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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
Retirement Plan
An eligible individual will qualify for the Retirement Plan based on the criteria set forth in the Summary Plan Description (SPD).
Eligible participant's pre-tax contributions can be made immediately upon appointment to a position funded by UBF resources.
Eligible participant's employer contributions are made to a participant’s TIAA-CREF contract based on eligible earnings. The waiting period is waived if an individual has previous employer contributions in a TIAA-CREF account.
| 9% of salary | Up to $16,500 |
| 12% of salary | From $16,501 to annual salary |
See the IRS website for the current year contribution limits.
Please login to Benefit System and review the Summary Plan Description (SPD). If you do not have access to Benefit System, please contact the UBF benefits department.
Catch Up Contributions
Catch up contributions for the 403(b) plan can also be made by those who qualify. See the IRS website for the current year guidelines and limits.
Enrolling
Starting February 24, 2020 you can enroll in the retirement plan or make changes to your retirement contribution amount by logging into your account at TIAA.org/ubfa. If you don’t have an online account, visit TIAA.org/ubfa and click Register for access.
Contact an Expert
Lisa Adamshick
Benefits and Human Resources Manager
UB Foundation
Phone: 716-645-8726
Email: ladamshi@buffalo.edu