Eligibility

You and your eligible dependents may participate in the Benefits Options program if:

• You are an active employee of the State or a State University and are regularly scheduled to work 20 hours or more per week for at least 90 days or longer OR
• You are a seasonal, temporary, or variable-hour employee who has been paid for an average of at least 30 hours per week using a 12-month measurement period. 

To maintain eligibility through the annual standard measurement period of October 10th each year through October 9th of the following year, regularly scheduled employees must be paid for a minimum of 1,040 hours per year; seasonal, temporary, or variable hour employees must be paid for a minimum of 1,560 hours per year.

• Your legal spouse
• Your child(ren) under 26 years old is defined as:
  • Your natural child, adopted child, stepchild, foster child, or a child for whom you have court-ordered guardianship.
  • Your child who is disabled and continues to be disabled as defined by 42 U.S.C. 1382c before the age of 26.
• Domestic partners are not eligible. 

For dependents being enrolled for the first time, the following categories apply: your legal spouse, your child(ren) under age 26, defined as natural, adopted, step, foster, or under court-ordered placement pending adoption or guardianship.

To complete processing, submit the birth/marriage certificate and applicable court order within 14 days. Federal law requires a Social Security Number (SSN) for all dependents enrolled in State plans. Failure to submit documents will result in disenrollment.

• View the Supporting Documentation List.

Duplicate/dual enrollment in State plans is prohibited and will be terminated without refunds for the premiums paid. For spouses who are State and/or State University employees and/or retirees, these rules apply:

• You cannot enroll each other as dependents, nor have your children enrolled twice.
• One spouse may elect coverage for the entire family, or each spouse may elect their own individual coverage.
• Dependent children can be on one spouse's policy or divided between spouses.
• If your child is a State and/or State University employee, he/she cannot be enrolled as a single subscriber in a State plan and as a dependent on your policy. 
• You cannot enroll simultaneously as a single subscriber in the retiree medical, dental, and/or vision plans for the Arizona Department of Administration (ADOA) AND the Arizona State Retirement System (ASRS).

• To learn more about adding or removing your spouse and dependents from your benefits, visit the Qualified Life Events page.

• If coverage was modified at the initiation of leave, you must elect your previous level of medical, dental, and/or vision coverage. Premiums must be current, or you may not re-elect any coverage until the next open enrollment period.