You are eligible to participate in a Microsoft-sponsored insurance plan if you are in an approved budgeted headcount, regular employment position with Microsoft, on the Microsoft US payroll. Employees of subsidiaries or affiliates of the Microsoft Corporation that participate in the Plan are also eligible. Interns and visiting researchers are not eligible.

Full-time Retail Store Employees must work at least 32 hours per week and have completed 30 days of employment. Part-time Retail Store Employees must work between 20 and 31 hours per week and have completed 90 days of employment.

Duplicate coverage

If both you and your spouse or domestic partner are employed by Microsoft and are eligible for benefit coverage, you can enroll as a dependent under your spouse or eligible domestic partner's plan and enroll in your own separate employee life insurance coverage. Your eligible children can only enroll under one employee's coverage.

Eligible dependents

You can enroll your eligible dependents in medical, dental, dependent life insurance, and AD&D benefits under the Plan. Eligible dependents include: 

• Legally married spouse
• Domestic partner (same or opposite sex)
• Dependent children under age 26
• Incapacitated dependent children age 26 or over

Ineligible dependents

The following are not eligible to participate in the Plan as a dependent: 

• Legally separated or divorced spouse
• Parents, siblings, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and grandparents
• Roommates
• Foster children
• Any person who is on active duty in the armed forces
• Anyone for whom you fail to provide proof of eligible dependent status 

Eligibility status change

If you have a qualifying status change during the Plan year you can make benefit changes within 30 calendar days from the date of the event.

Qualifying status changes include: 

• Birth of a child
• Legal marriage or initiation of a domestic partnership
• Divorce or legal separation
• Termination of a domestic partnership
• Death of a covered dependent 
• Loss of a job by your spouse/domestic partner 

Microsoft pays for the cost of employee life insurance that is equal to three times your annual base pay. The value of Microsoft paid coverage above $50,000 is considered taxable imputed income to you and reported on your annual W-2 form.

You can choose to purchase additional employee life insurance for yourself and/or dependent life insurance. Rates depend on the amount of coverage you elect and your age at the beginning of the year. To learn more about your life insurance needs and potential rates, go to Prudential.

Note:  You can only change your coverage during the annual Open Enrollment period or due to a qualifying life event.

Rates for employee and spouse/domestic partner life insurance are based on five-year age bands. The cost increases when you reach a new age band at age 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, and over 70. The cost of coverage is deducted from your paycheck using post-tax dollars. 

Evidence of Insurability (EOI) 

Evidence of Insurability (EOI) is a medical history questionnaire provided by Prudential. The following are instances in which satisfactory EOI is required for your employee or dependent life insurance election to take effect: 

• Employee life insurance 
  • You are a new employee and you elect coverage exceeding $750,000.
  • You increase coverage by more than one times your base pay during annual Open Enrollment.
  • You elect more than $750,000 in coverage during annual Open Enrollment.
  • You request any increase in coverage after having previously provided an unsatisfactory EOI to Prudential.
• Dependent life insurance
  • You elect coverage for your spouse or domestic partner of more than $100,000 as a new hire or for a newly eligible spouse or domestic partner.
  • You elect or increase spouse life coverage during annual Open Enrollment.
  • You increase coverage due to a qualifying change in employment or family status. 

You must complete and return an EOI form to Prudential within 30 days of making your elections. If EOI is not provided, coverage will be set at an amount that does not require one. To contact Prudential directly, call them at (888) 257-0412 or send an email message to microsoft@prudential.com. Refer to group number 43994 for Microsoft EOI applications. 

Designating a beneficiary 

Your employee life insurance benefits are payable to your beneficiary or beneficiaries upon your death. You are always the named beneficiary for spouse life and child life insurance. 

Note: It is important to keep your beneficiary designations up to date. Prudential will only make payment to the most recently named beneficiary or beneficiaries. To update your life insurance beneficiary, go to the Benefits Enrollment tool.

To learn more about the policy or submit a claim, contact Prudential through these methods (group policy number for reference is 43994): 

• E-mail: microsoft@prudential.com

• Telephone: (800) 778-3827

To review coverage, use tools to evaluate your needs, or access forms, go to Prudential. 

For Evidence of Insurability (EOI) application questions, contact Prudential at the following (group policy number for reference is 43994): 

• Prudential Underwriting

• (888) 257-0412