Work/Life: Your University Appointment Ends
Impact on Benefits
Back to Your University Appointment Ends

When your University appointment ends, your coverage under the following benefits programs may be affected:

 

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 Medical and/or Dental
What You May
Need to Do		 You can choose to continue your medical and/or dental coverage through COBRA for 18 months.
When You
Should Do It		 You have 60 days to elect COBRA coverage from the date you receive the COBRA continuation materials in the mail.
How to Do It

  • Wait to receive the COBRA continuation materials in the mail from WageWorks.
  • Complete the COBRA continuation forms and return them to WageWorks.
Special Notes Your University-provided medical and dental coverage stop on the last day of the month in which your appointment ends.

Exception: If your first date of employment with the University was prior to July 1, 1987, you will receive one extra month of medical coverage. Your University-provided medical coverage stops on the last day of the month following the month that your appointment ends.

For more information on COBRA, click here.

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 Long-Term Disability and/or Group Life Insurance
What You May
Need to Do		 You can choose to convert your coverage into an individual policy. If you are under age 60, you may also be able to continue your life insurance coverage under the less expensive portability option.
When You
Should Do It		 Within 31 days of the end of your appointment.
How to Do It

  • Contact the Benefits Office for the appropriate conversion forms and/or portability forms.
  • Complete and return the form directly to the insurance carrier.
Special Notes Your University participation in these plans stops on the last day of the month in which your appointment ends.

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 Personal Accident Insurance
What You May Need To Do You can choose to convert your coverage into an individual policy.
When You Should Do It Within 31 days of the end of your appointment
  • Contact the Benefits Office for the appropriate conversion forms.
  • Complete and return the form directly to UnumProvident.
Special Notes Your University participation in this plan stops on the last day of the month in which your appointment ends.

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 Short-Term Disability
Special Notes Your participation in these plans stops on the last day of the month in which your appointment ends.

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 Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
What You May Need to Do You can continue to submit claims for expenses you incurred prior to the date your appointment ends.
When You
Should Do It		 You must submit your expenses by June 30 of the following calendar year.
How to Do It
  • Contact the Benefits Office or WageWorks at 877-924-3967 to request a claim form or click here to download the form.
  • Submit a copy of your Explanation of Benefits with the claim form to WageWorks — the FSA administrator.
Special Notes Your participation in a Flexible Spending Account stops on the last day of the appointment unless you are eligible and choose to continue your Health Care FSA through COBRA.

If you are eligible to continue your Health Care FSA under COBRA, you will be notified by WageWorks.

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 Qualified Transportation Program
What You May Need to Do You can continue to submit claims for expenses incurred for services provided to you prior to the date your employment ends.
When You
Should Do It		 As soon as possible.
How to Do It
  • Contact the Benefits Office or WageWorks at 877-924-3967 to request a reimbursement form, or click here to download the form.
  • Submit a copy of the receipts and the appropriate documentation with the reimbursement form to WageWorks — the QTP administrator.
Special Notes Your participation in the QTP stops on the last day of your appointment.

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 Retirement Benefits
What You May Need to Do You may choose to receive all or part of your benefit under the University’s retirement plans after your employment has ended. (Please Note: If you transfer from the University to the Hospitals, your employment will not be considered to have ended for this purpose.)

You may elect to receive your benefit under the Contributory Retirement Plan (“CRP”), the defined contribution part of the Retirement Income Plan for Employees (“ERIP”), and the Supplemental Retirement Program (“SRP”) (collectively, these are the “defined contribution” plans) in any of the following forms:

  • Tax-deferred rollover to an IRA or another employer’s retirement plan;
  • Lump-sum distribution;
  • Installment payments; and
  • An annuity.

You may elect to receive your benefit under the defined benefit part of ERIP in any of the following forms:

  • Tax-deferred rollover to an IRA or another employer’s retirement plan;
  • Lump-sum distribution; and
  • An annuity.

If you prefer, you may leave your retirement funds with TIAA-CREF and Vanguard until such time as you are ready to receive them.
When You Can Do It You may choose to receive all or part of your benefit anytime after you leave the University. There is no deadline by which you must make your decision. You are not required to take a distribution from the defined contribution plans until April 1 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which you attain age 70½. You are not required to take a distribution from the defined benefit part of ERIP until you attain age 65.
How to Do It

  • When you are ready to begin receiving payments under the defined contribution plans, you should contact TIAA-CREF (800-842-2776) and Vanguard (800-523-1188) directly to obtain the requisite paperwork. TIAA-CREF and Vanguard representatives will provide you with detailed information regarding the alternative forms of payment available to you and the tax consequences of each form.
  • When you are ready to begin receiving payments under the defined benefit part of ERIP, you should contact the Benefits Office at (773) 702-9634.
  • Complete the forms (your spouse must sign his/her consent if you are married) and return them to the Benefits Office.

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 Other Benefits
(Child Care Referral, Educational Assistance, Elder Care Consultation and Referral, Long-Term Care Insurance, Staff and Faculty Assistance)
What You May
Need to Do

Your participation ends on your last day of work except for Long-Term Care Insurance. You may continue Long-Term Care Insurance coverage if you pay the premiums on your own.
How to Do It Contact John Hancock for details and the appropriate paperwork. For more information on Long-Term Care Insurance, click here.
Special Notes Your participation in the Long-Term Care Insurance ends when you stop paying the premiums.

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