Grandchild Coverage Under COBRA

  1. Knowledge Base
  2. Starting COBRA
  3. Will an Employee’s Grandchild Be Covered Under COBRA?
I am covered under insurance by my parents due to my status as a student, but my daughter is not covered. Is there an insurance plan that will cover children only offered by COBRA?

In most cases, grandchildren are not considered eligible dependents under an employer’s group health plan. Standard dependent coverage generally includes a spouse and children. A grandchild can only be covered if the plan’s rules specifically allow it or if the grandparent has a court-ordered guardianship or legal custody arrangement that makes the child a dependent under the plan.

Grandparents With Custody

If a grandparent has legal custody of a grandchild, the child may qualify as an eligible dependent under the employer’s health plan. In that case, if the grandparent experiences a qualifying event such as job loss or reduction in hours, the grandchild’s coverage can usually continue under COBRA. If the grandchild was not enrolled in the plan at the time of the qualifying event, COBRA continuation would not apply.