Dependent Eligibility Verification

Dependent Eligibility Verification (DEV) is the process of re-verifying the eligibility of your spouse, domestic partner, children, stepchildren, and domestic partner children (dependents) enrolled in health and/or dental benefits. To ensure only eligible dependents are enrolled in employer-sponsored health benefits, Government Code section 19815.9 and California Code of Regulations Section 599.855 mandates that you re-verify the eligibility of your dependents. Government Code section 22959 authorizes the review of your dependents’ dental benefits enrollment.

Re-Verification Schedule

Your dependents’ eligibility will be re-verified once every three years. The re-verification cycle is based on your birth month. The following chart illustrates the schedule:

This three-year cycle repeats. If you enroll dependent(s) within six months of your birth month, their eligibility will be re-verified during your next cycle.

The following is a detailed schedule of the process:

Re-Verifying Dependents

Dependents who require re-verification:

• Current spouse
• Current domestic partner as registered with the California Secretary of State’s Office or a comparable agency in another jurisdiction
• Natural born*, adopted*, current step, or current domestic partner children up to age 26.

*These children will only need to be verified once during your re-verification as a retiree.

Note: The Dependent Re-verification doesn't include disabled dependent(s) or a parent-child relationship dependent(s) who are enrolled in employer-sponsored health and/or dental coverage. Disabled dependent(s) and parent-child relationship dependent(s) have a separate re-verification process. Dependents added to your health and/or dental enrollment within the last six months don't need to be re-verified during your re-verification due date. If you have a dependent who should be removed due to a qualifying event (i.e., divorce, dependent enters military, etc.), contact CalPERS immediately.

Ninety (90) calendar days before your birth month, CalPERS will send you a letter with the re-verification due date, a list of the enrolled dependent(s) you must verify, and the acceptable verification documents. You are to promptly provide re-verification documents to CalPERS. Upon receipt of all acceptable re-verification documents, CalPERS will verify your dependent(s) for health and/or dental benefits.

If you have previously provided the required documentation to re-verify each dependent’s eligibility outside of this effort or to your employer while working, the documentation must be provided again for any dependent(s) listed on the Dependent Verification Affidavit in order to comply with this requirement.

If you don't respond or provide the required documents to CalPERS during your re-verification cycle, CalPERS will remove your dependent(s) from your health and/or dental benefits.

CalPERS informs you the month before your birth month in writing if we administratively remove your dependent(s) from health and/or dental benefits. We'll include Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) continuation of coverage information with this letter. Your dependents' disenrollment takes effect the first of the month after your birth month. If you provide re-verification documents for disenrolled, eligible dependent(s) after the verification due date, CalPERS will re-enroll the dependent(s) prospectively for health and/or dental benefits. This will result in a gap of benefit coverage.

If you would like to review DEV letters, select the appropriate one below:

• Annuitant Dependent Verification Letter (PDF)
• Annuitant Dependent Cancellation Letter (PDF)
• Annuitant Dependent Verification Affidavit (PDF)

Required Documents

To ensure secure and timely processing of your dependent(s) re-verification, you may upload all required documents online and submit your Dependent Verification Affidavit electronically. Log into your myCalPERS account at my.calpers.gov, then click on the Health tab and select Health Plan Summary. On the Health Plan Summary page, click on the Verify Your Dependents Now link.

If sending copies of required documents via mail, submit your completed DEV Affidavit form together with all required documents for each dependent requiring re-verification. The DEV Affidavit form has a bar code that is unique to your account which allows the CalPERS team to more efficiently upload all documents to your myCalPERS account. Processing can take up to 30 days. Once your dependent(s) are verified, you'll receive a notification letter.

CalPERS will retain all your required dependent re-verification documents in your account. You may not be required to provide the government issued marriage certificate, domestic partnership registration, and birth certificates for stepchildren or domestic partner children if the marriage or domestic partnership remains current.