If an employee is enrolled in medical and ancillary coverage under a family plan, do the employee’s dependents have to enroll in the same coverages?

At Claremont Insurance Services the three carriers that we represent which offer both medical and ancillary plans differ as to what they will permit as follows:

• Blue Shield of California – Does not require dependents to have the same coverage as the subscriber.
• Covered California for Small Business – Requires dependents to have the same coverage as the subscriber.
• UnitedHealthcare – Requires dependents to have the same coverage as the subscriber.

It is our understanding that a carrier’s decision in this matter is driven more by system capabilities than legal or regulatory interpretation. In other words, the carriers don’t know of any legal or regulatory reason why a dependent would be barred from choosing to enroll or waive regardless of what the subscriber decides.