How to change your benefits
Qualifying life events allow you to make changes to certain benefits outside of the open enrollment period. Some benefits, such as life insurance, can be updated at any time.
Eligibility and Enrollment
Understand what benefits you’re eligible for and when to enroll.
Get signed up for your benefits
The Total Rewards benefits package offered to full- and part-time employees of the University of Rochester has a wide range of features and varying levels of plans. The information and charts on this page will assist you in determining your own eligibility based on your current status with the University, as well as explain how to enroll.
Benefits eligibility
This comparison chart provides a high-level overview of the main features of the benefit plan available to employees of the University of Rochester.
| Faculty or Staff Member | Postdoctoral Associate or Fellow | Resident or Fellow | Member of SEIU | |
| Health Care Plans | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Dental Plans | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Health Savings Account (HSA) | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Retirement Program | ✓ | ✓ 403(b) Plan* | ✓ | ✓ |
| Group Life Insurance | ✓ | ✓ | ||
| Tuition Benefits | ✓ | ✓** | ✓ | ✓ |
| Wellness Program (Well-U) | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Family Care Program | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| UR Medicine EAP | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Home Ownership Incentive | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Travel Accident Insurance | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Group Auto & Home Insurance | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| MetLife Legal Plan | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| VSP Vision Care | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Allstate Identity Protection | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Voluntary Long-Term Care Insurance | ✓ | ✓* | ✓ | ✓ |
| Long-Term Disability Plan | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| Voluntary Vision Care | ✓ | |||
| Voluntary Life and AD&D Insurance | ✓ | |||
| Child Care Subsidy | ✓ | ✓*** | ✓ |
*Visiting Postdoctoral Fellows are not eligible for these benefits.
**Postdoctoral fellows and part-time postdoctoral associates are not eligible for these benefits.
***Only Postdoctoral Associates (job code 0093) are eligible for these benefits.
Benefit enrollment timeline and instructions
This section will provide information about when you should enroll in specific benefits based on your date of hire or when you become eligible. You’ll also learn where to go to enroll.
Definition of Benefit Eligible Dependents
Your current spouse, if your marriage was valid in the state or country where it was performed (and for purposes of paying pre-tax premiums under the cafeteria plan, if the marriage is also recognized by state law in the state where you reside).
- Your domestic partner (same-sex or opposite-sex).*
- Your children and/or your domestic partner’s children* up to age 26, regardless of access to other health care coverage through their own or a spouse’s employment, marital status or student status.
- Your children who are handicapped prior to age 26 and are dependent on you for support.
Your children include:
- Biological children,
- Legally adopted children,
- Stepchildren,
- Children who are placed with you by an authorized placement agency or by judgment, decree, or other order of any court of competent jurisdiction, and Domestic Partner’s Children*
* Domestic Partners (Same-Sex or Opposite-Sex) and children of domestic partners are eligible for coverage under the University’s Health Program provided that the employee and his/her domestic partner satisfy all of the criteria in the Certification of Domestic Partners Status Form. The domestic partner’s portion of the premium is taken as an after-tax deduction. In addition, the employer paid portion of your domestic partner’s coverage would be taxed as income. You may want to consult a tax advisor for more information on how adding a Domestic Partner to your health care coverage will affect you.
Please Note: The University may request proof of eligible dependent status at any time.
If you will be adding a handicapped child age 26 or older or a domestic partner and child(ren) to your health and/or dental coverage, you will need to complete the respective Handicapped Dependent Form or Certification of Domestic Partners Status Form for these dependents. These forms are available online and at the Office of Total Rewards. Please submit the completed form(s) at the same time you are submitting your benefit event in myURHR Workday.
You can only claim reimbursement from the Flexible Spending Accounts for expenses incurred by your qualifying tax dependents. The definition of qualifying dependent for FSAs is different than the definition for purposes of your federal tax return. The following section described the individuals who are eligible dependents for purposes of the FSAs.
Your current spouse, if your marriage is recognized by state law in the state where you reside.
- Your biological child, stepchild, adopted child, child placed for adoption, or foster child (defined as a child placed with the employee by an authorized placement agency or by judgment, decree, or other order of any court of competent jurisdiction), until December 31 of the year in which he or she turns age 26. In the case of divorced or separated parents, a child is treated as a dependent of both parents.
- Your brother/sister, half-brother/half-sister, stepbrother/stepsister, or descendent of any such sibling (e.g., niece/nephew), or a descendent of your biological child, stepchild, adopted child, child placed for adoption, or foster child (e.g., grandchild),
- Whose principal place of abode is your household for more than half of the calendar year (temporary absences due to special circumstances, e.g., illness, education, business, vacation, or military service, are disregarded),
- Who is younger than you and is under age 19 (or age 24 if a full time student) as of the end of the calendar year, or who is permanently and totally disabled regardless of age,
- Who has not provided more than one-half of his or her own support* that year,
- Who has not filed a joint tax return (other than only for claim of refund) with his or her spouse for the year, and
- Who is a citizen or resident of the U.S., or resident of Canada or Mexico (there is an exception for adopted children).
- Your relative (child described above or descendent of such child (e.g., grandchild), your sibling described above or descendent of any such sibling (e.g., niece/nephew), your parent, parent’s ancestor (e.g., grandparent), stepparent, aunt/uncle, parent in-law, son/ daughter-in-law, brother/sister-in-law),
- Who receives over half of his or her support* from you for the calendar year,
- Who is a citizen or resident of the U.S., or resident of Canada or Mexico (there is an exception for adopted children), and
- Who is not anyone else’s Qualifying Child.
- Someone other than a spouse who has the same principal place of abode as you for the entire calendar year (temporary absences due to special circumstances, e.g., illness, education, business, vacation, or military service, are disregarded),
- Who is a member of your household for the entire calendar year (and the relationship must not violate local law),
- Who receives over half of his or her support* from you for the calendar year,
- Who is a citizen or resident of the U.S., or resident of Canada or Mexico (there is an exception for adopted children), and
- Who cannot be claimed as anyone else’s Qualifying Child on their federal tax return.
*To determine whether you provide more than half of the total support for your relative or other person sharing your principal place of abode, you must compare the amount of support you provide with the amount of support the individual receives from all sources, including Social Security, welfare payments, the support you provide, and the support the individual provides from his or her own funds. Support includes food, shelter, clothing, medical and dental care, education, and similar expenses. If you believe you might provide more than half of the support for the individual, you should complete the support worksheet in IRS Publication 501 (Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information). Please note that an individual could qualify as a tax dependent for purposes of the health benefits, but not on your tax return, if that individual earns more than the exemption amount as defined in Code Section151(d), but still receives more than half of his or her support from you.
- Your current spouse, if your marriage is recognized by state law in the state where you reside,
- Whose principal place of abode is your household for more than half of the calendar year (temporary absences due to special circumstances, e.g., illness, education, business, vacation, or military service, are disregarded),
- Who is physically or mentally incapable of caring for himself or herself.
- Your biological child, stepchild, adopted child, child placed for adoption, or foster child (defined as a child placed with the employee by an authorized placement agency or by judgment, decree, or other order of any court of competent jurisdiction), or a descendant of any such child, your brother/sister, half-brother/half- sister, stepbrother/stepsister, or descendent of any such sibling (e.g., niece/nephew),
- Whose principal place of abode is your household for more than half of the calendar year (temporary absences due to special circumstances, e.g., illness, education, business, vacation, or military service, are disregarded),
- Who is under age 13,
- Who has not provided more than one- half of his or her own support* that year,
- Who is a citizen or resident of the U.S., or resident of Canada or Mexico (there is an exception for adopted children).
- In the case of divorced or separated parents, a child is treated as a dependent of the custodial parent (the parent having custody for the greater portion of the calendar year) only.
- Your relative (child described above or descendent of such child (e.g., grandchild), your sibling described above or descendent of any such sibling (e.g., niece/nephew), your parent, parent’s ancestor (e.g., grandparent), stepparent, aunt/uncle, parent in-law, son/ daughter-in-law, brother/sister-in-law, or someone other than a spouse who is a member of your household for the entire calendar year (and the relationship must not violate local law));
- Whose principal place of abode is your household for more than half of the calendar year (temporary absences due to special circumstances, e.g., illness, education, business, vacation, or military service, are disregarded),
- Who receives over half of his or her support* from you for the calendar year,
- Who is a citizen or resident of the U.S., or resident of Canada or Mexico (there is an exception for adopted children),
- Who cannot be claimed as anyone else’s Qualifying Child on their federal tax return, and
- Who is physically or mentally incapable of caring for himself or herself.
*To determine whether you provide more than half of the total support for your relative or other person sharing your principal place of abode, you must compare the amount of support you provide with the amount of support the individual receives from all sources, including Social Security, welfare payments, the support you provide, and the support the individual provides from his or her own funds. Support includes food, shelter, clothing, medical and dental care, education, and similar expenses. If you believe you might provide more than half of the support for the individual, you should complete the support worksheet in IRS Publication 501 (Exemptions, Standard Deduction, and Filing Information). Please note that an individual could qualify as a tax dependent for purposes of the health benefits, but not on your tax return, if that individual earns more than the exemption amount as defined in Code Section151(d), but still receives more than half of his or her support from you.
Eligible dependents for purposes of your Health Savings Account are determined by your HSA trustee/custodian. In general, HSA accounts recognize the following dependents, as permitted by federal law:
- Your current spouse, if your marriage is recognized by state law in the state where you reside.
- Your biological child, stepchild, adopted child, child placed for adoption, or foster child (defined as a child placed with the employee by an authorized placement agency or by judgment, decree, or other order of any court of competent jurisdiction), or a descendant of any such child, your brother/sister, half-brother/half-sister, stepbrother/stepsister, or descendent of any such sibling (e.g., niece/nephew),
- Whose principal place of abode is your household for more than half of the calendar year (temporary absences due to special circumstances, e.g., illness, education, business, vacation, or military service, are disregarded),
- Who is younger than you and is under age 19 (or age 24 if a full time student) as of the end of the calendar year, or who is permanently and totally disabled regardless of age,
- Who has not provided more than one-half of his or her own support* that year,
- Who has not filed a joint tax return (other than only for claim of refund) with his or her spouse for the year, and
- Who is a citizen or resident of the U.S., or resident of Canada or Mexico (there is an exception for adopted children).
- In the case of divorced or separated parents, a child is treated as a dependent of both parents.
- Your relative (child described above or descendent of such child (e.g., grandchild), your sibling described above or descendent of any such sibling (e.g., niece/nephew), your parent, parent’s ancestor (e.g., grandparent), stepparent, aunt/uncle, parent in-law, son/daughter-in-law, brother/sister-in-law,
- Who receives over half of his or her support* from you for the calendar year,
- Who is a citizen or resident of the U.S., or resident of Canada or Mexico (there is an exception for adopted children), and
- Who is not anyone else’s Qualifying Child.
- Someone other than a spouse who has the same principal place of abode as you for the entire calendar year (temporary absences due to special circumstances, e.g., illness, education, business, vacation, or military service, are disregarded),
- Who is a member of your household for the entire calendar year (and the relationship must not violate local law),
- Who receives over half of his or her support* from you for the calendar year,
- Who is a citizen or resident of the U.S., or resident of Canada or Mexico (there is an exception for adopted children), and
- Who cannot be claimed as anyone else’s Qualifying Child on their federal tax return.
*To determine whether you provide more than half of the total support for your relative or other person sharing your principal place of abode, you must compare the amount of support you provide with the amount of support the individual receives from all sources, including Social Security, welfare payments, the support you provide, and the support the individual provides from his or her own funds. Support includes food, shelter, clothing, medical and dental care, education, and similar expenses. If you believe you might provide more than half of the support for the individual, you should complete the support worksheet in IRS Publication 501 (Exemptions, Standard Deduction,and Filing Information). Please note that an individual could qualify as a tax dependent for purposes of the health benefits, but not on your tax return, if that individual earns more than the exemption amount as defined in Code
Section151(d), but still receives more than half of his or her support from you.
Please Note: This is not the same definition as applies to determine whether an individual is eligible to contribute to their own HSA. This is only the definition that applies when determining whether you can submit expenses to your HSA on behalf of your dependent.
Benefits glossary
Understand benefits terminology
Get definitions and explanations for some of the common terms and programs you’ll come across.
Additional Benefits Resources
Access additional benefits forms
There may be additional forms needed relevant to your specific circumstance. Or, you might be looking for the holistic benefits overview booklet. Explore and download these documents now.
ALEX tool
An interactive online benefits decision tool that will assist you in understanding your benefit options and enable you to make an informed decision when making your benefit elections.