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Insurance Benefit Overview

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Insurance Coverage

Below is the insurance available to employees. These plans, along with your pay and other benefits, are part of your total compensation package.

Basic Insurance:
  • UT Select PPO medical plan with prescription drug coverage (employee only)
  • $10,000 basic term life (employee only)
  • $10,000 basic accidental death and dismemberment (employee only)
Optional
Insurance:

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Eligibility

If you're appointed to work 20 hours or more a week for at least 4.5 months in an eligible position, you're eligible to participate in the university's insurance plans.

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Enrollment

You have 31 days from your first day of employment to make your insurance coverage selections. If you're a full-time employee or eligible-graduate-student employee, you're automatically enrolled in the Basic Insurance on the first day you're eligible for benefits. If you're a part-time employee (less than 40 hours per week), you won't automatically get the basic insurance. Instead, you must complete enrollment paperwork within your first 31 days to get this insurance.

Annual Enrollment

Annual enrollment occurs in July. During this time, you may make changes to your insurance and add or remove dependents from coverage using the online enrollment system, UT Touch. In June, a "Your UT Benefits Enrollment Options" notice is sent to each benefits-eligible employee via e-mail or campus mail (if you don't have an e-mail address on file). This notice lists your current coverage selections and options for the upcoming academic year. Choices you make during annual enrollment will start September 1, or when your evidence of insurability is approved if that's needed.

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Evidence of Insurability

Evidence of insurability (EOI) is a record of your past and current health events. It's used by insurance companies to verify whether you or your dependent meet the definition of good health. You must provide an EOI form in order to:

  • Add certain dependents to your medical coverage (if the they were previously eligible, but weren't enrolled during your initial 31-day period). If your dependents can show proof of other active group medical coverage, the EOI is not needed.
  • Reinstate your terminated or waived medical coverage, unless you have proof of other active group medical coverage.
  • If you're a new employee and choose life voluntary term life which is four, five, or six times your salary level or choose voluntary spouse term life of $25,000 or $50,000.
  • Increase or reinstate your employee and spouse voluntary group life insurance coverage.
  • Add short-term disability after your initial 31-day benefit election period.
  • Add long-term disability after your initial 31-day benefit election period.
  • Add long-term care after your initial 31-day benefit election period.

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Spouses and Other Dependents

You may also enroll your eligible dependents in the university’s insurance plans. Eligible dependents are:

  • Your legally-married spouse, or person with whom you've filed a Declaration of Informal Marriage
  • Your unmarried child under age 25, including stepchildren, adopted children and children for whom you are the legal guardian
  • Your unmarried grandchild under age 25 if the child is your dependent for federal tax purposes
  • Certain children over age 25 who are determined by The University of Texas System Office of Employee Benefits to be medically incapacitated and unable to provide their own support

Examples of dependents who aren't eligible for coverage:

  • Your common-law spouse, unless you have a Declaration of Informal Marriage
  • Your same-sex partner
  • Your former spouse
  • Your married child
  • Your child over age 25, if not medically incapacitated
  • Unless required by law, foster children who are covered by another government program
  • Any child for whom you only have power of attorney
  • Any dependent insured by another university employee or retired employee
  • Any dependent insured by another plan that receives State of Texas premium contributions
  • Any dependent who is active in the armed forces of any country

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Change in Insurance Status

You can't change your insurance coverage during the year except in the case of a qualified status change. You have 31 days from the date of a qualifying status change to notify the HRS Service Center and change your benefit selections. If you don't make your changes during the 31-day status-change period, your changes cannot be made until the next annual enrollment period in July. Those changes will be effective the following September 1, or when your evidence of insurability is approved if that’s needed.

Here are some common examples of status changes:

  • Marriage, divorce, annulment, legal separation or spouse’s death
  • Birth, adoption, medical child support order or dependent’s death
  • Change in residence if the change affects your or your dependents’ current plan eligibility
  • Starting or ending employment, starting or returning from unpaid leave of absence, or change of job status (e.g., changing from part-time to full-time)
  • Change in dependent eligibility (e.g., marriage or reaching age 25)
  • Change in coverage or cost of other benefit plans available to you and your family

Your benefit changes must be consistent with your status change. For questions regarding status changes, please contact the HRS Service Center at 512-471-4772 or refer to the table below. EOI may be required for some benefit changes.

Common Status Changes and Documentation Required

Situation Documentation
New employee paperwork submitted within the first 31 days of employment
Employee or dependent gained insurance elsewhere within the past 31 days
Employee or dependent lost insurance elsewhere within the past 31 days
Marriage within the past 31 days               
Divorce within the past 31 days
Newborn within the past 31 days