Dependent Eligibility Verification
The Ohio State University is proud to provide access to affordable, high quality health care coverage to support you and your dependents in living healthy, happy lives. We are also committed to being good stewards of the funds used to provide health care benefits. As a result, the university requires employees to verify eligibility for their enrolled dependents. By effectively managing health benefits, Ohio State can direct more resources to the core missions of education, research and service.
Following your enrollment of your dependents, a dependent eligibility verification packet will be mailed to your home address. Alight conducts dependent eligibility verifications on behalf of Ohio State. The verification packet will provide information on acceptable forms of documentation to verify your dependent’s eligibility.
To access the Dependent Eligibility Verification Center portal go to Workday and follow these steps:
- Click Menu
- Select Benefits and Pay Hub
- Under Suggested Links, select More Benefit Links
- Select My Dependent Eligibility Verification (listed under Health and Wellness)
Failure to provide complete documentation by the specified deadline will result in coverage termination for any dependent(s) not verified.
Dependent Eligibility Verification FAQs
Please view our dependent eligibility requirements.
Ohio State’s health care coverage consists of medical, dental and vision plans. If your dependents are enrolled in any of these plans, you must verify their eligibility.
Required documentation may include federal tax returns, copies of state-issued birth certificates, marriage certificates issued after the date of the ceremony and/or proof of joint ownership.
Spouse
More than one document may be required.
- Option 1: Federal Tax Return (Form 1040) within last 2 years listing your spouse. (Send only the first page of your Form 1040 that shows your spouse. Black out all financial information and Social Security numbers.)
- Option 2: Government-Issued Marriage Certificate (see Verification Tips below) AND Proof of Joint Ownership issued within the last 6 months (Proof of Joint Ownership not required if married for less than 1 year) (see Verification Tips below)
- Option 3: Notarized Affidavit of Common Law Marriage (a copy can be found on the Dependent Verification Portal) AND Proof of Joint Ownership issued within the last 6 months (see Verification Tips below)
Biological Child
- Government-Issued Birth Certificate
Adopted Child
- Government-Issued Birth Certificate OR Adoption Certificate OR Placement Agreement
Step-Child
More than one document required.
- Government-Issued Birth Certificate AND all documents to verify Spouse
Court Guardianship
More than one document required.
- Government-Issued Birth Certificate AND Court Ordered Document of Guardianship
Verification Tips
- Marriage certificate must be a valid state-issued marriage certificate received after the date of the ceremony with a state-issued recorded or file date.
- Birth certificates must be government-issued and must include parent name(s); hospital-issued birth certificates are accepted only for children less than three months of age.
- PHOTOCOPYING VITAL RECORDS MAY BE PROHIBITED BY STATE LAW: Some states, such as Wisconsin, have laws that prohibit a person from copying vital records, such as birth certificates or marriage certificates. Copying, for this purpose, generally includes documents scanned or faxed, as well as photocopied. Please contact Alight for details.
- Proof of Joint Ownership includes mortgage statements, bank statements, credit card statements, rental/lease agreements, property tax statements with both parties’ names as co-owners, current year state tax return with spouse listed, mortgage interest statement, warranty deed OR auto loan statements, provided that each was issued within the last 6 months. Proof of Joint Ownership also includes homeowners/renters’ insurance statement issued within the last 12 months.
- Document(s) submitted via U.S. mail will not be returned.
- If you have requested vital records from a government office but will not receive them prior to the deadline, you must call Alight to request an extension.
A dependent eligibility verification packet will be mailed to your home address containing instructions and information on how you can verify eligibility for all of your covered dependents. You must verify each dependent’s eligibility and submit the required documentation by going to Workday and clicking on Dependent Eligibility Verification under Benefits. You can also fax or mail by the specified deadline. Failure to provide complete documentation by the specified deadline will result in coverage termination for any dependent(s) not verified.
If you miss the deadline for response listed in the packet, your dependents will be considered ineligible, and their coverage will be terminated. Any dependent whose eligibility has not been verified will be terminated on the stated deadline date and the next opportunity to enroll that dependent is during an Open Enrollment period or if you experience a qualifying status change. Verification of eligibility will again be required any time you add a new dependent to your plan coverage.
If your dependent’s pre-tax medical coverage is terminated, you can contact HR Connection at (614) 247-myHR (6947) to discuss enrollment in after-tax medical coverage. Dependent verification documents will be required. Your dependent must meet the plan’s eligibility requirements to enroll.
Contact Alight Dependent Verification Center at (866) 638-4756 to request an Opt-Out Form and return it as instructed in the packet.
Termination of a dependent who was not eligible for coverage under our plan is not considered a COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985) qualifying event and COBRA continuation of coverage is not available.
Your dependent may be eligible for health coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Go to healthcare.gov for more information, including an online application for health insurance coverage.
If your dependent is eligible but their medical coverage was terminated due to failure to complete their verification by the deadline, contact HR Connection to discuss After-Tax medical coverage.
No. The purpose of the Dependent Eligibility Verification is only to remove ineligible dependents. You may add or remove eligible dependents only during an annual open enrollment period or within 30 days of a qualifying status change.
You may contact the government office in the county or state in which the event took place (e.g., birth, marriage, etc.). Most offices will mail a replacement document for a nominal fee within five business days.
For a more immediate response, you may visit the county or state office to obtain the document the same day. Please make sure you know what information you will need to present in order to obtain the document before visiting the county or state office.
Only the verification administrator, Alight, will have access to your personal information, which will be used solely to verify the eligibility of your dependents. All transmitted information will be treated as private and confidential, under penalty of law. Administrative, physical and technological safeguards have been put in place to ensure the confidentiality of your personal information.
