Which of the following is a qualifying event for dependent children?

• A. The child loses dependent status under the plan.
• B. The employee becomes entitled to Medicare.
• C. The employee dies.
• D. The spouse and employee divorce.

Answer: (A)

The key idea here is what events trigger a dependent’s right to elect COBRA continuation. A dependent child gains a COBRA option specifically when they stop being a dependent under the plan. That loss of dependent status—such as aging out or no longer meeting eligibility criteria for a dependent—directly creates a qualifying event for the dependent to continue coverage.

The other options don’t fit as the dependent-specific trigger. If the employee becomes entitled to Medicare, that change affects the employee’s coverage and can lead to loss of COBRA rights for the employee, but it isn’t described as a separate qualifying event for a dependent child. The death of the employee is a triggering event, but it’s not about a dependent child losing status under the plan. Divorce between the spouse and the employee primarily creates COBRA rights for the spouse, not for the dependent child. So the most direct, plan-specific trigger for a dependent child’s continuation coverage is the child losing dependent status under the plan.