Family Members
During open enrollment, students can purchase medical coverage for family members through the MIT Student Health Plan. Family members include a spouse, spousal-equivalent partner, unmarried dependent children up to 26 years of age, and dependent children of covered, unmarried dependents.
Levels of Coverage
By enrolling your family members in the Student Medical Plan, they'll be able to access most of the care and services at MIT Medical for no additional charge.
You may also enroll your family members in the Student Extended Insurance Plan, which builds on the Student Medical Plan by including services outside of MIT Medical, such as emergency room visits, hospitalizations, and prescription drugs. Together, the MIT Student Medical Plan and the Student Extended Insurance Plan provide comprehensive benefits that meet Massachusetts requirements for acceptable health care coverage. Please note that family members must be enrolled in the Student Medical Plan in order to be eligible for enrollment in the Student Extended Insurance Plan.
Enroll Your Family
To purchase coverage for your family members, simply complete and send us the Student and Family Enrollment Form. If you are purchasing coverage for a spousal-equivalent partner, you will need to complete an Affidavit of Spousal-Equivalent Partnership form. You will also be required to provide proof of family relationship or eligibility for other family members. Please see Family/Dependent Eligibility: Documentation Required for more information
Enrollment FAQ
My partner and/or children already have comprehensive health insurance, but I’d still like them to have access to the care and services at MIT Medical. Is that possible?
Yes. Even if they already have comprehensive health insurance, you can still enroll your partner and/or children in the MIT Student Medical Plan, which makes them eligible for most of the services at MIT Medical. As part of the enrollment process, however, you must provide evidence of their current enrollment in a comprehensive insurance plan that is comparable to the MIT Student Extended Insurance Plan.
Who may be covered under the family plan?
The family plan includes the student, spouse or spousal-equivalent, all unmarried dependent children up to 26 years of age, and all dependent children of unmarried dependents who are covered.
What documentation do I need to provide to enroll my family members?
If electing family coverage, you must:
- complete an enrollment form
- provide a marriage certificate, if covering a spouse
- provide an Affidavit of Spousal-Equivalent Partnership, if covering a spousal equivalent
- provide a birth certificate or adoption certificate for each dependent child you wish to cover
For more examples of the types of documentation needed to verify dependent eligibility, please see Family/Dependent Eligibility: Documentation Required.
When is the family enrollment deadline?
Your request for family enrollment in the Student Medical Plan or the Student Extended Insurance Plan must be received by September 15 for fall term or February 15 for spring term. You must complete a new enrollment form at the beginning of each academic year or term.
I missed the deadline. Can I still enroll my family?
After the deadline, you can enroll your family only if one of the following qualifying events occurs:
- You marry and want coverage for your spouse
- Your spouse or spousal-equivalent terminates employment and loses coverage
- Your spouse or spousal-equivalent and/or dependents arrive from another country for the first time
- Your baby is born. Please contact us within 30 days of your baby's birth to tell us the baby’s name and date of birth. You will also need to submit a copy of your baby’s birth certificate. Coverage will begin as of the first of the month in which the baby is born.
We will ask you to document these circumstances before accepting your family enrollment. When accepted, coverage will begin on the first of the month in which the qualifying life event occurred. You must submit an enrollment form within 30 days of this qualifying event.
How long are the terms of enrollment?
The fall term enrollment period is September 1 through January 31. The spring term enrollment period is February 1 through August 31. You may enroll your family members for a single term or for the entire year.
Can I cancel my family’s enrollment?
For the Student Medical Plan, the earliest you can cancel coverage for your partner and/or dependents and resume your individual enrollment is the beginning of the next term. Your cancellation request must be received by the enrollment deadline for that term.
For the Student Extended Insurance Plan, you may cancel coverage for your partner and/or dependents and resume an individual membership before the beginning of the next term only if your partner has gained employment and can purchase the employer's coverage. Be sure to verify the actual beginning date of that coverage. We will ask you to document this circumstance before accepting your cancellation request. You must submit your cancellation request within 30 days of this qualifying event.
Resources
- The Student Health Plan Overview for 2012-13 provides a summary of the services and benefits available under the two plans offered to students.
- The 20-page Benefit Description has a more detailed explanation of services covered at MIT Medical under the MIT Student Medical Plan.
- The 6-page schedule of benefits and the 80-page Blue Cross Preferred Provider Benefit Description details the covered services and benefits administered by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts.
- The addendum provides information about services provided by MIT Medical that are covered under the Student Extended Insurance Plan as well as other benefits administered by the MIT Health Plans office
- For 2010-11 documents, please see our Forms and Publications page
- Student Health Plan Enrollment Form (2012-13) (PDF)
- Online waiver form for Student Extended Insurance Plan
- MIT Medical directory
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