Dependent Eligibility

Dependent Eligibility

The benefit plans available to you and your family as a full-time employee reflect Bowling Green State University's commitment to offering high-quality, affordable options for your family's health, financial and educational needs. A benefit-eligible BGSU employee may enroll their spouse and/or dependent child(ren) in the benefit plans. All employees will be required to provide documentation as proof of dependency to be covered under the insurance plans, for tuition fee waivers and for family medical leaves of absence.

BGSU requires all new hires and newly eligible employee to verify eligibility for their enrolled dependents within 30 calendar days (including weekends and holidays) of becoming eligible for coverage.  In addition, for any dependent(s) added to any benefit plan during Open Enrollment, eligibility documentation is required by the last day of Open Enrollment and must be received in the Office of Human Resources by 5:00 p.m.  Failure to provide complete documentation by the specified deadline will result in coverage termination for the dependent(s) not verified.  Please review the information below to determine if your dependents are eligible for the benefit plans and what documents are required for coverage.

Please note:  All required document must be submitted in English.

Spouse - The employee's legal spouse.

Both listed documents are required.

1. Marriage Certificate 
2. Spousal Eligibility Form* (This is required for medical insurance only.)

*BGSU Spousal Rule - If the spouse of a benefit eligible BGSU employee is employed full-time (outside of BGSU) and their employer pays 70% or more of the total premium cost for any health insurance plan, the spouse must be on their own employer's plan to be eligible for secondary coverage through BGSU.  Proof is required at the time of initial enrollment in the BGSU health insurance AND annually during the Open Enrollment period. 

Child - The employee or spouse's natural children, children placed for adoption and legally adopted children, children for whom either the employee or spouse is the legal guardian or custodian, or any children who, by court order, but be provided coverage by the employee or spouse, and the employee's stepchildren, provided the natural parent remains married to the employee and resides in the household. 

**In addition, eligibility will continue past the age limit for eligible dependents who are unmarried and primarily dependent upon the employee for support due to a physical handicap or intellectual disability which renders them unable to support themselves.  This incapacity must have started before the age limit was reached and must be medically certified by a Physician.  You must notify BGSU of the desire to continue coverage within 30 days of the dependent reaching the limiting age.  After a two-year period following the date the Eligible Dependent meets the age limit, the Plan may annually require further proof that the dependence and incapacity continue.

One of the listed documents is required.

• Birth Certificate
• Adoption Agreement
• Legal Custody Agreement
• Court Order

Limiting Ages for Dependent Children

Medical/Prescription, Dental, Vision, Dependent Life, and Voluntary Benefit Plans - End of the month in which they turn 26.