Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dependent Verification topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board hears plan for dependent eligibility audit; members urge sensitivity for retirees and domestic partners
Summary
Aon presented a dependent eligibility verification project to confirm eligibility of spouses and domestic partners starting in January, with a 90-day implementation, an amnesty/notification period and 60-day verification window; commissioners emphasized appeals, retiree outreach and fairness concerns.
Aon Hewitt described a dependent eligibility verification audit to the Health Service System Board on Aug. 31, proposing a January start and a structured outreach and verification timeline intended to verify legal spouses and domestic partners.
Rocky Meritori (Aon) said the project would include a 90-day implementation period, an amnesty/notification stage, a 60-day verification window and a 30-day silent grace extension for late responders. The approach emphasizes education and assistance: a client portal for members to upload documentation, multilingual customer support, a dedicated customer-care team, and proactive outreach (letters and phone calls) for non-responders. Aon projected 5–7 percent savings on a first-time audit and cited prior experience conducting hundreds of similar projects.
Board members asked whether the audit would include retirees and how to treat recently added dependents; Aon confirmed retirees are included and said criteria for exemptions (e.g., recent documentation) could be set during the requirement-definition phase. Commissioners urged special handling for domestic partners, noting that some domestic-partnership certifications do not create the same documentation footprint as marriage certificates and that requiring joint financial documents could unfairly burden certain households. Supervisor Sheehy and others stressed sensitivity for elderly members, members with cognitive impairment, and same-sex couples who may view the process as intrusive. The Board asked that the project build in safeguards to avoid inadvertently terminating benefits, and requested an internal pause point so the Board would be briefed before any dependent is removed from coverage.
Members also discussed appeals: Aon said it will handle first-level customer support and documentation intake; HSS staff will receive appeal materials and handle the next-level review, with the Board serving as the final arbiter for formal appeals. Funding for the engagement will be provided by the Comptroller's Office, Pamela Levin (CFO) said, under a designated city fund for projects that improve efficiencies.
Aon will provide the Board with the engagement fee and a detailed workplan and will work with HSS staff to define acceptable documentation sets and special procedures for vulnerable populations. Commissioners directed staff and Aon to ensure communication and implementation plans minimize the risk that legally entitled members lose benefits.
