Health Plans

You are eligible for health plan coverage if you are paid by MIT, are appointed to work at MIT for at least three months, and work at least 50% of the normal full-time work schedule. 

Tiers of coverage

When you select one of the health plans offered through MIT, you must also choose who will be covered by your plan.

• Choose Individual if you only need to cover yourself.
• Choose Employee + Spouse to cover yourself and your spouse or domestic partner.
• Choose Employee + Child(ren) to cover yourself and your child(ren) if you are a single parent or your spouse/domestic partner is covered under another plan.
• Choose Family to cover yourself, your spouse/domestic partner, and your child(ren).

Who is eligible

• you have been appointed—and are currently employed—to work at MIT for at least three months
• you work at least 50% of the normal full-time work schedule
• you are paid by MIT
• you meet the criteria above and have a visiting appointment of at least three  months
• you have a postdoctoral fellowship appointment of at least three  months and you want to continue your existing MIT health plan coverage

Who is NOT eligible

• contractor
• affiliate
• teaching or research assistant
• honorary lecturer
• summer appointment
• international visiting student
• member of the armed services assigned to MIT
• family member who is not employed by MIT
• work-study student
• paid by MITemps

Members of collective bargaining units

All the plan provisions are subject to the terms of your collective bargaining agreement.

Sign up when you begin work at MIT 
Use Atlas to enroll in your health plan coverage within 31 days of your date of hire or appointment—or within 31 days of the date you receive your official Welcome Letter, whichever is later. When enrolling a spouse or partner or dependent(s) in health plan coverage, you must provide appropriate documentation (e.g., a marriage license or birth certificate) to MIT Benefits.

When you make your benefit elections as a new employee, you also have the opportunity to enroll eligible dependents in MIT’s health plan. You will need to provide proof of eligibility when you add dependents to your benefits coverage. This process is simple and straightforward. Shortly after you enroll a dependent in your benefits, you will receive a letter at your home address from MIT Benefits.  This letter will ask you to submit specific documents demonstrating that your newly enrolled dependent are eligible to receive benefits coverage under MIT’s health plan and will explain how to do so. The types of acceptable documents vary depending on your relationship to your dependent. Learn more.

As a result of federal health care reform, MIT is also required to report the tax identification numbers (TIN) of each employee and family member with MIT medical coverage. A TIN may be a Social Security number, Individual Taxpayer Identification number, or Taxpayer Identification number for Pending U.S. Adoptions.

To cancel or make a change to your MIT Health Plan coverage, use Atlas during the annual Open Enrollment period.

If you experience a change in your life—marriage, partner's job loss, disability, new baby, change in Medicaid status or insurance coverage—you can make changes to your health care benefits outside the Open Enrollment period.

When you make a change because of a qualifying life event

• your change must be consistent with your life event (such as adding coverage for a new spouse/domestic partner)
• your change will be effective on the date of the qualifying event
• you must return the Health/Dental/Vision Plan Enrollment/Change Form (available below) to MIT Benefits within 31 days of the event—or within 60 days of change in Medicaid status
• you must provide appropriate documentation (e.g., a marriage license or birth certificate)

Find out which life events qualify you to make changes to your benefits—and the time frame for making those changes.

Why the period for making changes is limited

Most of the benefits plans offered through MIT are paid with pre-tax dollars. In exchange for this tax advantage, you are prohibited from enrolling in, canceling, or making changes to those plans outside the annual Open Enrollment period, unless you experience a qualifying change in your work or family life.

The MIT Traditional Health Plan and the MIT Choice Health Plan require that you choose a Primary Health Provider (PCP). That PCP manages all aspects of your health care and is your key resource when you have questions about your health. 

Your PCP should be your first contact for any health care issue and must provide you with a referral to other health care providers. You do not need a referral when seeing an OB-GYN, chiropractor, mental health provider, and for routine eye exams. 

For employees who live outside of New England and choose not to select a PCP, your health care services will be considered out-of-network and subject to the deductible and coinsurance.

If you do not choose a PCP

If you enroll in MIT Choice and don't choose a PCP, your medical expenses will be reimbursed as "out of network" services. This means that you will pay the first $500 (per individual) and $1,000 (per family) in medical expenses to satisfy the annual deductible. After meeting the $500 individual or $1,000 family deductible, you will also be responsible for paying 25% of any medical bills for services received by a Blue Cross Blue Shield provider until the annual out-of-pocket dollar amount is reached. This is called co-insurance. The annual out-of-pocket amounts for services received from a Blue Cross Blue Shield provider are $2,500 per individual or $5,000 per family. The $500/$1000 deductible amount is included in these annual out-of-pocket amounts.

How to choose a PCP

To choose a PCP at MIT Medical:

• Go to the MIT Medical Find a Provider web page, and search by your provider's name or select your options from the drop down menus. You can also call MIT Medical Claims and Member Services at 617-253-5979.
• As an MIT Choice member, you need to obtain the PCP name and identification number from the MIT Medical website, and then contact Blue Cross Blue Shield at 1-800-821-1388 with the PCP information, or log in to the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts website and enter the MIT Medical provider number in the My Account section.

To choose a PCP in the Blue Cross Blue Shield HMO Blue New England network:

Log in to the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts website and use Find a Doctor to see doctors in your network.

You can also call Blue Cross Blue Shield at 1-800-821-1388 and provide them with your PCP name and the Blue Cross provider ID number.

How to change your PCP

If you change your PCP, the change is effective immediately. To make a change:

• MIT Traditional Health Plan members: Contact MIT Medical Claims and Member Services at 617-253-5979.
• MIT Choice Health Plan members: Contact Blue Cross Blue Shield Member Services at 1-800-821-1388.

Members of all three MIT health plans will be covered for visits to both in- and out-of-network mental health providers, though out-of-pocket costs will be lower if you see an in-network provider. You do not need an authorization or referral to begin necessary outpatient mental health care.

Visits to mental health providers have a $10 copay per visit for members of the MIT Traditional and MIT Choice Plans with a PCP at MIT Medical. Members of the MIT High Deductible Health Plan will pay full price until meeting the deductible.

You can use the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts website to find behavioral health providers who participate in the network for your plan.

MyLife Services

MIT provides MyLife Services as an employee benefit for faculty, staff, postdoc associates and postdoc fellows, and household members. MyLife Services provides up to four free and confidential counseling sessions per person, per concern, with a licensed mental health professional. If you or your household member choose to continue seeing a mental health professional for an ongoing concern after those four sessions, you may use your health insurance coverage; copayments, coinsurance, or deductible charges may be required.

All benefits-eligible faculty and staff are eligible to use certain clinical services at MIT Medical, including urgent care, eye, radiology, and laboratory services. If you are enrolled in an MIT-sponsored health insurance plan, you'll be charged a $10 copayment for most services at MIT Medical. If you aren't enrolled in an MIT-sponsored plan, your benefits are determined by your individual coverage, and you may be billed for any copayments, co-insurance, or non-covered services.

See services for employees at MIT Medical.

Starting January 1, 2023, the MIT health plans will cover transportation (automobile, airplane, train, or bus) and lodging expenses up to an annual benefit maximum of $5,000 for covered services. This coverage is provided when access to covered services is not available within 100 miles of the member's residence at the time the service(s) is needed, and the member must travel to an in-network provider for the covered services.

Find out more about your health care coverage when you are traveling within the United States or abroad.

Applied Behavior Analysis and gender confirmation surgery

The MIT health plans cover Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Services for covered dependents from age three through age six to diagnose and treat autism spectrum disorders (ASD) with a pre-authorization from Blue Cross Blue Shield. The MIT health plans also cover Gender Confirmation Surgery (GCS), also known as Gender Reassignment Surgery (GRS), for the treatment of gender identity disorder. Learn more about these benefits. 

Family planning

In 2023, the coverage amount for donor sperm will increase to $750 for each calendar year and includes shipping cost coverage. See more on family planning on the Blue Cross Blue Shield website.