Advocate Health Care
Benefits
Domestic Partners

 
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Eligibility
Under Advocate Health Care benefit programs, certain benefits and rights are available for qualified domestic partners of our associates.

In order to add a domestic partner to your coverage, you and your domestic partner need to complete and sign the Affidavit of Domestic Partnership in front of a Notary Public and return it to the Domestic Partner Benefits Administrator. You also must include two valid proofs of documentation as described in the affidavit. Once the Domestic Partner Benefits Administrator reviews your affidavit, you will be notified if any further information or action is required.

Please keep a copy of all materials you send to the Domestic Partner Benefits Administrator for your own records.

Under the current federal tax laws, benefits are available on a tax-free or tax-favored basis only to an associate’s spouse or an associate’s legal dependents. Advocate must administer the benefits program in accordance with federal tax law and treat as taxable any benefits that aren't permitted tax-free or tax-favored treatment under federal law. As your domestic partner isn't considered to be your spouse or dependent for federal income tax purposes, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires that Advocate treat the value of any health or dental coverage provided to your domestic partner as imputed income to you. Children of your domestic partner can be covered only if they meet the plan's definition of a dependent of the associate. Those definitions are described in the applicable Plan Summary booklet and the certificate of coverage.

All regular Full-Time and Part-Time associates who are scheduled to work 20 or more hours each week are eligible to enroll a qualified domestic partner for benefits.

Definition of domestic partner
Advocate defines domestic partners as two people who:

1.   Have been living together in a committed exclusive relationship of mutual caring and support for a period of at least one year.
2.   Intend for the domestic partnership to be permanent.
3.   Are financially interdependent such that they are jointly responsible for the common welfare and financial obligations of the household, or the non-associate domestic partner is chiefly dependent upon the associate for care and financial assistance.
4.   Aren't legally married to any other individual, and if previously married, a legal divorce or annulment has been obtained or the former spouse is deceased.
5.   Are mentally competent to enter into a contract according to the laws of the state in which they reside.
6.   Are at least 18 years of age and are old enough to enter into marriage according to the laws of the state in which they reside.
7.   Don't have a blood relationship that would bar marriage under applicable laws of the state in which they reside if they otherwise satisfy all other applicable state marriage requirements.
8.   Aren't in the domestic partnership solely for the purpose of obtaining benefits.