Definition of "Dependent"

A person who relies on another for economic support. For insurance purposes, the following may be included:

  1. the insured's legal spouse;
  2. any unmarried children younger than a specified age who are dependent upon the insured for support (age requirements vary from plan to plan);
  3. unmarried children between specified years of age who are dependent upon the insured for support, and who are full-time students in an educational institution (age requirements vary).
A dependent child cannot be covered under more than one insured employee's plan. For example, if the husband and wife are both insured employees of different companies, coordination of benefits would determine which plan is primary and which plan is secondary. In some states, the father's plan is primary; in other states, the birthday rule would be used: the parent with the earlier birthday would have the primary plan.

image of a real estate dictionary page

Have a question or comment?

We're here to help.

*** Your email address will remain confidential.
 

 

Popular Insurance Terms

Protection under an insurance policy. In property insurance, coverage lists perils insured against, properties covered, locations covered, individuals insured, and the limits of ...

Monetary sums attached to an insurance company's assets, as listed on the annual statement. ...

Difference between the yield on earning assets and the cost of interest-bearing liabilities. ...

Difference between the actual mortality experience and the expected mortality experience. In statistical terms, this is known as the deviation of the actual (X) from the expected (X). The ...

Coverage that indemnifies a third party lender if a customer refuses to repay a loan made on a faulty product and the dealer who arranged the loan refuses to correct the fault. This ...

One of two basic types of funding instruments for pensions or employee benefits, in which responsibility for plan assets is vested in a trustee. The other type is known as an insured plan, ...

Professional designation awarded by the American College. In addition to professional business experience in financial planning, recipients are required to pass national examinations in ...

Rules that apply to employee distributions (see rollover and withholding rules for qualified plan distributions: payment paid to employee) and that also apply to distributions to surviving ...

Coverage in automobile insurance providing protection in the event of physical damage (other than collision) or theft of the insured car. For example, fire damage to an insured car would be ...

Popular Insurance Questions