgia Ports Authority (GPA) scheduled to work at least thirty (30) hours per week, are on the regular payroll of GPA, and are in a class eligible for coverage under the Plan.
There will be no waiting period for all full-time employees.
Anyone committing fraudulent activities against the Plan will not be eligible for coverage.
Dependent Coverage Requirements
An employee’s family member who resides in the United States will become eligible for dependent coverage on the first day that the employee is eligible for employee coverage and the family member satisfies the requirements for dependent coverage.
Dependents eligible for coverage include:
- The employee’s legally married spouse.
- The employee’s child(ren) up until the end of the month in which he or she turns the age of twenty-six (26), including:
- A natural-born child.
- A stepchild.
- An adopted child or a child lawfully placed with the employee for legal adoption by the employee. A “child lawfully placed with an employee for legal adoption” refers to a child whom the employee intends to adopt, whether or not the adoption has become final, provided that the child has not attained the age of eighteen (18) as of the date of placement for adoption.
- An eligible foster child. An eligible foster child is an individual who is placed with the employee by an authorized placement agency or by judgment, decree, or other order of any court of competent jurisdiction.
- An employee’s unmarried child over the age of twenty-six (26) who is mentally or physically incapable of earning his or her own living due to permanent, chronic, and total disability. The child may obtain continued coverage if, within thirty (30) days of the date coverage would otherwise terminate, the employee submits proof of the child’s incapacity. (See Eligibility for Disabled Children)
- A minor ward for whom the employee has legal guardianship and who is primarily dependent upon the employee for support and resides with the employee.
At any time, the Plan Administrator may require documentation proving that a spouse or a child qualifies or continues to qualify as a dependent as defined by this Plan, including but not limited to marriage licenses, birth certificates, and/or a court order establishing a relationship of parent and child. If both spouses are employees, their children will be covered as dependents of one spouse, but not of both.
Disabled Children Eligibility
In order for a disabled child to be eligible for coverage under the Plan beyond the end of the month of the child’s twenty-sixth (26th) birthday, the child:
- Must be enrolled in the Plan prior to the age of twenty-six (26).
- Must be incapable of self-support because of mental retardation or permanent, chronic, and total disability which commenced prior to the age of twenty-six (26).
- Must be primarily dependent upon the employee.
- Must be continuously disabled and covered thereafter.
- Must be considered disabled by the Social Security Administration.
If you believe a covered dependent meets the disability criteria above, you may obtain a determination of disability from the Social Security Administration. This information must be submitted to the Plan Administrator within thirty (30) days of the covered dependent reaching the age of twenty-six (26). You may be required to submit additional information necessary for completion of the eligibility determination.
If such eligibility is approved, you may be further required (usually not more frequently than once a year) to furnish satisfactory evidence to substantiate the continued eligibility of the covered dependent under the Plan.
Persons Excluded as Dependents
The term “dependent” excludes:
- Any individuals living in the covered employee’s home who do not satisfy the eligibility requirements for dependents as defined by the Plan.
- A spouse and/or child living outside of the United States of America.
- The legally separated or divorced former spouse of the employee.
- Any person who is on active duty in any military service of any country.
- Any person who is covered under the Plan as an employee.
- For dependent life insurance: a married child.
Life Status Changes
Any time that you wish to make benefit changes outside of Open Enrollment due to a life status change (such as adding, changing, or dropping coverage on you or a dependent (marriage, divorce, birth, etc.)), remember that you have 31 days from the life event to make those changes.