Spouses and Children Insurance What does it offer Generally, coverage must be offered to an employee’s legal spouse and dependent children. Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, group insurance plans are required to extend coverage to adult dependents up to age 26. Employers may choose to expand the definition of dependent children to include those older than 26; age limits vary by plan. Check the Evidence of Coverage (EOC) booklet from your insurer or consult your agent or broker for clarification. Employers may also choose to extend health benefits to unmarried domestic partners of employees. If this option is offered, the coverage provided to domestic partners must be equivalent to the coverage extended to spouses. Domestic partners • Same sex can include: • Opposite sex, or • Both same sex and opposite sex partners.