Other eligible individual
Under the Other Eligible Individual (OEI) program, MSU benefits-eligible employees (and retirees*) who do not have a spouse may enroll one (1) OEI in health, dental, supplemental life insurance, accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) coverage, and voluntary benefits (with the exception of Criticall Illness insurance) if ALL of the following eligibility criteria are met:
• The OEI currently resides in the same residence as the employee/retiree and has done so for the last 18 continuous months, other than as a tenant;
• The OEI is not a “dependent” of the employee/retiree as defined by the IRS; and
• The OEI is not eligible to inherit from the employee/retiree under the laws of intestate succession in the State of Michigan.
Children of an employee’s OEI may be eligible on their health, dental, supplemental life insurance, accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) coverage, and voluntary benefits (with the exception of Critical Illness). Once the dependent turns age 19, view detailed eligibility information on the Life Event Changes page.
Eligibility to continue coverage for an OEI ceases on the date the above criteria is no longer met. Employees and retirees must immediately notify MSU Human Resources of a change in eligibility status and complete an Affidavit of Termination of Other Eligible Individual Partnership Form.
The following individuals do not fall within the eligibility criteria for this program:
• Spouse
• Children and their Descendents (i.e., Children, Grandchildren, etc.)
• Parents
• Parents’ Descendents (i.e., Siblings, Nieces, Nephews, etc.)
• Grandparents and their Descendents (i.e., Aunts, Uncles, Cousins, etc.)
• Renters, Boarders, Tenants, etc.
*Retirees who do not have a spouse may enroll one (1) OEI in health and dental benefit plans only.
Tax Implications for Active Employees Covering an OEI on Benefits
IRS regulations require the university to tax the fair market value of university-provided health and dental benefits for OEI's. The IRS defines fair market value of a fringe benefit as the amount that an individual would have to pay for the particular fringe benefit in an arm’s length transaction. This means what you would have to pay for an individual policy for your other eligible individual in the open market.
Taxation Information
- Academic Year (AY) Faculty - 2026 | 2025 | 2024
- Annual Year (AN) Faculty - 2026 | 2025 | 2024
- International Health Enrollees - 2026 | 2025 | 2024
- Postdoctoral Fellows - 2026 | 2025
- Support Staff - 2026 | 2025 | 2024
- Retirees - 2026 | 2025 | 2024
- All Others (temp., on-call, project pay, etc.) - 2026 | 2025 | 2024
Retirees Adding an OEI on Benefits
As a retiree, you may add your eligible OEI to your health and dental benefit plans. Please review the Enrollment for OEI section below as well as the following:
Your OEI will be eligible to receive the university’s contribution if:
- Your OEI was officially registered on or before January 1, 2009, and
- You were retired or had met the minimum retirement eligibility criteria on or before that date
In the event of your death, your OEI may continue coverage with the MSU contribution; however, they may not add a new partner to the plan.
If your OEI was not registered on or before January 1, 2009 or you were not retired/eligible to retire on that date:
- You will still be able to enroll your OEI in benefits but you will be billed for the full cost of coverage
- Your OEI is eligible to enroll and purchase a heath and dental plan consistent with the plan(s) you were enrolled in, upon your death, but will not be eligible for the University contribution toward those benefits
Enrollment for OEI
Employee/Retiree - Complete the online process to add the dependent and complete the Other Eligible Individual (OEI) Form. You can only enroll an OEI in your benefits at certain times, including during annual health plan open enrollment periods, within 30 days from your hire date or within 30 days of experiencing a work status change that makes you newly eligible for benefits.
Please return the OEI Form to:
MSU Human Resources
1407 S. Harrison Road, Suite 110
East Lansing, MI 48823
You may also send it by email to SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.eduor Fax to 517-353-1869.
Termination of OEI Partnership
Employee/Retiree - To remove an OEI dependent from coverage, employees and retirees must immediately notify MSU Human Resources of a change in eligibility status and complete the Affidavit of Termination of Other Eligible Individual Partnership Form.
MSU Human Resources sends the terminated OEI (and eligible dependent(s)) continuation of coverage information. If continuation of coverage is elected, MSU sends monthly billing information for payment of premiums directly to the terminated OEI.
If you have questions about OEI benefits, please contact MSU Human Resources at SolutionsCenter@hr.msu.edu, 517-353-4434 or 800-353-4434.
Forms and Resources
- Other Eligible Individual (OEI) Form
- Affidavit of Termination of Other Eligible Individual Partnership Form
- Eligible Dependents and Required Documentation
