Birthday rule defines primary coverage for a dependent child as which plan designated as primary?

• A. The plan of the parent whose birthday occurs first in the calendar year
• B. The plan with higher income
• C. The plan of the parent with fewer dependents
• D. The child's own plan

Answer: (A)

When a dependent child has two personal plans because both parents have coverage, the plan that pays first is based on coordination of benefits using the birthday rule. The parent whose birthday comes earlier in the calendar year has their plan designated as the primary plan for the child. This provides a simple, predictable method for assigning payment priority, regardless of which parent has higher income or fewer dependents. The child’s own plan may come into play after the parental plans, depending on the specific policy, but the birthday rule specifically points to the earlier birthday parent as primary.