A deductible is a set dollar amount that enrollees must pay out-of-pocket toward certain health care services before insurance starts to pay.

Deductible information can be found in the Benefits Open Enrollment Guides located on our Benefit Summaries & Brochures webpage.

For Full-Time Faculty:

Eligible full-time faculty, academic staff and executive management who enroll in Blue Care Network (BCN) will contribute a percentage of the premium cost. Contributions paid through payroll deduction, will be taken on a pre-tax basis. For those enrolled in the Community Blue health plan, the employee premium contribution plus the difference between BCN and the Community Blue coverage will be deducted on a pre-tax basis. For more details please review the health plan contribution rates in the Faculty & Academic Staff Open Enrollment Benefits Guide.

For Full-Time Support Staff:

Eligible full-time support staff who enroll in Blue Care Network (BCN) will not contribute toward the premium cost of this plan. Those electing Community Blue coverage will contribute the premium cost difference between BCN and the Community Blue coverage. Contributions paid through payroll deduction will be taken on a pre-tax basis. For more details please review the health plan contribution rates in the Support Staff Open Enrollment Benefits Guide.

July 2025 Update

Benefits-eligible employees  and  retirees are no longer required to complete the health plan affidavit.  However, the premium threshold requirement still applies.

Please see below for important information about enrolling or continuing coverage for a spouse/other eligible individual (OEI) in an MSU health plan.

If the spouse/OEI is eligible to purchase single health plan coverage for $1,850 or less, the spouse/OEI MUST enroll in their employer’s health coverage to be eligible for enrollment on your MSU health insurance as a secondary plan.

If the cost for purchasing single health plan coverage for the spouse/OEI is more than $1,850, the spouse/OEI DOES NOT have to enroll in their employer’s health coverage to be eligible for enrollment on your MSU health insurance as a primary plan.

As a benefits-eligible employee, your spouse/OEI is eligible to be covered on your MSU health insurance as their primary plan if they do not have access to other health plan coverage.  Please complete enrollment during the Open Enrollment period (October 1-31).

If you currently cover a spouse/OEI on your health care plan, their coverage will automatically continue in 2026 without any action. 

Please visit the Health Plan Waiver webpage.

No. The health plan waiver is not an option when enrolled under an MSU health plan regardless of whether you are enrolled as an employee or as a dependent. 

No. MSU only allows coverage under one health plan, per employee, so you can either both have your own plans or have one plan with one of you being listed as a dependent on the other's plan.

You may wish to cover the entire family on one plan to reduce the amount of your employee premium contributions.

Health plan coverage (including prescription drug coverage) will end at the end of the month of layoff or employment termination for reasons other than official retirement. You may qualify to continue your MSU health plan coverage through COBRA .

More information can be found on our website or by contacting MSU Human Resources at 517-353-4434(toll-free at 800-353-4434) orSolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu.

No. If you are enrolled in any of the active MSU health plans, you'll automatically be covered by the CVS Caremark prescription drug plan. When you retire, individuals eligible for the MSU Medicare Advantage Plan (MAPD) or the MSU Non-Medicare Plan will have prescription drug coverage included as a part of that plan and will no longer be covered by CVS Caremark.