Benefits Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
Pre-Employment FAQ’s
For which health and insurance benefits will I be eligible?
Where can I find more information about benefits?
Where can I learn more about retirement?
For which health and insurance benefits will I be eligible?
Your offer letter will indicate your appointment percentage and duration. See the At Your Service website for Group Insurance Eligibility based on your particular appointment.
Where can I find more information about benefits?
There are numerous sources of information regarding your benefits options. A good starting point is Your Group Insurance Plans. This booklet summarizes all insurance plans and gives you an indication of how much insurance costs. It also explains how to determine family members’ eligibility.
For more detailed information on benefits, visit At Your Service. From the main menu, you will be able to view detailed information regarding each benefit offered by the University. For orientations to all benefits offered at UC, view the Health & Welfare and Retirement & Savings Orientations on At Your Service New Employees.
Where can I learn more about retirement?
Visit At Your Service for information about the Retirement Savings Program and UCRP.
New Employee FAQ’s
For which health and insurance benefits am I eligible?
Where can I learn more about my options for enrolling in benefits plans?
Are there any online Orientations I can view prior to enrolling in benefits?
How much will my premiums be for Medical insurance?
How much will my premiums be for Dental and Vision insurance?
How much will my premiums be for Life and Supplemental Disability insurance?
If I have a pre-existing condition, will I be excluded from enrolling in any of the benefits plans?
I’m ready to enroll in my benefits online, but I don’t know how to sign on. What is my password?
How do I enroll in my benefits online?
Will I receive ID cards for my Medical, Dental and Vision insurance plans? If so, when?
How do I choose a Primary Care Physician?
How do I sign up for Retirement Savings Program accounts?
Does UC match my contributions into the Retirement Savings Program?
How do I set up a rollover into my Retirement Savings Program accounts?
I missed my PIE! What should I do?
What is this DCP that is coming out of my paycheck every month?
For which health and insurance benefits am I eligible?
Your offer letter will indicate your appointment percentage and duration. See the At Your Service website for Group Insurance Eligibility Factsheet for Employees based on your particular appointment.
Where can I learn more about my options for enrolling in benefits plans?
There are numerous sources of information regarding your benefits options. A good starting point is the Benefits of Belonging booklet that you will receive from your payroll representative on your first day at UC Merced. The most important piece of this booklet is Your Group Insurance Plans. This booklet summarizes all insurance plans and gives you an indication of how much your insurance will cost. It also explains how to determine whether your family members are eligible for benefits.
For more detailed information on benefits, visit the At Your Service website. From the main menu, you will be able to view detailed information regarding each benefit available to you. For instance, from the pull down menu entitled Health & Insurance, you can select Medical Plans, which takes you to numerous links regarding selection of a medical plan. The Medical Plan Chooser link to the right is very helpful for determining the medical plans available in the Merced area.
You should consider enrolling in the Supplemental Disability insurance plan, as you are only guaranteed enrollment in the plan if you enroll when you are first hired (otherwise with a statement of health through the insurance carrier). For a small monthly premium, it covers up to 70% of your salary if you take a disability leave of absence for up to 12 months, and covers 50% of your salary thereafter. For more information, visit At Your Service Disability Insurance.
You should also consider enrolling in the Legal plan, as this plan is normally only available for enrollment when you are first hired. For more information about this plan, visit At Your Service Legal Plan.
Are there any online Orientations I can view prior to enrolling in benefits?
For orientations to all benefits offered at UC, view the Health & Welfare and on At Your Service New Employees.
How much will my premiums be for Medical insurance?
Visit the At Your Service Medical Plan Costs for your monthly premium costs for all Medical plans.
How much will my premiums be for Dental and Vision insurance?
Currently, UC pays the entire cost of coverage for all qualifying employees and their dependents.
How much will my premiums be for Life, Dependent Life and Supplemental Disability insurance?
Visit the At Your Service Insurance Premium Calculator for an estimate of your premium costs for the Life and Supplemental Disability insurance plans.
If I have a pre-existing condition, will I be excluded from enrolling in any of the benefits plans?
As a new employee at UC Merced, when you enroll in any UC-sponsored medical, dental, or vision plan, you will not be excluded from enrollment based on your health, nor will your premium or level of benefits be based on any health conditions. In fact, you will not be asked for a statement of your health. The same applies to your eligible family members.
As for other UC insurance plans, the following applies:
· Basic and Core Life insurance: There are no exclusions for pre-existing conditions.
· Supplemental and Dependent Life insurance: There are no exclusions for pre-existing conditions if you enroll during the period of eligibility (PIE). However, a statement of health and approval by the insurance company are required to enroll for benefits outside of the PIE (except for children in Dependent Life, who may be enrolled at any time without a health statement).
· Short-term Disability insurance: There are no exclusions for pre-existing conditions.
· Supplemental Disability insurance: There is a pre-existing condition exclusion for any long-term disability if you have been a plan member for less than 12 months. In addition, a statement of health and approval by the insurance company are required if you enroll outside of the PIE. A statement of health is also required to reduce a previously selected waiting period.
· AD&D: There are no exclusions for pre-existing conditions.
I’m ready to enroll in my benefits online, but I don’t know how to sign on. What is my password?
Whenever you access your personal information through At Your Service, you will be asked to provide your UC password and your username or Social Security number.
As a new employee, you are assigned a temporary password (your birth date in the format MMDDYYYY, with no dashes or slashes). Your temporary password expires when your Period of Initial Eligibility (PIE) ends.
How do I enroll in my benefits online?
To enroll in Benefits:
· Go to At Your Service
· Choose the “Sign in to My Accounts” button
· Enter your Social Security number and your temporary password. Then select “Sign In.”
· Follow the instructions to create your permanent password. It must contain 6 to 12 alpha-numeric characters.
· You will also be prompted to create a security word that a Customer Service or Benefits Representative can use to help identify you when you call for information.
· You may enroll in health and insurance plans now or sign in again later to enroll.
· To enroll, select “Enroll in Benefits” on the Main Menu of “At Your Service Online” under “Your Health and Welfare.” Then follow the instructions. Be sure to complete all enrollments during your 31-day Period of Initial Eligibility (PIE).
Will I receive ID cards for my Medical, Dental and Vision insurance plans? If so, when?
ID cards for Medical plans are generated by the insurance plan and are mailed to the employee's permanent address on file in the payroll system. Generally, ID cards should arrive within 6 - 8 weeks of your enrollment. If you have not received your Medical ID card after 8 weeks, please contact your Medical plan to request your ID card. See Contacts for phone numbers for Medical plans. If the Medical plan does not have your enrollment on file, please contact the Health Care Facilitator in the Benefits Office at benefits@ucmerced.edu or 228-2363 for assistance.
ID cards are not provided for Dental or Vision plans. Your Dental and Vision providers will work directly with the insurance plan to verify eligibility and process claims. If you need to carry proof of coverage, visit the plan's website to determine if a printed ID card is available.
How do I choose a Primary Care Physician?
To find a Primary Care Physician (PCP), see At Your Service Find a Doctor or visit your Medical plan's website.
Call your Medical plan to request the change to your new PCP. Your plan's phone number is on your ID card and is also listed on the Benefits Contact Information website. Most plans will allow you to change PCPs once per month and change medical groups at least once per year. Contact your Medical plan for more information.
When requesting a change to your PCP, be sure to confirm with the plan when change will become effective. Prescriptions will need to be rewritten by the new PCP as prescriptions written by former PCP become invalid after the new PCP's effective date.
How do I sign up for Retirement Savings Program accounts?
You are automatically enrolled in the Defined Contribution Plan (DCP) Pre-tax account and contributions are automatically deducted from your paycheck.
To enroll in the 403(b) or 457(b) accounts, visit the Fidelity Retirement Services website. If you have never visited the Fidelity Retirement Services website, you will need to register a new account using your social security number. Once you are logged in, you will be able to set up a new account. You can also call Fidelity at 1-866-682-7787 to set up contributions. You may enroll in these plans at any time.
Visit At Your Service Retirement Savings Program for information about these plans.
Does UC match my contributions into the Retirement Savings Program?
No. Your future retirement and savings benefits are based solely on your contributions, plus any earnings.
How do I set up a rollover into my Retirement Savings Program accounts?
Fidelity handles all rollovers into 403(b) and 457(b) accounts. Please contact Fidelity at 1-866-682-7787 or visit the Fidelity Retirement Services website for more information. If you have never visited the Fidelity Retirement Services website, you will need to register a new account using your social security number.
I missed my PIE! What should I do?
If you miss your PIE, you may enroll in benefits as follows:
· Medical: You may enroll in medical coverage at any time by submitting a UPAY 850 Enrollment Form to your Benefits Office. However, you will need to complete a waiting period of 90 consecutive calendar days from the day the Benefits Office receives the form before your medical coverage is effective. You may also enroll during Open Enrollment in November.
· Dental: You may enroll during Open Enrollment in November.
· Vision: You may enroll during Open Enrollment in November.
· Legal: You may not enroll in the Legal Plan outside of your PIE.
· Supplemental Disability: You may enroll in Supplemental Disability outside of your PIE only with a statement of health. Submit a UPAY 850 Enrollment Form to your Benefits Office to initiate the process. The insurance company may or may not approve your enrollment.
· Supplemental Life: You may enroll in Supplemental Life outside of your PIE only with a statement of health. Submit a UPAY 850 Enrollment Form to your Benefits Office to initiate the process. The insurance company may or may not approve your enrollment.
· Dependent Life: When enrolling in Dependent Life for your spouse/same-sex domestic partner, you may enroll outside of your PIE only with a statement of health. Submit a UPAY 850 Enrollment Form to your Benefits Office to initiate the process. The insurance company may or may not approve your enrollment. When enrolling in Dependent Life for your children, you may enroll at any time without a statement of health.
· HCRA: You may enroll during Open Enrollment in November.
· DepCare: You may enroll during Open Enrollment in November.
· If you are a newly appointed faculty member and don't enroll when first eligible, a second PIE starts on the earlier of either the first day of classes for the semester in which your appointment starts, or the date of your arrival on campus. Enroll during your second PIE by submitting a UPAY 850 Enrollment Form to your Benefits Office.
For more information, please see the Benefits Overview in Your Group Insurance Plans booklet.
What is this DCP that is coming out of my paycheck every month?
All UC employees who are UCRP members, as well as part-time, seasonal, temporary and non-exempt student employees who are not covered by Social Security or another retirement system, are required to contribute to the Defined Contribution Plan (DCP) Pre-tax Account. You are automatically enrolled in the DCP and contributions are automatically deducted from your paycheck.
For more information, please see the DCP Summary Plan Description.
Family Member Enrollment FAQ’s
For which health and insurance benefits are my family members eligible?
When can I enroll my family members in my benefits plans?
How much will my premiums be for Medical insurance if I add my family members?
How much will my premiums be for Dental and Vision insurance if I add my family members?
For which health and insurance benefits are my family members eligible?
Your eligible family members may enroll in your Medical, Dental, Vision, and Legal Plans. You may also enroll in Dependent Life Insurance and AD&D to cover your eligible family members. See the At Your Service Your Group Insurance Plans, Group Insurance Eligibility Factsheet for Employees and Eligible Family Members Index for more information about whether your family members are eligible for your benefits.
When can I enroll my family members in my benefits plans?
Remember that for newly eligible family members, you must enroll them during the 31-day PIE that starts on the first day of eligibility. You may also enroll your family members in certain benefits plans plan during Open Enrollment. Keep in mind that some benefits plans will not be available for adding family members during Open Enrollment, so it is always best to enroll your family members during the PIE.
For newly eligible family members, such as new spouses, domestic partners, and children, see the At Your Service Family Changes Benefits Checklist.
How much will my premiums be for Medical insurance if I add my family members?
Visit the At Your Service Medical Plan Costs for your monthly premium costs for all Medical plans.
How much will my premiums be for Dental and Vision insurance?
Currently, UC pays the entire cost of coverage for all eligible employees and family members.
