Eligibility FAQs

Am I eligible to participate in the SBA Active Fund?
Yes, if…
(1) you are a current SBA member in good standing, or,

(2) you are newly promoted and become an active member of the Sergeants Benevolent Association, Police Department, City of New York, and,

(2a) the City of New York provides contributions on your behalf to the Sergeants Benevolent Association Health & Welfare Fund.

Who is covered?
(1) You

(2) Your spouse???

(3) Your unmarried dependent children up to age 19, and up to age 23 if they are full-time students at accredited educational institutions.

(4) Dependent coverage is also extended to any unmarried child, regardless of age, who is incapable of self-sustaining employment by reason of a mental or physical handicap and who becomes so prior to attainment of age 19 and who resides with and is wholly dependent on the covered member for financial support. You must submit proof of your dependent child’s incapacity to the Fund office 31 days after the date he attains the age at which his coverage would otherwise terminate or within 31 days after you are notified of his termination of eligibility, whichever is later. Proof of the continued existence of such incapacity shall be furnished to the Fund office from time to time at its request

Dependent Student Cerification Form(PDF)

(5) Registered and currently eligible domestic partners.*

* A domestic partner is defined as a “person, eighteen years of age or older, who is not married or related by blood to the employee or retiree in a manner that would bar marriage in the State of New York, who has a close and committed personal relationship with the employee or retiree, who lives with the employee or retiree and has been living with them on a continuous basis, and who, together with the employee or retiree, has registered with the city clerk as a domestic partner of the employee or retiree and has not terminated the domestic partnership.” Employees can obtain details concerning eligibility, enrollment, and tax consequences from the agency payroll or personnel office or from the Office of Labor Relations, Domestic Partnership Liaison Unit at (212) 306-7336.


Note: Members will be issued an IRS form 10-99G for COBRA cost value of benefits for “domestic partners” at the end of the tax year. This information will be filed, by the Fund, with the IRS and will have to be claimed as income on the member’s tax return for the year incurred.

What happens if I lose eligibility and are reinstated later?

If your benefits were terminated and later reinstated, you will be considered to be a new member. You will again become eligible according to the requirements set forth in this section.

Who qualifies as an eligible dependent?

Your dependents are your lawful spouse and each unmarried child up to their 19th birthday who are enrolled by you with the Fund as your dependent. “Child” is defined as a natural child, stepchild or adopted child, provided such child is dependent upon you for support and maintenance, and proof of such (e.g. birth certificate, adoption papers) is provided to the Fund office. Coverage for a dependent child may be continued up to their 23rd birthday if he or she is a full-time student in an accredited educational institution and proof of such (provided with the SBA Student Dependent Form) is provided to the Fund office within one month of the start of the semester.

If your child reaches age 19 during a school vacation period, coverage will continue, as long as the child is enrolled in an accredited secondary or preparatory school or college or other accredited educational institution. You must provide written notification that the child plans to resume classes on a full-time basis at the end of the vacation period, and subsequently complete the SBA Student Dependent Form within one month of the start of the next succeeding semester.

What happens if there is a change in my family status?

It is important that you notify the Fund Office as soon as possible of any change in your family status (to add dependents due to marriage, domestic partnership, birth or adoption of a child, or to drop dependents due to death, divorce, legal separation, termination of domestic partnership or a child reaching an ineligible age or losing full time student status). Failure to do so could result in loss or delay of benefits. It is important to you that you keep the Fund up-to-date on your current family status, address, telephone and fax numbers and E-mail address.