How do I add dependents to my benefits?

Last updated: October 6, 2026

Applies to: US W-2 employees enrolling in Ascen health benefits. Independent contractors are not eligible for Ascen benefits, and employees in Canada or outside the US have their own benefits setup, so they will not see this step.

Summary: You add your spouse or children on the dependent step, which comes after you choose your plans and appears only if the coverage you chose includes family members. For each person you need their name, date of birth, relationship to you, and Social Security number. If a dependent does not have a Social Security number yet, you cannot finish adding them until it arrives, so tell us at support@ascen.com, especially if your enrollment deadline is close.

Getting to the dependent step

  1. Open the information packet. The benefits step starts with a button labelled Download and Proceed to benefits. It opens the benefits information packet, a PDF that describes the plans and what they cost. Opening a PDF here is expected and is not an error. Review it, then continue to the selection screen in the Ascen portal. If you closed the page, log back in at app.ascen.com.

  2. Choose your plans. You must enroll yourself before you can add anyone else. Pick the coverage level that matches who you want to cover, for example yourself and your spouse, or yourself and your family.

  3. Add your dependents. If the coverage you chose includes a spouse or children, the dependent step follows. If you chose coverage for yourself only, you will not see it.

The plans, coverage levels and costs are in the US Benefits Enrollment Guide. Who counts as an eligible dependent is explained in Who is eligible to enroll in healthcare benefits?.

What you need for each dependent

  • First and last name

  • Date of birth

  • Gender

  • Relationship to you (spouse or child)

  • Social Security number

You can add one spouse per plan. Have everyone's details ready before you start, particularly the Social Security numbers.

If a dependent does not have a Social Security number yet

This often happens with a newborn whose card has not arrived. A dependent cannot be added without a Social Security number, so you will not be able to finish adding them in the portal until you have it.

  • Email support@ascen.com with your full name, the email address on your Ascen account, and who you are waiting on a number for. Do this straight away if your enrollment deadline is coming up.

  • When the number arrives, go back to the dependent step in your Ascen portal and add them.

Adding someone later

Once your enrollment is complete, adding a new spouse or child, for example after a marriage or a birth, is a change made through a qualifying life event, and it has its own deadline and documentation. See What is a Qualifying Life Event? and What documentation is required for a Qualifying Life Event (QLE)?.

If you chose the wrong coverage level or added the wrong person during enrollment, the step can sometimes be reopened. See How to get your benefits enrollment step reopened.

Who to contact

  • Ascen, support@ascen.com: the benefits or dependent step, a dependent you cannot add yet, your enrollment deadline, and changes after a life event.

  • The plan documents in the enrollment guide: what each plan covers and what it costs.

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