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Benefits for Employees Funded Through UBF
The benefits available through UB Foundation (UBF) are designed to meet the needs of today's workforce. You have a choice of benefits that will enable you to design a benefits package specifically for you and your family.
How Do Flexible Benefits Work?
When you are initially hired and/or become eligible, you will enroll for most benefits through the Benefit System, which allows you to choose the benefits you and your family need.
The Benefit System provides a summary of your current benefit elections and general information on all UBF benefits, including plan descriptions. You can also use the library section of the Benefit System to find:
- Summary Plan Descriptions (SPD)
- Provider website links
- Benefit forms
Benefit Elections
Benefit elections for medical, dental, vision, and flexible spending accounts are effective until December 31 of the calendar year that you enrolled, provided you continue to meet eligibility requirements. Because these are section 125 benefits, you cannot change these options (medical, dental, vision, health FSA) any time during the calendar year unless there is an IRS qualified “life event”.
While you are generally only allowed to change your benefits elections during the open enrollment period each year, certain life events provide an exception. Those life events allow you to change your benefits elections in the middle of the plan year if certain requirements are met.
The following are examples of types of life events that may allow you to change your benefit elections during a plan year:
- Birth/Adoption
- Change in Insurance Coverage
- Change of Address (which affects plan eligibility)
- Change in Employment Status
- Death in the Family
- Dependent Child Reaches Limiting Age
- Divorce/Annulment
- Domestic Partnership
- FMLA-related Leave
- Legal Separation
- Loss / Gain of Other Coverage
- Marriage
- Medicare / Medicaid Eligibility
- Significant Coverage Reduction or Cost Increase
Please notify the UBF Benefits Department immediately if you experience any life event changes so that we can ensure there is no interruption or error in your benefits. You will have 30 days from the date of the life event to make the change.
Open Enrollment
UBF annual open enrollment is offered in late fall of each year and gives you the opportunity to review and select the same or different benefits using the Benefit System. You will be notified in advance of the Open Enrollment period.
Frequently Asked Questions About Benefits
UBF conducts a benefits orientation the second Tuesday of every month starting at 9:00 a.m. at the Center for Tomorrow, North Campus. This orientation would be most beneficial for newly eligible participants, however, all participants are welcome to attend.
Preregistration is appreciated, but not required, by calling 716-645-8731 or sending email to Joyce Weeman.
![Lisa Adamshick.]()
Lisa Adamshick
Benefits and Human Resources Manager
UB Foundation
Phone: 716-645-8726
Email: ladamshi@buffalo.edu
Benefit Types
College Savings Program
The college savings program allows you to make contributions directly from your paycheck to New York State’s College Savings Program (529 Plan), which offers a practical solution for sending a child to college. All individuals are eligible.
Tuition Waiver Program
The University at Buffalo provides a Tuition Waiver Program to help defer the cost of continuing education for employees of the University, including those paid by UBF. After six months of employment, the B140W Tuition Waiver allows 8 credit hours per semester, not to exceed 15 per year per person as long as funding lasts. Patricipants must have at least six months of service. Full time employees (1.0FTE) receive 50% tuition waiver and part time (.50-.99FTE) receive 25%, with less than .50 FTE not eligible.
Contact an Expert
Lisa Adamshick
Benefits and Human Resources Manager
UB Foundation
Phone: 716-645-8726
Email: ladamshi@buffalo.edu