Who is Eligible?
Active Member
- You are eligible for coverage if you are a Member of the Relief Association in good standing or you are a newly-appointed firefighter.
Relief Association Employee
- You and your dependents are eligible for coverage if you are a regular full-time employee of the Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association. Full-time means you are scheduled to regularly work 80 or more hours per pay period. Your dependents are defined to be the same as “Member” dependents.
Retired Member Not Eligible For Medicare
- You and your dependents are eligible for coverage if you are an active Firefighter as of your retirement date. Retired Members eligible for Medicare should review the separate Retiree Only Medicare Plan Summary which applies to those Retired Members. “Retired Member” as used in this Summary refers only to a Retired Member not eligible for Medicare.
Retired Member Covered by Medicare
- If you are a Retired Member who is an active Firefighter at time of retirement and are covered by Medicare, you may continue coverage under the LAFRA Retiree Only Medical Plan for yourself and your Dependents covered under the Plan.
Surviving Spouse or Domestic Partner
You are eligible for coverage if:
- you were covered as the legally married spouse or as the qualified domestic partner (as defined herein) of a covered Member at the time of the covered Member’s death. A common law spouse is not considered a “legally married spouse” or “qualified domestic partner” for any purpose under the Plan.
Dependents
Eligible dependents include:
- your legally married spouse or qualified Domestic Partner (excluding the legally married spouse or qualified Domestic Partner of a Surviving Spouse); and
- your children under age 26. An eligible Child is one who has a legally-qualifying relationship with you (i.e., a son, daughter, stepson or stepdaughter, a legally adopted child, a child for whom you are appointed as the legal guardian, a child who is placed with you for legal adoption, or an eligible foster child).
- children who are totally dependent on you because of a physical or mental total disability and are incapable of sustaining any type or level of employment at the time they reach the maximum age for coverage as a dependent. In this situation, you must notify the Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association and submit proof satisfactory to the Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association of the child’s totally disabled status and total dependence on you within 30 days of the date he or she would otherwise become ineligible. Your totally disabled children may be covered by the Plan as long as they remain so incapacitated and totally dependent on you and you remain covered under the Plan, provided you submit proof satisfactory to the Los Angeles Firemen’s Relief Association of such incapacity and dependency when requested. Even if a child meets the foregoing requirements, he or she will not be considered to be eligible under the Plan as totally disabled, unless he or she is also under the care of an appropriate health care provider for his or her disability and is fully cooperating in such care.
No person may be covered as both a Member and as a Dependent.
Domestic Partner & Domestic Partnership
A Domestic Partner is determined by the City of Los Angeles or the Los Angeles Fire and Police Pension Department.
For Retired LAFD
To file a new Domestic Partnership, contact L.A. Fire and Police Pensions at (213) 279-3000 or visit lafpp.com
Once you receive the affidavit, contact the Relief Association Member Services at (323) 259-5222 or (323) 259-5223 to finalize eligibility.
For Active Duty LAFD
To file a new Domestic Partnership, contact the City of Los Angeles Employee Benefits Department at (213) 978-1655. Here is the latest information from City Employee Benefits regarding the requirements, forms and process:
Domestic Partnership Affidavit (May 2021) – New Form/New Process
The new Domestic Partnership Affidavit (May 2021) requires attestation and information/signatures only. No supporting documentation or qualifying period is required. Anyone who files using the new form, and who is approved, would receive a letter of approval that identifies the employee, partner, and effective date.
Personnel-Employee Benefits will no longer need to provide letters/notices directly to LAFRA for employees who file the new form. Employees can directly provide LAFRA with their own copy of their approved domestic partnership.
Old Form(s) Sunset Date: April 2022
We are allowing employees to use the old form for the next 12 consecutive months. We recognize that there may be special unique situations where employees may want/need to use the old form. But the old rules will apply to the old form. We will continue to provide LAFRA with notifications for any employee who files the old form, as is the current process.
A notarized Affidavit of Domestic Partnership, that meets the following conditions as set forth by the City of Los Angeles, must accompany the formal Application for coverage:
i. you and your partner are in a committed and mutually exclusive relationship in which you are jointly responsible for each other’s welfare and financial obligations;
ii. you and your partner have resided together in the same principal residence for at least 12 months and intend to do so indefinitely; and
iii. you and your partner are 18 years of age or older, unmarried, and not blood relatives.
To obtain a notarized Affidavit of Domestic Partnership, call the Los Angeles City Employee Benefits Department at (213) 978-1655. Once you receive the affidavit, contact the Relief Association Member Services at (323) 259-5222 or (323) 259-5223 to finalize eligibility.
For forms and details visit the City of Los Angeles Employee Benefits web site here.
Termination of a Domestic Partnership
In the event of termination of the Domestic Partnership, a Statement of Termination of Domestic Partnership must be filed with the Association and the City of Los Angeles Personnel Department’s Employee Benefits Office, within 30 days of such termination. You may not file another Affidavit of Domestic Partnership until six (6) months after you have filed a Statement of Termination of Domestic Partnership with respect to the previous Domestic Partnership.
A surviving spouse of a previously covered Member may not add a Domestic Partner for any coverage under this Plan.