Based on Maryland state law, faculty and staff members who have unmarried children on their Maryland state group insurance coverages are reminded that their children are eligible for coverage only:
a) until the end of the calendar year in which they turn 19 years old, regardless of student status; or
b) as long as they remain a full-time student and can be claimed as a dependent by the employee, until the end of the calendar year in which they turn 23 years old; or
c) as long as they are incapable of self support because of a mental or physical incapacity that began before the end of the calendar year of the their 19th birthday, or while they were a full-time student and before their 23rd birthday.
Coverage for children who cease to be full-time students after their 19th year will end at the end of the month in which they graduate or cease to be a full-time student (whichever occurs first) but no later than the end of the year in which they turn 23 years old. In order to continue their benefits under the same Maryland state insurance coverage, a COBRA enrollment form must be completed by the child within 60 days from the date their coverage ended. Regardless of the decision concerning COBRA, the employee must also complete a new benefits enrollment worksheet to drop the child from their active MD State coverage. Failure to delete ineligible dependents may result in an overpaying of premiums that would not be refundable by the Maryland state Department of Budget and Management (DBM) as well as cancellation of all Maryland state coverage for the ineligible dependent. In addition, the employee will be billed by DBM for the full individual premium for the number of months the ineligible dependent remained enrolled. The necessary forms are available upon request from the Towson University Office of Human Resources.
Questions should be directed to Dave Curtis at x4-6018 and {dcurtis@towson.edu} or Gail Price at x4-6017 and {gprice@towson.edu}.
