Adding Family Members to BVCare: Spouse, Children and Parents by Group Size
Once a company has bought health insurance for its staff, the next question is usually: can spouses, children and parents join the same program? This article explains the rules for registering family members under BVCare (New) enterprise health insurance, exactly as set out in the policy terms.
In this article
- 📋 The principle: register family members once, at the start of the policy
- 🕒 Cases where family members can be added after the effective date
- 👨👩👧 Who counts as a family member: spouse and children
- 👴 Extending to birth parents and parents-in-law: it depends on group size
- ⚠️ Important notes when declaring the family member list
📋 The principle: register family members once, at the start of the policy
Under the eligibility terms, employees may only register insurance for their family members once, at the start of the policy term. Registration after the effective date applies only to specific situations and is not always approved.
One point worth noting — emotional, but very practical: a family member’s coverage ends automatically at the same time as the employee’s own coverage. In other words, when the employee leaves the job or the policy expires, the protection for the whole family stops too.
🕒 Cases where family members can be added after the effective date
The terms allow mid-term additions only in the following situations:
- Family members of a newly hired employee, or of a newly married spouse.
- A newly married wife or husband of the employee.
- A newborn child who meets the age and eligibility conditions.
- Family members of an employee who completes the probation period or is promoted during the policy term, where the company’s policy allows cover for family members.
Outside these cases, adding family members mid-term is considered under the agreement in the contract. You should check the specific terms or contact the insurer or advisor to confirm before declaring.
👨👩👧 Who counts as a family member: spouse and children
Family members include the following, counted from the policy effective date or the next annual renewal date:
- Spouse of the employee under 66 years old.
- Legal child of the employee aged 1 to 18, or up to 24 if studying a long-term course in Vietnam and not yet married.
Maternity benefits do not apply to the employee’s children. All dependents must be named in the Insured Persons list to be recorded as participating in the program.
On general entry age, BVCare (New) conditions apply from 12 months to under 66 years, and the child age may be extended from 15 days to under 1 year under the specific conditions of each group — see the BVCare (New) eligibility rules for full details on age and health requirements.
👴 Extending to birth parents and parents-in-law: it depends on group size
This is the part most businesses care about. Extending cover to birth parents and parents of the spouse is not applied across the board — it depends on the headcount of the policy buyer:
| Group size | Extension to birth parents, parents-in-law | Conditions |
|---|---|---|
| 50 employees or fewer | Not extended | – |
| 51–100 employees | Extended if the customer requests | 30% premium increase and a 20/80 co-payment for inpatient and outpatient |
| 101–200 employees | Extended if the customer requests | 30% premium increase |
In short, the larger the group, the wider the scope for caring for parents within the program — but with the corresponding premium increase. The exact premium calculation and actual rates must be confirmed in the premium schedule annex of the contract.
⚠️ Important notes when declaring the family member list
Before submitting, the company should check the following:
- ☐ Confirm the employee is named in the Insured Persons list — family members can only join when the employee is also participating.
- ☐ Check the spouse’s age (under 66) and children’s ages (1–18, or up to 24 if studying a long-term course in Vietnam and unmarried).
- ☐ Choose a program for the family member that is equal to or lower than the employee’s own program.
- ☐ Prepare documents proving the relationship: birth certificate (children), marriage certificate (spouse), household registration book (sổ hộ khẩu) or equivalent valid documents.
- ☐ Declare additions for new employees, newlyweds and newborns within the contract’s deadlines and process.
The insurer has the right to request documents proving the relationship for a family member’s claim file, and may reject the claim if the insured person does not provide them fully.
Three “hard” rules to remember when it comes to family members in enterprise health insurance:
- The premium for all insured persons, including family members, must be paid by the policy buyer.
- If the employee does not participate in the insurance, the coverage of all that employee’s family members will be voided: the family members are removed from the contract and the premium will not be refunded, whether or not a claim has arisen.
- The policy buyer is responsible for declaring the employee and family lists in line with the rules; any violation may lead the insurer to reject claims or cancel the insurance for specific cases.
If your family includes a foreigner working in Vietnam, understanding eligibility matters even more, because legal residency conditions and limits on leaving Vietnam are also regulated separately — see insurance for foreign professionals working in Vietnam and health insurance for foreigners in Vietnam.
Overall, BVCare (New) allows employees to bring their family into the company’s insurance program, but each benefit group — from the core benefits of BVCare (New) to eligible family members — has clear boundaries based on group size. To make sure your company’s family list is recorded correctly, cross-check it against the signed contract or connect with the insurer or dedicated advisor before submitting the list.
