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The University of Minnesota develops eligibility criteria for its employees and their dependents subject to collective bargaining agreements and compensation plans that may change during a Plan Year.
An employee is eligible to participate in the University of Minnesota UPlan Medical or Dental Program (the Plan) if he/she works at the University with an eligible appointment that is at least 50 percent time and lasts at least three months.
The University contributes a significant portion of the cost of medical or dental benefits for an employee whose appointment is 75 percent time or greater. An employee whose appointment is between 50 percent to 74 percent time is eligible to participate in the Plan but must pay the full cost of coverage. There is no University contribution at this level of employment.
In no event can a person receive coverage as both an employee and as a dependent of another UPlan member. For example, you may not have coverage for yourself as an employee and be a dependent on the coverage of a spouse/registered same-sex domestic partner or a parent who has family coverage as a University of Minnesota employee.
In no event can an employee include a dependent on the Plan who is not eligible for coverage. The Plan reserves the right to request documentation to verify eligibility of your enrolled dependents.
The University of Minnesota has a responsibility to make sure that Plan's resources are well managed and a duty to apply the dependent eligibility rules fairly and equally. For both these reasons, the University needs to make sure that only eligible dependents are covered under the Plan.
Employees must provide documentation to verify that their dependents are eligible. For that purpose, Employee Benefits will send the following documents to newly eligible employees who add dependents to their coverage to verify their eligibility.
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The individuals listed on the chart on the following page are considered eligible dependents for the Plan. In addition to specifying criteria for coverage, the chart also includes information as to whether the dependent is considered qualified for favorable tax treatment under the Plan.
| Relationship to Employee | Criteria for Coverage | Is Dependent Qualified for Tax Favored Treatment? (1) |
|---|---|---|
| Spouse | Must be legally married Your spouse must not be working full-time for an employer and receiving cash or credits 1) in place of medical coverage or 2) in exchange for medical coverage with a deductible of $750 or greater. | Qualified |
| Same-Sex Domestic Partner | Must be registered as same-sex domestic partner. Your same-sex domestic partner must not be working full-time for an employer and receiving cash or credits 1) in place of medical coverage or 2) in exchange for medical coverage with a deductible of $750 or greater. | Usually non-qualified. Refer to same-sex domestic partner information in this definition of eligibility |
| Dependent Child | Dependent child - birth through age 25 (up to the 26th birthday)
An eligible child can include your unmarried or married biological child, legally adopted child or child placed for purposes of adoption, foster child, stepchild, or any other child state or federal law requires be treated as a dependent. Note: The spouse of your eligible married dependent child is not eligible for coverage. See Eligible Dependent Children below for a detailed definition of eligible dependent children. | Qualified |
Dependent child of registered same-sex domestic partner - birth through age 25 (up to the 26th birthday) An eligible child can include your unmarried or married biological child, legally adopted child or child placed for purposes of adoption, foster child, stepchild, or any other child state or federal law requires be treated as a dependent. Note: The spouse of your eligible married dependent child is not eligible for coverage. See Eligible Dependent Children below for a detailed definition of eligible dependent children. | Usually non-qualified. | |
Disabled child - age 26 or above (no maximum) if physically or mentally disabled and either:
For disabled children over age 25, see Coverage of Disabled Children of Any Age below. | Qualified | |
| Dependent Grandchild | A grandchild is eligible for coverage if he/she is your tax dependent; if the grandchild is placed in your legal custody; or if the grandchild is legally adopted or placed with you for the purpose of adoption. The grandchild must be dependent upon you for more than one-half of his/her support, and you must claim the grandchild as a dependent on your tax return. | Qualified |
Your unmarried grandchild is also eligible for coverage if (1) he/she is in your legal custody and dependent upon you for principal support and maintenance, but is a qualified tax dependent of another person or (2) your unmarried grandchild is the dependent child of your unmarried dependent child, and even though the grandchild may be dependent upon you for principal support and maintenance, he/she would not be eligible to be your tax dependent under tax regulations. In these instances, the contributions made by the University to your grandchild’s coverage as well as your contributions are considered taxable income on your tax returns. | Usually non-qualified |
(1) “Tax Favored Treatment” refers to how dependent coverage is treated for tax purposes.
An eligible child, unmarried or married, can include your own biological child, legally adopted child or child placed for the purposes of adoption, foster child, stepchild, and any other child state or federal law requires be treated as a dependent. Eligible child can also include the child of your registered same-sex domestic partner, although that coverage is generally not available on a tax favored status.
Note: The spouse of your eligible married dependent child is not eligible for coverage.
The child of your same-sex domestic partner can be considered a dependent child if your same-sex domestic partner is registered with the University of Minnesota and the child satisfies all other requirements for an eligible child. This applies to both the children of your registered same-sex domestic partner from your current partnership or his/her previous marriage/partnership.
Your unmarried grandchild is eligible for coverage if he/she is your tax dependent; if the grandchild is placed in your legal custody; or if the grandchild is legally adopted or placed with you for the purpose of adoption. The grandchild must be dependent upon you for more than one-half of his/her support, and you must claim the grandchild as a dependent on your tax return. In these instances, the contributions made by the University and your pre-tax contributions are not considered taxable income on your tax returns.
Your unmarried grandchild is also eligible for coverage if (1) he/she is in your legal custody and dependent upon you for principal support and maintenance, but is a qualified tax dependent of another person or (2) your unmarried grandchild is the dependent child of your unmarried dependent child, and even though the grandchild may be dependent upon you for principal support and maintenance, he/she would not be eligible to be your tax dependent under tax regulations. In these instances, the contributions made by the University to your grandchild’s coverage as well as your contributions are considered taxable income on your tax returns.
If both you and your spouse/registered same-sex domestic partner work for the University of Minnesota, then either of you, but not both, may cover your eligible dependent children/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/registered same-sex domestic partner work for the University of Minnesota, then either of you has the option of adding the other as a dependent to his/her family coverage. The spouse/registered same-sex domestic partner added to the family coverage must waive employee coverage.
However, if your spouse or registered same-sex domestic partner works full-time for an employer and receives cash or credits (1) in place of medical coverage, or (2) in exchange for a medical coverage with a deductible of $750 or greater, then he/she is not considered to be an eligible dependent under the Plan.
Same-sex domestic partner registration criteria:
You must complete a Declaration of Same-Sex Domestic Partnership form (pdf) to register your same-sex domestic partner. Further information and the form can be found on the Same-sex Domestic Partnership page or call 612-624-UOHR (612-624-8647) or 800-756-2363 to reach the Employee Benefits Service Center.
Under IRS rules, the value of the medical and dental benefits provided by the University to your registered same-sex domestic partner and the child/children of your registered same-sex domestic partner is generally considered taxable income to you as the employee. The only exception to the taxability of these benefits is if your registered same-sex domestic partner and his or her children meet the following IRS definition of a dependent.
A registered same-sex domestic partner and his/her children can meet the definition of a dependent for the purposes of family coverage if the following conditions are met:
If your registered same-sex domestic partner and children meet all of the above requirements, you will need to complete a Certification of Dependent Status form (pdf). Further information and the form can be found on the Domestic Partnership page or call 612-624-UOHR (612-624-8647) or 800-756-2363 to reach the Employee Benefits Service Center. Note: Most same-sex domestic partner expenses are not eligible to be reimbursed through the HSA, per IRS regulations.
Your dependent child of any age is eligible for coverage and tax favored status if he/she is incapable of self-sustaining employment by reason of mental retardation, mental illness, mental disorder, or physical disability, and is chiefly dependent upon you for his/ her support and maintenance (meaning you provide for more than one-half of the child's support).
A dependent child must be certified by the UPlan Medical Plan Administrator to be disabled prior to age 26, based on proof that the child meets the above requirements.
A disabled dependent child who is 26 years of age or older and unmarried at the time of your initial eligibility for coverage in the Plan, may be enrolled for coverage if:
A dependent child who is considered to be disabled by the UPlan Medical Plan Administrator will be eligible for tax favored coverage under the Plan, regardless of age. The disabled child of a registered same-sex domestic partner will not be eligible for tax favored coverage.
Children of the employee who are required to be covered by reason of a Qualified Medical Child Support Order are eligible, 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. This provision does not apply to children of the spouse/registered same-sex domestic partner who are not also children of the employee.
For purposes of coverage under the Plan, your parents, grandparents, in-laws, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, other extended family members, non-registered same sex domestic partners and their children, and unmarried opposite-sex domestic partners and common-law spouses are not eligible dependents.
To make changes in your medical, dental, optional life coverage, or flexible spending accounts after you are first eligible or outside of the annual open enrollment period, you must have a change in family status. The coverage change must be consistent with the family status change. A request for change in your coverage due to a family status change must be made within 30 days of the date of change. Failure to apply for a change in coverage within 30 days of the family status change means that you will not be able to make a change until the next available open enrollment period.
Family status changes include:
If you have more specific questions about changes in your coverage, call 612-624-UOHR (612-624-8647) or 800-756-2363 to reach the Employee Benefits Service Center.
Employee Benefits
100 Donhowe Building, 319 15th Ave. S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455