Rogers State University Dependent Eligibility Verification
As part of our continuing effort to effectively manage our benefit plans, Rogers State University is verifying the eligibility of all dependents enrolled in the RSU medical, dental, vision, and life benefit plans. During this process, employees with a dependent(s) enrolled in coverage will need to provide documentation to verify dependent eligibility. RSU has partnered with UnifyHR, a WEX company that specializes in dependent eligibility verification to help manage this process.
To prepare for the next step, employees should locate government issued vital records such as marriage certificates, birth certificates, and any other documents that may be needed to verify the eligibility of enrolled dependent(s). UnifyHR will mail information to employees at their home address beginning in early March 2024. In addition, any new dependent added to the plan going forward will be subject to the same verification process.
During the verification process, employees with questions should contact UnifyHR for assistance. Employees will be provided instructions for contacting UnifyHR in early March 2024 with their verification packets. UnifyHR will be available to all employees via phone or secure email and employees will have access to a secure website during the verification process to review document requirements, submit documents, ask questions, and more.
Prior to the start of the verification process, you may refer to the FAQs to assist with any questions.
RSU has partnered with UnifyHR to conduct this dependent audit. If you have dependents enrolled in medical, dental, vision, and/or life benefits, you will receive a packet from UnifyHR. The logo will look like this:
Dependent Eligibility Verification FAQs
- Why is my dependent(s)' eligibility being verified?
- How does the verification process work?
- Who is an eligible dependent? Who is not?
- What happens if the documentation I submit is not sufficient?
- Can I remove an ineligible dependent from coverage before documentation is requested?
- What happens if I have enrolled an ineligible dependent on the plan?
- How do I get a copy of my dependent's birth certificate, marriage certificate or other vital records?
- Is my information safe?
- What happens if I don't respond?
As the plan fiduciary, the University is legally and ethically required to comply with benefit plan rules while acting in the best interest of all employees. This ultimately translates to a compliant, financially sustainable plan at the lowest possible premium amounts. Additionally, most companies who have completed eligibility verification projects have found between 3% - 15% of the dependents covered were not eligible for coverage.
Beginning in early March you will receive a verification packet from UnifyHR, a WEX company, at your home address that will include instructions for completing the verification process. You may be asked to provide a copy of your government issued vital records such as a marriage certificate, birth certificates, prior year federal tax return, court-ordered custody agreement, and other types of documents that may be used to verify the eligibility of your dependent(s). When submitting your documents to UnifyHR, please be sure you always submit copies of your documents; you should never submit original documents to UnifyHR and sensitive information such as social security numbers should be blacked out.
Generally, your legal spouse, including common law, and children under the age of 26 are eligible for coverage. Older children may also be eligible in some cases. If you have any questions, UnifyHR can help you determine if the individuals you are covering under the plan are eligible for coverage.
If the documentation you submit is insufficient, you will be notified by UnifyHR, and you will be given the opportunity to provide additional documentation. You must provide the additional documentation prior to the deadline that will be provided.
Yes. If you believe you have an ineligible dependent currently enrolled on the plan, you may remove that person from coverage during annual enrollment. You can also remove ineligible dependents during the verification process through UnifyHR.
Copies of birth certificates and other personal vital records can only be obtained from the state in which they were originally filed. Some resources for obtaining documents:
- National Center for Health Statistics through the Centers for Disease Control – Information for all states can be found at http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/w2w.htm.
- U.S. Department of State – A Consular Report of Birth can be obtained by writing to the U.S. Department of State for individuals born abroad to U.S. citizen parents. Visit http://www.state.gov/ for more information.
UnifyHR understands the importance of protecting your sensitive information. In addition to asking that all sensitive information such as social security numbers, account numbers, and monetary values be blacked out on documents submitted the environment in which your data is housed is encrypted and all server logs, firewall logs, and database performance are monitored on a regular and recurring basis. Finally, the UnifyHR applications are audited by a third party on an annual basis to ensure controls are adequate in safeguarding your data.
All employees who cover dependents under the benefits plan are required to respond. If you do not provide documentation that verifies the eligibility of your dependent(s), their coverage will be canceled.