Benefits

 

Your RF Benefits

Your employment at The Research Foundation of the State University of New York entitles you to a range of health benefits products and financial instruments designed to help you manage your life.

Select your employment level below:

Regular Employees

You are a regular employee if you do not have a summer-only appointment, are not a full-time SUNY employee, and are not a full-time SUNY student working part-time in a RF student title.

Postdoctoral Employees

An individual holding a doctoral degree who is engaged in a defined temporary period or mentored research and/or scholarly training for the purpose of aquiring the professional skills needed to pursue career path of his or her choosing. Postdoctoral Associates train under the direction and supervision of faculty sponsors in preparation for acedemic or research careers.

 

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Eligibility

Full Time and Part Time 50% employees are eligible for health
insurance benefits.

Hourly Employees- Must work 6 consecutive pay periods averaging 40 hours each to be eligible. If 2 consecutive pay periods are missed then benefits will be terminated and the employee must re-enroll and be subject to a new waiting period.

Cost

The cost of benefits depend on which benefit you select. When selecting benefits, please choose the one that suits you best. 

Under the RF's Flexible Benefits Program, you may pay your share of the health insurance premium with pretax earnings. This means that your contribution toward health insurance will reduce your taxable income by that amount, thereby reducing your federal and state income and Social Security taxes.

Participation in this program is automatic, unless you decline this option by contacting your HR department. This benefit is made available by the RF under Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code. In order for domestic partner or same-sex spouse premiums to qualify, the domestic partner or same sex spouse must be a tax dependent under IRC Section 152. 

Salary increases, life insurance, retirement contributions, and disability benefits will continue to be based on the amount of your salary before reduction. However, your salary after reduction is used as the basis for determining Social Security contributions and benefits.

Because of tax advantages under the Flexible Benefits Program, a few special rules apply. Under Internal Revenue Service (IRS) regulations, once your pretax deduction becomes effective for a calendar year, you may not change your coverage election or drop coverage until the next open enrollment period. 

Signing Up

A decision on health coverage must be made within 60 days of employment or you will not be able to be covered by health insurance for another 5 pay periods and your deductions will be taken on an after-tax basis for the duration of the plan year (to be determined by the date the Benefits Office receives your completed forms). 

Go to RF Self-Service to enroll within 60 days of being appointed. The Research Foundation does not require proof documents (for enrollee or any dependents) when enrolling in benefits.

Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment typically occurs in October or November of a current calendar year. It is during open enrollment where you are able to select and/or change your benefits for the upcoming calendar year, to be in effect starting January 1, 20XX.

Required Proof

While the RF does not require proof documents when initially enrolling in benefits, changes due to a qualifying event require proof.

A qualifying event is a change in your or your dependent’s status that permits a change to be made in pretax health insurance elections outside of the annual Open Enrollment period. The change in status must result in a gain or loss of coverage or coverage options. The election change must be consistent with the change in status, and must be made within 60 days of the event.