Same-Sex Spouses Eligible to Receive State, School Health Insurance

Photo by UM Communications

Attorney General Jim Hood said the same-sex spouses of Mississippi’s state and school employees are eligible for health coverage.

Recently, the University of Mississippi Human Resources Department released this message below to the university employees this week:

On Friday, June 26, 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court issued its decision that the U.S. Constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry. Accordingly, all states must recognize same-sex marriages.

In recognition of and to comply with this ruling, effective June 26, 2015, the State and School Employees’ Health Insurance Plan’s definition of an eligible dependent includes the same-sex spouse of an eligible employee and their dependent child(ren). The following guidelines have been established by the Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Insurance for obtaining coverage for newly qualified family members.

Effective Date of Coverage:
Spouse and dependent children of eligible employees in same-sex marriages recognized by states as lawful before the date of the Supreme Court ruling will have a coverage effective date of June 26, 2015. Marriages performed on or after June 26, 2015, the effective date of coverage will be the date of marriage.

Enrollment Process:
The employee must complete an Application for Coverage to enroll a spouse and/or dependent child(ren) for coverage. The application must be completed by the employee and processed by a Human Resources benefits staff member no later than Tuesday, September 8, 2015. Should this requirement not be met, the employee will have an opportunity to add their family during the annual October Open Enrollment with coverage effective January 1, 2016.

As part of the application process, the employee may be asked to provide a copy of the marriage license to substantiate the effective date of insurance coverage.