Under California law, an employer's group life insurance plan covering spouses of employees must also:

Why A is correct

Under CIC §381.5, group life insurance policies delivered or issued in California that provide coverage for an employee's spouse must also provide equivalent coverage for an employee's registered domestic partner. The law treats registered domestic partners the same as spouses for purposes of group insurance coverage. This means an employer cannot deny or restrict group life coverage for domestic partners when spouse coverage is offered. Equivalent coverage means the same benefits, conditions, and eligibility as spouse coverage, with no premium surcharge based on partnership status.

Why the other options are wrong

• Charging higher premiums based solely on domestic-partner status would violate the requirement of equivalent coverage stated in Section 381.5. This option therefore does not match the facts presented in the question and is not the correct answer to select.
• The statute specifically requires coverage for registered domestic partners, so excluding them based on marital status is not permitted. This answer describes a different situation from the one in the question and is therefore incorrect under the facts given here.
• Group life coverage, including domestic-partner coverage, does not require medical exams; requiring one would be inconsistent with the group plan's structure. This choice does not fit the arrangement described in the question, so it is clearly not the right option to choose.

Memory hook

Married or registered partner, both get the same group life rights.

Why A is correct

California Insurance Code Section 381.5 requires group life insurers to cover registered domestic partners on the same terms as spouses. Insurers must treat registered domestic partners and their dependents the same as spouses and dependents for group insurance eligibility. The rule ensures domestic partners are not denied coverage that would be available to married couples, and it applies to both employer-paid and employee-paid group coverage. The same treatment extends to dependents, so a partner's children are covered on the same basis as the children of married employees under the group plan.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) Coverage for a domestic partner must be on the same basis as a spouse's coverage, which may include an employer contribution; there is no rule forcing the member to pay alone.
• C) Marriage is not required; the statute specifically protects registered domestic partners regardless of marital status. Registration as a domestic partner, not marriage, is what triggers the statute's protection in California group plans.
• D) Domestic partners are eligible under group coverage itself; the law mandates group policies cover them, so an individual policy is not required. Group coverage is mandatory for domestic partners, so an individual policy is unnecessary and contrary to the rule.

Memory hook

Domestic partner = spouse for group coverage, on the same terms, no marriage needed.

Why A is correct

California law (referenced in the group life objectives at CIC Section 381.5) requires insurers offering group coverage to registered employee groups to treat registered domestic partners the same as spouses for eligibility purposes. If an employer's group life policy extends coverage to dependents, a registered domestic partner must be eligible on the same basis as a spouse. This is part of the California group life characteristics in objective LIFE-II.G.2.

Why the other options are wrong

• B) Prohibiting domestic partner coverage would violate the equal-eligibility requirement.
• C) Domestic partners must be offered coverage on the same terms as spouses, without an extra premium condition.
• D) A registered domestic partner plainly has an insurable interest; the issue is eligibility parity, not interest.

Memory hook

Registered partner = spouse on the group life roster. Same coverage, same price, same rights.