At some point, dependent children will lose their eligibility for SMU benefits coverage due to age, student status, marriage, or full-time employment.
- Coverage ends on the day the child no longer meets the SMU eligibility criteria, with the exception of loss of student status. In this case, the dependent child will retain coverage until the end of the month in which loss of student status occurred.
- You must contact the Department of Human Resources immediately to arrange for cancellation of coverage for dependents who no longer meet the SMU eligibility criteria. Send an email to benefitsu@smu.edu prior to the date your dependent will become ineligible. Please include the date this will occur in your email.
- Medical and dental coverage may be continued for up to 36 months under COBRA. However, COBRA coverage is quite expensive and it probably makes sense to look into purchasing an individual policy. You will find a link to the eHealthInsurance website by clicking on the COBRA link above. This website enables you to request premium quotes from different insurance companies for an individual medical policy.
- If your child is a college student and loses dependent eligibility because he/she decides to take a semester off, and later reenrolls as a full-time student, you may reactivate his/her SMU coverage by contacting the Department of Human Resources within 31 days of his or her return to full-time student status.