Enrollment

If you have an individual or family health insurance plan: You can cover a newborn from their date of birth if the parent already has a health insurance plan in effect at the time of birth. The parent has 60 days to contact Customer Service to add the newborn to their existing plan.
If you have a health insurance plan through your employer: You must notify your employer or group administrator to add a newborn to your coverage. Some employer groups opt for a 60-day notice. Please check your Member Guide to find out how much notice is required.

If you are adding an adopted child to your coverage, you must notify your employer or group administrator, provide documentation of the adoption, as needed, and complete the proper form. For the adopted child to be covered from the date of placement in the home, please complete the proper form as soon as possible. If you need to change your coverage type (for instance from an Individual to a Family plan), you must notify Blue Cross NC within 60 days. (NOTE: Some employer groups have opted for a 60-day notice. Please review your Member Guide to find out which guideline applies to you.)

If you are adding or removing a family member to or from your health coverage, you should notify your group administrator and complete any required forms within 30 days of the event.

Note: When adding a dependent to your coverage, the proper form must be completed within 30 days after the dependent becomes eligible for coverage in order to be effective on the date the dependent becomes eligible.

Answers vary according to your plan. To learn more, please visit the Help section and FAQs on your plan's member page.

Many groups only offer one health benefit plan. Groups offering more than one health benefit plan may have an annual or open enrollment period in which to change to a different benefit plan. Please contact your group administrator for more information.

An open enrollment period is a period of at least 10 days during which your employer will allow you to enroll or to make changes/adjustments to your coverage. Open enrollment periods are held once a year for those employer groups that offer open enrollment. Review your Member Guide or contact your Group Administrator for additional information regarding plan changes.

You or your spouse's dependent children are eligible for coverage until their 26th birthday. Please review your Member Guide or consult your employer regarding dependent eligibility requirements.

A dependent child who is either mentally retarded or physically handicapped and incapable of self-support may continue to be covered under the health benefit plan regardless of age if the condition exists and coverage is in effect when the child reaches the age of 19. The handicap must be medically certified by the child's doctor and may be verified annually by Blue Cross NC.