Under a typical group health plan, the term 'dependent' generally includes:
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why A is correct
Group plans define eligible dependents by contract, but the standard definition includes the employee's spouse or registered domestic partner and the employee's children, covering natural, adopted, and stepchildren. Under the ACA, coverage of children must continue until age 26, so the child category is broader than age 18. The dependent definition is a plan-design term, not an open-ended household rule: parents, grandparents, and unrelated household members are not dependents under the usual group definition, and children are not limited to biological status. Eligibility is judged by the family relationship defined in the plan.
Why the other options are wrong
- B) Adopted and stepchildren are routinely included as dependents, and covered children may continue until age 26, so the 'biological only, under 18' description is far too narrow for a standard group plan.
- C) A relative living in the household is not automatically a dependent. Eligibility depends on the plan's definition of family relationships such as spouse and children, not on residence.
- D) Ascending relatives such as parents and grandparents are not covered as dependents under standard group health plans. They would need their own coverage or a special arrangement.
Memory hook
Dependents = spouse plus kids (natural, adopted, step). Household lodgers and grandparents need not apply.