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 (see graduate student benefits)
• 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 health plan 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.

Employees and their families with health care coverage through MIT have access to a large network of providers through Blue Cross Blue Shield. One option is to get care at one of MIT Health’s locations (on campus and at Lincoln Laboratory in Lexington). Employees who select the MIT BCBS PPO+ Plan have a $0 copay at MIT Health for primary care visits (vs. $15 with all other network providers), and just a $10 copay for urgent care and specialty visits (vs. $30 with all other network providers). MIT BCBS High Deductible Health Plan members can also seek care at MIT Health; deductible applies.

Members of the MIT health plans are 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.

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.

The MIT health plans 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.

The MIT health plans cover additional benefits including weight loss and fitness reimbursements, mind and body reimbursements, Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Services for covered dependents to treat autism spectrum disorders (ASD), Gender Confirmation Surgery (GCS) for the treatment of gender identity disorder, and more.

Learn about these benefits.