Dependent Eligibility
Eligibility for CMU Choices coverages
As a benefit eligible CMU employee, you may cover the following individuals on your medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and dependent life insurance plans:
- Legal spouse, unless you are divorced or legally separated under an order of separate maintenance. A spouse by common law marriage is not an eligible spouse.
- University-registered Other Eligible Individual (OEI) as described on the OEI designation form.
- Child who meets the eligibility criteria listed on the dependent eligibility criteria grid.
The following coverage rules apply to spouses or OEIs who are also eligible for coverage as a CMU employee or as an employee of another organization that offers health coverage as outlined below.
- Spouses or OEIs who are also benefit eligible CMU employees may:
- Each enroll individually for Blue Cross Blue Shield medical/prescription drug, Guardian dental or VSP vision coverage; or
- One of you may cover the other on these plans while the other person elects no coverage.
- Only one of you may cover eligible children on the medical, prescription drug, dental or vision plans.
- Both you and your spouse or OEI may carry spouse/OEI life insurance on each other and may carry child life insurance for all eligible children.
- Spouses or OEIs who are offered coverage through their employers MUST enroll in at least single coverage through their own employers' medical, prescription drug, and dental plans, unless the spouse/OEI is charged 100% of the cost of the coverage through that employer. This provision does not apply to Regular Faculty.
Verification of eligible dependents
Central Michigan University is partnered with BMI Audit Services for verifying dependent eligibility. Dependents added to benefits may be required to submit copies of certain documents for validating their eligibility. Dependents deemed ineligible, or failure to complete the eligibility audit with BMI, will result in loss of coverage for those dependents. Examples of the types of documents that may be requested as proof of eligibility can be found on the dependent verification chart.
Additional important information
Adding or removing your spouse, other eligible individual and/or children from your coverages is allowed:
- During CMU's annual open enrollment period for coverage changes effective as of the first day of the next plan year (July 1st); OR
- Within 30 calendar days of a qualifying status change event, such as a marriage/divorce, birth/adoption of a child or the gain/loss of coverage eligibility as described above. See the Benefit Status Changes page for additional information.
Failure to act within thirty (30) calendar days of a qualifying status change will prevent you from adding newly eligible members to your coverage until the next open enrollment period for that benefit plan. It may also result in the loss of COBRA continuation coverage rights for the person who was not removed from coverage when eligibility ended, such as through a divorce or child no longer meeting eligibility criteria.