Like your plan? Keep your parent (or spouse) alive

The spouses, children and other dependents of a worker who like their Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) exchange coverage should take good care of the worker.

Dependents of workers who get coverage through a SHOP exchange division run by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) can enroll in SHOP coverage only if the worker signs up for coverage, according to officials at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

“When an employee dies, this event will trigger a termination transaction for the entire family,” CMS officials say in an answer to a question from the public. The family members would then be eligible to buy individual exchange plan coverage through a special enrollment period (SEP), officials say.