When Jody gave birth to their first child while covered under a group health insurance plan, what must Fred do to have coverage for the child?

The requirement for Fred to notify the insurer within 31 days to continue coverage without evidence of insurability is based on the typical provisions found in group health insurance policies. When a covered individual, such as Jody in this case, has a qualifying event like the birth of a child, it is critical that the new dependent is added to the insurance policy to ensure coverage. Most group health plans allow for a period, commonly 30 or 31 days, during which a policyholder can enroll a newborn without having to provide evidence of insurability.

During this enrollment period, the child will be covered under the plan from the moment of birth, provided Fred takes the necessary steps to apply for the coverage within that timeframe. Failing to notify the insurer in time could result in the child not being covered, requiring later steps that may include providing evidence of insurability, which can be more complicated and could affect the new child's coverage status.

Other options do not align with the standard practices related to adding a newborn to a group health plan. Notification on the anniversary date of the plan does not relate to the timely addition of a new dependent. Notifying the employer within 10 days might be too restrictive, as the insurer is the entity that needs