Pitt’s Office of Human Resources has announced a special open enrollment period beginning today and running through Nov. 30 for members of the University community eligible to participate in the recently announced domestic partner health insurance benefits.
These benefits, effective Jan. 1, 2005, will include all of the medical insurance options currently offered to faculty and staff by the University through the UPMC Health Plan, as well as the dental and vision insurance programs.
Details of the various plans for faculty and staff, including domestic partner eligibility requirements, are now available on the Human Resources Web site at www.hr.pitt.edu.
Graduate students with eligible academic appointments and others with eligible academic appointments can access this information at http://gradcare.hr.pitt.edu.
Available on the Web sites are:
• Information about the various medical options as well as the dental and vision plans;
• Downloadable affidavits for domestic partner eligibility and special open enrollment forms for insurance selection;
• Frequently asked questions with answers; and
• Tax information for those individuals eligible for domestic partner health insurance benefits.
The completed affidavit and enrollment form as well as supporting documentation are required to complete the special open enrollment process for domestic partner health insurance benefits.
To be eligible for domestic partner benefits effective Jan. 1, 2005, this confidential information must be submitted to the Human Resources office on the campus at which the eligible participant works by no later than Nov. 30, 2004. This confidential information will be reviewed and processed accordingly, and designated Human Resources staff members assigned to handle the process will contact the eligible participant if there are any questions.
In accordance with IRS regulations, outside of this special open enrollment period, changes in participation may only be made if there is a qualified life event or during the annual open enrollment period that occurs each spring with an effective benefits date of July 1.
Information sessions explaining these new benefits and the enrollment and certification process will be held the week of Nov. 8 for faculty and staff and Nov. 15-23 for graduate students with eligible academic appointments and others with eligible academic appointments. These sessions also will provide an opportunity for eligible participants and their domestic partners to have any questions they may have answered.
Dates, times, and locations of these sessions are posted on the Human Resources Web site and in the box accompanying this article.
Domestic Partner Health Insurance Benefit Sessions for Faculty and Staff
Nov. 8 S120 BST South noon-1 p.m.
Nov. 9 342 Craig Hall 1-2 p.m.
Nov. 10 Kurtzman Room, William Pitt Union noon-1 p.m.
Nov. 12 342 Craig Hall 11 a.m.-noon
Domestic Partner Health Insurance Benefit Sessions
for Graduate Students/Others with Eligible Academic Appointments
Nov. 15 Kurtzman Room, William Pitt Union noon-1 p.m.
Nov. 17 342 Craig Hall 4-5 p.m.
Nov. 19 S121 BST South noon-1 p.m.
Nov. 23 Kurtzman Room, William Pitt Union noon-1 p.m.
