A. General Rule
On a family membership, a husband and wife, and any unmarried children aged 18 and under, are eligible to submit medical needs for publication if they meet the member requirements in Section I and are listed on the membership application/ renewal form.

B. Child over Age 18
Your single children over age 18 may be on your membership if they qualify as your dependent for federal income tax purposes or within SMI's gross income exception. If a child continues on your family membership after he reaches age 18, SMI may request verification that he is being claimed as a dependent.

Note: Your children need not live in your home to be your dependents. As long as you provide the majority of a child’s financial support, he may qualify as a dependant: 1. no matter his age, as long as his gross income is under $3,300 (the limit for 2006. This limit is adjusted upwards by the IRS yearly for inflation and has an exception for the disabled); or 2. no matter his income until he reaches age 24, as long as he is a full time student (12 credit hours) for at least 5 months of a calendar year.

Gross Income Exception: If the only reason your child does not qualify as your dependant is due to his gross income exceeding the maximum IRS allowed amount, the child will still be considered a dependent for SMI's purposes if his gross income does not exceed $6,800. Additionally, if your child's gross income exceeds $6,800, in special circumstances (e.g. a handicapped child) there will be administrative leeway for your child to remain on your family membership. Contact your Member Services specialist if you wish to apply for this status.

C. Marriage
When your children are married, they must have their own membership even if
they qualify as your dependent.

D. Transition from Parents’ Membership

1. Marriage/Age 18—Your child is no longer eligible to continue on your membership 30 days after he is married, or 30 days after he turns age 18 unless he qualifies as your dependent.

2. Age 24/Student—Your child is no longer eligible to continue on your membership 30 days after the date of his 24th birthday unless his gross income
for the year will be less than the dependency limit and you are providing more than one-half of his support.

3. Over Income Limit—In the year in which your child no longer qualifies as your dependant due to his income, he will be considered to have left your family membership the later of June 30 of that year, or the last day of the first full calendar month after the month in which his income exceeded the limit. (E.g. If a child’s income for the year exceeds the limit in August, his inclusion in his parents’ membership ends on September 30.) It is the child’s obligation to be aware when he is no longer a dependent and is responsible for his own membership.

4. Gap Time—Any incidents which occur from the time a child leaves his parents’ membership to the date he begins his own, will not be published.

5. Maternity Needs Credit—If a child begins his own membership immediately
after leaving his parents’ membership, he will be given an allowance of $50 multiplied by the number of months he was part of his parents’ membership for any future maternity need. (Section IX.A.3)

E. Newborn
A newborn, who is the first child in the household membership, will be included
within the household membership retroactively to the date of birth as long as you notify SMI to add him to the membership no later than 90 days after birth; otherwise, the effective membership date will be no earlier than the date of notification. SMI should be notified as soon as practible to add subsequent newborn children to the membership. Please be aware that there are limits on what is considered a publishable need for a newborn. (Section IX.C)

F. Adoption
Adopted, unmarried children are considered members of the household the same
as biological children. Any physical condition which the adopted child has prior to the adopted parent being legally responsible for the child’s expenses, or prior to his effective date within his parent’s membership, will be considered a “condition that existed prior to membership” under Section VII. However, maternity related needs may be published as provided in Section IX.C.6. and needs related to a congenital condition may be published as provided in Section VIII.A.8.

G. Grandchildren
Grandchildren may be included as part of their grandparent’s membership if they
meet all of the following criteria:
1. They live permanently with their grandparents.
2. The grandparents have legal custody.
3. They meet the eligibility Guidelines for children.
4. They have no other agency, person, or group responsible for their medical bills.