How to Enroll/Make Changes to Your Benefits

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How to Enroll/Make Changes to Your Benefits

Welcome! As a new employee of Ithaca College, you have 30 days from your benefits-eligible hire date (or appointment date) to enroll in health benefits. Benefits information and enrollment resources are conveniently online and the new hire enrollment process is outlined below.

  1. Review the information in this guide, watch the New Hire Benefit Presentation video, and visit our Individual Choice Employee Benefits website. 
  2. If you need to add a dependent or beneficiary to your health insurance or life insurance, please submit a ticket to the HR Help Desk by using the Add a Dependent and/or Contact to Your Record service request. 
    • Please be sure to have the following with you when submitting this service request:
      • Beneficiary Information – names, addresses, birth dates, and social security numbers of anyone you wish to designate as a beneficiary.
      • Proof of coverage under another medical plan, if you plan to opt-out of Ithaca College's medical coverage.
    • You will be required to attach supporting documentation to your ticket if you are adding a spouse or dependent. You can review the list of supporting documentation options here. 
    • If your dependent is a full-time student aged 19+, you will need to provide supporting documentation of full-time status such as a class schedule for current semester, or a tuition bill. 
  3. Enroll in Benefits. Beginning on your hire date (or appointment date) you will have 30 days to enroll online in your health care benefits.
    • Login to HR Cloud here
    • Click on the Home icon in the top right of the page
    • Click the orange Benefits tile in your Me section
    • Click on the Enroll Now button at the top of the page
      • f this button is greyed out for you, please reach out to the benefits team here
    • In the Get to know your benefits section, please watch the new hire benefits presentation for helpful information on our benefit offerings
      • Click Continue when ready to move to the next section
    • In the Verify people you'd like to cover section, please ensure all dependents and beneficiaries you plan to cover are listed
    • Click accept in the Authorization section
    • Medical
      • Select Enroll for the plan you wish to choose
      • If you are waiving a benefit, select Enroll under the tile that indicates that you will wave/decline the offered benefit
      • When ready, click the next plan option on the right-hand side of the screen
    • Dental
      • Select Enroll for the plan you wish to choose
      • If you are waiving a benefit, select Enroll under the tile that indicates that you will wave/decline the offered benefit
      • When ready, click the next plan option on the right-hand side of the screen
    • Vision
      • Select Enroll for the plan you wish to choose
      • If you are waiving a benefit, select Enroll under the tile that indicates that you will wave/decline the offered benefit
      • When ready, click the next plan option on the right-hand side of the screen
    • Spending Account
      • Select Enroll for the plan you wish to choose
      • If you are waiving a benefit, select Enroll under the tile that indicates that you will wave/decline the offered benefit
      • If you need to update a contribution on a current election, click the edit pencil next to that enrollment
      • If enrolling in a spending account, you will be prompted to enter a coverage amount
        • This is an annual amount that you would like to contribute via your paychecks
        • Once you enter an annual amount, a per-paycheck amount will populate
        • When you click into the Coverage box, a max contribution amount will display. This is a true max that already considers the IC contribution to your spending account.
      • Click Save when done
      • When ready, click the next plan option on the right-hand side of the screen
    • Supplemental Life Plans
      • Select Enroll for the plan you wish to choose
      • If you are waiving a benefit, select Enroll under the tile that indicates that you will wave/decline the offered benefit
      • If you need to update a contribution on a current election, click the edit pencil next to that enrollment
      • Enter a Coverage amount 
      • Designate a Beneficiary
        • To designate a beneficiary, please ensure you add a % next to their name. Ex: you can have two beneficiaries both at 50%. You just need to ensure the percentages equal to 100%. You may also choose any of your contacts to be a contingent (backup) beneficiary. 
      • Click Save when done
      • When ready, click the next plan option on the right-hand side of the screen
    • Employer Benefits
      • Employer-provided benefits are automatic enrollments. You do not need to enroll in them, but you do need to designate a beneficiary for the two Basic life insurance plans
        • Basic Life Insurance
          • click the edit pencil next to that enrollment
          • To designate a beneficiary, please ensure you add a % next to their name. Ex: you can have two beneficiaries both at 50%. You just need to ensure the percentages equal to 100%. You may also choose any of your contacts to be a contingent (backup) beneficiary. 
        • Basic Accidental Death and Dismemberment 
          • click the edit pencil next to that enrollment
          • To designate a beneficiary, please ensure you add a % next to their name. Ex: you can have two beneficiaries both at 50%. You just need to ensure the percentages equal to 100%. You may also choose any of your contacts to be a contingent (backup) beneficiary. 
      • Click Save
      • When ready, click the next plan option on the right-hand side of the screen
    • Review and Submit
      • Give all benefit elections a final review
      • Click Submit when ready to submit your elections
      • You can come back in and make changes to your elections anytime within the enrollment window
 

Making Changes

Once you have made your initial enrollment elections, you generally cannot make any changes until the next annual re-enrollment period. However, you may make certain changes if you have a qualified life status change that affects your benefits.

Typical qualified life status changes include, but are not limited to:

  • Marriage, divorce or legal separation;
  • Birth, adoption, or placement for adoption of an eligible child;
  • Death of your spouse or covered child;
  • Enrollment in (or loss of) state or federal medical coverage, including Medicare or Medicaid;
  • Change in your spouse’s or child’s employment resulting in gain or loss of eligibility for employer’s benefits;
  • A change in your child’s eligibility for benefits.

To report a qualifying life event, please reach out to the benefits team via the HR Help Desk here: Service - Benefits & Absence Help Req... (ithaca.edu)

To add a newborn to your record in order to add to benefit plans, please complete the following HR Help Desk service request: Add a Dependent and/or Cont... (ithaca.edu)

If you have a qualified life status change, you must notify the Office of Human Resources and submit documentation within 30 days of the event. Payroll deductions will continue until changes to your enrollments are submitted. Please Note: Newborns are NOT automatically added to your coverages. 

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