HR Fast Facts: Can Employees Enroll a Dependent Without an SSN on Their Insurance?

If an employee is a new parent who needs to enroll a newborn within 27 days of their birth (a qualifying life event), they don't need to provide a Social Security Number (SSN) when adding their newborn to their existing health insurance coverage. Newborns often don't receive an SSN until several weeks after their birth, but must be enrolled as a dependent within 27 days of birth. If they're adding a dependent during their initial or open enrollment period (and not through a QLE), they will need to provide:

• The dependent's SSN*
• U.S. resident address
• Date of birth

*If their dependent does not have an SSN, they can leave this field blank during enrollment. Once they have received a valid one, they can let their broker know so they can update the carrier. If their dependent doesn't have a valid SSN for visa purposes, they can contact their broker or insurance carrier to determine whether or not they are able to enroll.

This communication is for informational purposes only; it is not legal, tax or accounting advice; and is not an offer to sell, buy or procure insurance.

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