Get Benefits

Sign Up for Benefits

To sign up for Benefits, you need to:

  1. Check that you and your family members (dependents) are eligible for the University’s health benefits. 

  2. Go to MyU and click the My Benefits button on the left and then the Benefits Enrollment button to start the process.

  3. Complete the Dependent Eligibility Verification form and provide the required documents from the Dependent Eligibility Verification Matrix. 


Change Your Benefits

Update benefits after life events (birth of a baby, divorce, etc.). Current employees who have a life event, such as a divorce or birth of a new baby, can change some of their benefits within 30 days of the event. See the Life Events page for information on what qualifies.
 
Changing medical and dental benefits during open enrollment. Without a life event, most benefits, such as medical and dental, can only be changed during open enrollment in November with changes taking effect on January 1 of the following year. 
 
Add voluntary short-term disability and optional life insurance benefits anytime.  Some other benefits, such as the voluntary short term disability or additional life insurance, can be added anytime by going through underwriting which is a medical review to see if you qualify for the coverage. 
 
Start or change voluntary retirement benefits anytime. If you want to save more for retirement, voluntary retirement plans can be chosen at any time. 
 
If you have questions about signing up or making changes to your benefits, email ohr@umn.edu or call 612-624-8647.

Employees Who Qualify for Benefits

Employees have to be:

  1. In an eligible job classification, AND

  2. Working 50% time or greater, AND

  3. In a working position that will last three months or longer


 
If your eligible appointment is 75% time or greater, the University contributes toward the cost of your medical and dental benefits.

Family Members and Other Dependents Who Qualify for Benefits

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Relationship to Employee: Criteria for Benefits Coverage

Spouse: Must be legally married

NOTE: If both you and your spouse work for the University of Minnesota, see the additional information, below.

Dependent child

  • Age 25 (up to the 26th birthday) or younger
  • Biological child, legally adopted, or placed for purposes of adoption (see below)
  • Foster child placed by the court 
  • Stepchild (must be the child of your spouse by a previous marriage or relationship)
  • Any other child state or federal law requires be treated as a dependent.

Note regarding adopted children: 
For a child who is being adopted, the date of placement means the date you assume the legal obligation for total or partial support of the child in anticipation of adoption of the child. A child's adoption placement terminates upon the termination of the legal obligation of total or partial support.

Disabled child

Age 26 or above (no maximum) if physically or mentally disabled and either:

  • Lives with you and does not provide over 50% of their own support, or
  • Does not live with you but is at least 50% dependent on you

For disabled children over age 25, see Coverage of Disabled Children of Any Age, below.

A grandchild

Eligible for coverage as your child if placed in your legal custody; or if the grandchild is legally adopted or placed with you for the purpose of adoption.
An unmarried grandchild is also eligible for coverage if either of these are true:
 They are dependent on you for principal support and maintenance, but are a qualified tax dependent of another person OR 
Your unmarried grandchild is the dependent child of your unmarried dependent child.

NOTE: Even though the grandchild may be dependent on you for principal support and maintenance, the grandchild would not be eligible to be your tax dependent under tax regulations. In these cases, the contributions made by the University to your grandchild’s coverage as well as your contributions are considered taxable income on your tax returns.

Additional information: See the Summary of Benefits if you have questions about unmarried grandchildren. 

Newborns

Your newborn infant grandchild is eligible under the Plan for coverage if the grandchild is financially dependent on you and lives with you continuously from birth. Coverage for the grandchild may terminate if the grandchild does not continue to live with you continuously, if the grandchild does not remain financially dependent on you, or when the grandchild reaches age 26.
NOTE: Newborns are usually non-qualified for tax-favored treatment


(1) “Tax Favored Treatment” refers to how dependent coverage is treated for tax purposes.

Both You and Your Spouse Work for the University

If both you and your spouse work for the University of Minnesota, then either of you, but not both, may cover your eligible dependent children or grandchildren. This also applies to two divorced or unmarried employees who share legal responsibility for their dependent children or grandchildren.

If both you and your spouse work for the University of Minnesota, then either of you has the option of adding the other as a dependent to his or her family coverage. The spouse added to the family coverage must waive employee coverage.

Coverage of Disabled Children of Any Age

Your dependent child of any age is eligible for coverage and tax-favored status if they are incapable of self-sustaining employment because of mental retardation, mental illness, mental disorder, or physical disability, and are chiefly dependent on you for support and maintenance (meaning you provide for more than half of the child's support).
 
A dependent child must be certified by the University’s medical claims administrator (Medica) to be disabled before age 26, based on proof that the child meets the above requirements:

  • If for any reason, you drop coverage for a disabled dependent before age 26 and later wish to cover the child, coverage must be added before the child turns 26, and their disabled status recertified by the claims administrator (Medica).
  • Once your disabled child has reached age 26, they must be continuously covered under the Plan to maintain eligibility.

A disabled dependent child who is age 26 or older and unmarried at the time of your initial eligibility for coverage in the Plan, may be enrolled for coverage if:

  • You (the employee) enroll for coverage during your initial eligibility period, and; 
  • The medical claims administrator (Medica) certifies that the dependent meets the above requirements. 
    • Proof of disability status must be provided within 31 days of your initial date of eligibility and enrollment in the Plan.
    • The disabled dependent shall be eligible for coverage as long as they continue to be disabled and dependent, unless coverage otherwise terminates under the Plan.

A dependent child who is considered to be disabled by the health plan medical claims administrator will be eligible for tax-favored coverage under the Plan, regardless of age.
 

Children Covered by a Child Support Order

Children of the employee who are required to be covered by reason of a Qualified Medical Child Support Order are eligible for benefits, as required by federal and state law to assure that children who do not live with both of their biological parents have adequate medical coverage.

Verifying Dependents for Benefits

How to verify.

When you add a new dependent, the Office of Human Resources will send a checklist form to you that gives you the steps to follow to submit the proper documentation to verify eligibility. Use the matrix to determine what documents are acceptable to confirm your dependent’s eligibility.

You have about six weeks to provide proper documentation. If documentation isn’t received by the deadline, your dependents will be removed from benefits coverage.

If you have additional questions, they may be covered in the Frequently Asked Questions.
 

    Why do you need to provide this information?

    The family members or dependents you add to your benefit coverage need to meet the University’s eligibility requirements so all employees are treated fairly.

    Who Is Not Eligible

    The University health care plan does not consider these people eligible for coverage:  

    • Common-law spouses or domestic partners and their children
    • Parents or grandparents
    • Brothers or sisters
    • Aunts, uncles, cousins, and other extended family members