FAQs

Generally, you become eligible to enroll for coverage during the NYU initial enrollment period. This period is from your date of hire until 31 days following your date of hire. If you do not enroll during this period, you will have to wait until the next Open Enrollment Period.

Yes, when you are eligible for coverage under a NYU medical or dental plan, you may elect to cover your eligible spouse, or registered domestic partner, and/or eligible children. (See also, "Dependent Coverage".)

Full-time employees make contributions for health care coverage through convenient payroll deductions.

Each fall, during the designated Open Enrollment Period, you will have an opportunity to make changes to your health care coverage and add or drop dependents. Changes made during Open Enrollment become effective on January 1 of the following year.

Changes remain in effect for the entire year, unless you experience a qualifying life event that permits you to change your coverage.

A qualifying life event is a change in your personal life that may impact your eligibility or your dependents' eligibility for benefits. If you are eligible to make changes, you must make the change within 30 days of the date of your qualifying life event. After the 30-day deadline, you will have to wait until the next Open Enrollment Period to make further changes.

Any changes made must be consistent with the qualifying event experienced. Some changes, e.g., birth, marriage, and divorce, may require proof of the qualifying event.

Examples of qualifying life events are: birth or adoption of a child; marriage; establishing a domestic partnership; divorce; ending a domestic partnership; disability; death; spouse/domestic partner gains or loses coverage; move to an area where current coverage is not available; and retirement.

In-network doctors and hospitals have a negotiated fee agreement with your insurance plan. Each of the plan providers offered by NYU has an extensive roster of in-network providers who are board-certified and rigorously screened.

If you are enrolled in one of the NYU Point-of-Service Plans, you may choose to use an out-of-network provider and still have a portion of the cost of those services covered by your plan. Note that the fees they charge are not limited by a contracted fee agreement. If you go out of network, any amounts your provider charges that are above Reasonable & Customary rates, are your responsibility and are not credited to your out-of-pocket maximum. (See also, "Explanation of Reasonable & Customary".)

The Aetna, HIP, and Oxford HMO Plans cover in-network services only.

This is your share of the cost of coverage under a health plan. NYU requires a contribution for the cost of health care for most employees. Contact the NYU Benefits Office to determine what your contribution to the plan will be in the current plan year.

A copayment is a flat dollar amount that you pay for specific services each time you use them, such as office visits. Copayments are not part of the annual deductible (if your plan has one), and are not applied to any out-of-pocket maximum. Each NYU health care plan has a schedule of benefits, with specified copayments for covered services.

The annual deductible is an amount you must pay before your Plan will pay any benefits. Your annual deductible does not apply to services with copayments, but amounts that you pay toward your annual deductible are credited to your out-of-pocket maximum.

If you are enrolled in one of the NYU Point-of-Service Plans, and you go out of network, any amounts your provider charges that are above Reasonable & Customary rates are your responsibility and are not credited to your annual deductible. (See also, "Explanation of Reasonable & Customary".)

Coinsurance (also known as the deductible) is the percentage of the cost for covered services that are your responsibility. After your deductible limit has been reached, the Plan will pay a stated percentage, based on Reasonable & Customary rates, and you pay the other percentage. Coinsurance is applied to your out-of-pocket maximum.

The out-of-pocket maximum limits the amount you might be expected to pay for medical services each calendar year. This means that once your expenses reach a certain amount after you pay your deductible, covered services will be paid in full by your Plan, at the Reasonable and Customary rate. Out-of-pocket maximums do not apply to services with copays.

The NYU Point-of-Service (POS) Value and POS Advantage plans cover services rendered by both in-network and out-of-network providers and have a different out-of-pocket maximum for each type of service. The Aetna, HIP, and Oxford HMO Plans cover in-network services only. Since covered services under the HIP HMO only require co-payments, there are no applicable deductibles or out-of-pocket maximums for HIP. All other plans have an out-of-pocket maximum for covered services.

Yes, if you meet the eligibility requirements.

Adjunct Faculty who have met the one year qualification period and have at least 40 contact hours in one or more classroom courses in an academic year, or at least 75 contact hours of individual instruction or tutoring during a semester, are eligible for health insurance.

Eligibility for the NYU health care contribution towards health insurance benefits is determined by the "look back" to the previous academic year. Only Fall 2006 and Spring 2007 contact hours (Not Summer 2007) are considered for coverage effective 1/1/08.

No, your health care premiums are not deducted from your paycheck. All Adjuncts who enroll in a health plan receive a coupon booklet from EBPA, NYU's outside billing administrator. If you have not received your coupon booklet and you are enrolled in one of the HMO plans, contact the Benefits Office for assistance.

You are responsible for paying your premiums on the date the payment is due. The due date is shown on your coupons from EBPA, NYU's outside Billing Administrator. If your payment is not received within 30 days of the payment due date, your coverage will be terminated and you will not be eligible to participate in the HMO until the next open enrollment period (if you meet the eligibility requirements).

The number of contact hours determines if NYU will contribute to the cost of your health care coverage. Remember, all health insurance eligibility is based on the previous academic year. For coverage effective 1/1/08, you need to look at your contact hours for the prior 2006-2007 academic year.

No, summer hours do not count when determining eligibility for the NYU health care contribution. However, summer hours do count for union eligibility.

There are three categories, based on the number of contact hours in the prior academic year. Adjuncts whose hours fall within Category A and B are eligible to receive an NYU contribution to the cost of their health care. Adjuncts who work for the Dental Center or whose hours fall within Category C, do not receive an NYU contribution, but are eligible to enroll in the HIP HMO and pay the full premium cost.

• Category A - at least 126 contact hours or at least 225 hours of individualized instruction (minimum of 75 each semester) in the previous fall and/or spring academic year.
• Category B - at least 84 contact hours or at least 150 hours of individualized instruction (minimum of 75 each semester) in the previous fall and/or spring academic year.
• Category C - at least 40 contact hours in the previous academic year and all Dental Center Adjuncts. Adjuncts in this category do not receive a subsidy, but are eligible to enroll in the HIP HMO and pay the full premium cost.

The HR Officers are responsible for calculating and reporting each Adjunct's hours.

Contact the Union office at 212-529-2580.

You are eligible for retiree medical and life insurance coverage from NYU if:

• your age plus years of continuous, full-time service equals 70 or more, and
• you are at least age 55 with at least ten years of service; or
• you completed ten years of continuous, full-time service as of September 1, 1991, and you retire with 25 years of continuous, full-time service.

NYU has selected retiree health plans that match as closely as possible the benefits available to active employees. However, differences do exist. Eligible retirees are offered plans that cover both Medicare-eligible and non-Medicare eligible participants.

All of the plans offered at retirement cover medically necessary services, such as: Emergency room visits; hospital stays; surgeon's fees; X-ray and laboratory fees; doctors' office visits; and prescription drugs (Creditable Coverage). In addition, all plans provide some wellness and preventive services.

Yes. All of the NYU health plans include prescription drug coverage. Under the NYU plans, you pay one monthly premium that includes your medical and prescription drug coverage. There is no additional monthly premium for prescription drugs. The Caremark prescription drug benefit is "Creditable Coverage," which means that it is at least as good as that which would be available to you if you were Medicare-eligible and enrolled in the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage.

Creditable Coverage means that you are enrolled in a plan that offers, on average, coverage that is at least as good as the prescription drug coverage offered under a Medicare Part D plan. NYU's prescription drug coverage through Caremark satisfies this requirement, which means you can enroll in a Medicare Part D plan at any point in the future without penalty (as long as you have maintained your NYU retiree medical plan coverage during that time).

You may choose to enroll in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, however, the NYU prescription drug plan will be your primary coverage. You should closely evaluate the value of the benefits you would receive from the selected Medicare Part D prescription drug plan as a secondary insurer. If you choose to enroll in a Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, you will still be eligible to receive all of your current health and prescription drug benefits through your NYU Retiree Medical Plan, provided you continue to pay your premiums.

For the vast majority of NYU Retiree Medical Plan participants who are automatically enrolled in NYU's prescription drug plan with Caremark, it does not make economic sense to pay an additional premium for Medicare Part D coverage. NYU's prescription drug plan offers superior coverage to most Medicare Part D plans.

However, for certain Medicare-eligible individuals with limited income and resources—single individuals with an annual income below $15,315 and liquid assets of $11,710 or less; or married couples with no other dependents, who have a combined annual income below $20,535 and liquid assets of $23,410 or less—Medicare Part D will provide prescription drug coverage at little or no cost. Individuals who qualify for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or get help from Medicaid automatically qualify for help with their prescription drug costs. If you think you are eligible for this extra benefit, you can contact the Social Security Administration for an application for the special limited income and resources benefit. We encourage you to complete the application and return it as instructed.

Dental coverage, long-term disability coverage, commutation expense reimbursement accounts (CERA), employee spending accounts (Health Care FSA and Dependent Care FSA), and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) coverage end when you retire.

You may continue your dental coverage (and medical if you are not eligible for the Retirement Medical plans) for up to 18 months after retirement under COBRA.

CVS/Caremark is the administrator of the prescription drug program for all NYU health plans.

The plan covers brand-name prescription drugs. However, brand-name medications have a higher copayment.

Copayment amounts will depend upon whether the prescription that your physician writes is for a generic or a brand name drug. Prescriptions written for a specific brand-name medication will have a higher copayment. There is also a $50 copayment if you use a retail pharmacy for the third or any subsequent refills of maintenance drugs.

Any time the price of the drug is less than the required copayment, you will pay the actual price of the prescription.

You should use a Caremark retail pharmacy for immediate and short-term drug needs. Use Caremark's Mail Order Pharmacy for maintenance or long-term medications.

There is a pharmacy network associated with the Caremark plan. You receive the highest level of benefits when you have your prescription filled at a network pharmacy.

When you use a network pharmacy, any out-of-pocket copayments will automatically be reimbursed through your Health Care FSA (if you have one), up to the FSA amount you have elected. If you do not have an FSA, a check will be mailed to you.

If you use an out-of-network pharmacy, you'll pay 100% of the retail price and will need to submit a claim form. You will be reimbursed for the discounted cost of the prescription - the cost the plan would have paid had you gone to a network pharmacy - less the applicable copay. In most cases, the discounted price will be less than the retail price. You can get a list of network pharmacies from the Caremark website or call 1-800-421-5501.

You may request a refill of a 90-day prescription through Caremark mail service at day 50. This should eliminate the problem of coordinating the timing of receipt of mail service prescriptions with planned travel.

You may receive as much as a 180-day supply through the Caremark mail order pharmacy. In order to obtain a 180-day supply of a medication, your physician will need to write the prescription for that quantity. You will pay two times the copay you would pay for a 90-day supply.

Maintenance medications are prescription drugs that you take on a long-term, recurring basis. Maintenance medications should be refilled through Caremark's Mail Order Pharmacy.

In some instances, even though you take a specific medication on a long-term, recurring basis, it may be classified by law as a "controlled substance." Federal and state laws regulate the dispensing of controlled substances and the law may limit the quantity that can be dispensed at one time. It may also prohibit dispensing through the mail. (See also, "What are controlled substances?")

Contact Caremark to determine if your medicine is considered "maintenance."

In some instances, even though you take a specific medication on a regular, recurring basis, it may be classified by law as a "controlled substance." Examples of prescriptions that are classified as controlled substances are: Vicodin®, Acetaminophen with codeine and Marinol®, Valium®, Ambien®, Xanax®, Robitussin AC®, and Lomotil®.

Federal and state laws regulate the dispensing of controlled substances and the law may limit the quantity that can be dispensed at one time. It may also prohibit dispensing through the mail.

The plan will not consider controlled substances to be maintenance medications, even if you take them on a regular, ongoing basis. Therefore, you can use your retail pharmacy to obtain these prescriptions. You will not have a $50 penalty on the third and subsequent refill of a controlled substance in a calendar year.

Full-time employees are automatically enrolled in the NYU Dental Assistance Plan. If you want to cover your dependents, you must enroll them in the Plan.

Your dental coverage will start immediately after you have satisfied the waiting period.

If you are not actively at work on the day your coverage is scheduled to begin, your coverage will start when you have returned to work.

To be reimbursed for dental expenses, you must submit a claim form or have your dentist submit a claim form to Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Claims must be filed within 12 months of the date of service.

You can arrange to have benefits paid directly to your dentist, or you can have Metropolitan reimburse you. To have the benefits paid to your dentist, you will need to sign the assignment section of the claim form.

If you have elected to participate in the Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA), your reimbursable, out-of-pocket expenses under the NYU Dental Assistance Plan, will be automatically submitted to your FSA for reimbursement.

The Commutation Expense Reimbursement Account (CERA) program allows you to set aside money from your paycheck on a pre-tax basis to pay for eligible mass transit and parking expenses.

The amount you set aside is placed in the type of account (mass transit or parking) that you choose to open. You can then reimburse yourself for commutation expenses you incur during the calendar year, up to the lesser of the amount deducted from your paycheck for that month or the IRS monthly maximum. You may open both a mass transit and a parking expenses account if they are associated with your commute to work. Keep in mind that only certain expenses are eligible for reimbursement (See also, "What commutation expenses are eligible" below).

The CERA program is administered by EBPA, NYU's outside billing administrator.

The CERA Program is open to all full-time employees.

You may enroll in the CERA Program at any time during the year through the Benefits Resource Center.

NYU will reduce or change your salary by the amount you elect, beginning with the next available benefits pay cycle after your election is processed. Generally, elections that are entered before the 12th of the month, will begin with your next paycheck.

Yes. You may change your CERA election at any time through the Benefits Resource Center.

Claims for expenses for mass transit and/or parking that are incurred in the current calendar year may be submitted up until January 31 of the following calendar year. Any funds remaining in your account at year end can only roll over into your account for the following year if you continue your participation in CERA.

If you do not have a mass transit or parking account for the following calendar year and you don't file a claim by January 31, your balance will be held over into the next calendar year but you must claim those funds by December 31 of that following year, or the funds will be forfeited. [For example, if you had a CERA account in 2007 and did not continue to participate in the CERA program in 2008, any remaining balance from 2007 would have to be claimed by December 31, 2008, or it will be forfeited].

No. CERAs are only for the expenses of the NYU employee when commuting to and from work. Thus, for example, expenses for parking at or near your residence, which are not related to your commute to and from your NYU work site are not eligible under the program. (For example, expenses for parking your car in a garage near your home in New York City are not eligible.)

In order to receive reimbursement from your CERA, you must submit a claim. You can reimburse yourself on a monthly basis for commutation expenses incurred during the calendar year, up to the amount available in your account. You must also submit a receipt for each expense for which you are submitting a claim.

If you have direct deposit of your NYU paycheck, your CERA reimbursements will be automatically deposited into the same bank account.

No. One of the disadvantages of not using up your CERA funds each year is that for the time you have funds remaining in the following year, you cannot add to your CERA account. For example, you have carryover funds for January, February, and March of the following year. This means the first month you can continue your payroll deductions for CERA is April.

In order for expenses to be eligible for tax-free reimbursement, they must be incurred only for the purpose of commuting between your residence and your work site. All submitted claims must be accompanied by receipts for the incurred expenses.

• Mass Transit CERA: Expenses for mass transit must be incurred for traveling to and from work via mass transit or in a commuter vehicle that seats at least six adults plus a driver. The most common examples are bus, train, ferry, and subway. Vanpools are also eligible if they carry at least six adults and transport you to or near your place of work, and you provide a receipt for the official vanpool fees.
  
  Ineligible Expenses: Expenses incurred for traveling to and from work by taxi, car pool, and limousine do not qualify for reimbursement from a Mass Transit CERA.

• Parking CERA: Expenses for parking must be incurred either near your work site or at a location where you commute via qualified mass transit (e.g., park and ride).
  
  Ineligible Expenses: Expenses incurred for parking anywhere other than the eligible locations cited above do not qualify for reimbursement from a Parking CERA.

NYU's Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs), administered by UnitedHealthcare, allow you to set aside money on a pre-tax basis, to pay for eligible health care or dependent care expenses.

There are two different types of FSAs:

• Health Care FSA: used to reimburse out-of-pocket medical expenses for you, your spouse/registered domestic partner, or eligible dependent.
• Dependent Care FSA: used to reimburse expenses related to the care of eligible dependents in order for you and your spouse (if you are married) to work. You are also eligible to use the account if your spouse is a full-time student, is disabled, or is actively seeking work. Note: Health care (medical) expenses for a dependent are not reimbursable from a Dependent Care FSA.

The amount you set aside is placed in the type of account (health care or dependent care) that you choose to open. You can then reimburse yourself for eligible expenses you incur during the calendar year, up to the lesser of the amount deducted from your paycheck or the allowable maximum.

Keep in mind that contributions for an FSA are taken out of your paycheck before taxes are applied, reducing your taxable income and your take-home pay.

The Health Care FSA can be used for out-of-pocket health care expenses incurred by you, your spouse/registered domestic partner, or eligible dependents.

To be eligible for tax-free reimbursement from your Health Care FSA, expenses cannot be covered by any other benefit plan. In general, expenses that are eligible for reimbursement are medical, dental, and vision expenses incurred for the diagnosis, treatment, cure or prevention of disease, a physical or mental condition, or an injury.

Examples of ineligible expenses: Any amount that is eligible for reimbursement from another source, such as other insurance or Medicare; expenses for which you take an itemized deduction on your federal income tax return; personal care items, cosmetic services and supplies, including hair transplants, cosmetic orthodontia, liposuction, or other cosmetic surgery; weight reduction programs for general health; marriage/family counseling.

The Dependent Care FSA can be used to pay for eligible daycare expenses for a dependent, in order for you and your spouse (if you are married) to work. You are also eligible to use the account if your spouse is a full-time student, is disabled, or is actively seeking work.

Examples of eligible expenses include: Care at a day care center with six or more children that meets state and local regulations, babysitters (over age 19), nursery school expenses for the care of a child under age six, and before- and after-school programs.

You also can use the dependent care spending account for eldercare, provided you are responsible for at least 50-percent of the support of the elderly parent, or any person living with you, who is physically or mentally incapable of self-care and this person is noted on your income tax statements as a legal dependent.

Examples of ineligible expenses: Educational expenses (kindergarten or higher), overnight camp, round-the-clock nursing home care, transportation to and from a dependent care location, services provided by your spouse or a person you claim as a dependent on your income tax return, and expenses that are not work-related.

Note: Health Care (medical) expenses for a dependent are not reimbursable from a Dependent Care FSA.

Each fall, during the designated Open Enrollment Period, you will have an opportunity to enroll in a Health Care FSA and/or a Dependent Care FSA. FSA elections made during Open Enrollment become effective on January 1 of the following year.

Flexible Spending Account (FSA) elections do not "roll over" from year to year. Therefore, if you want to participate, you must make a new election for your FSA every year, even if you want to contribute the same amount.

Federal regulations state that once you have designated the contribution amount, you cannot change your decision during the year, unless you experience a qualifying life event.

Examples of qualifying life events are: birth or adoption of a child; marriage; establishing a domestic partnership; divorce; ending a domestic partnership; disability; death; you or your spouse/domestic partner gains or loses a job or stops working.

No. According to the IRS's "Use It or Lose It" rule, you must use all funds you contribute to your FSA each year. However, there is a grace period that allows you to use up unclaimed funds during the first 3 months of the following plan year. For example, if you were enrolled in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) in 2007, and you had unclaimed funds at year end, IRS regulations allow you to use any remaining 2007 contributions for eligible expenses incurred from January 1, 2008 through March 15, 2008.

You can make the most of your FSA by carefully planning your yearly expenses, based on your claims history and expected expenses for the coming year. If you are unsure of how much to save, be conservative.

No. The Health Care FSA and the Dependent Care FSA are two separate plans. IRS regulations do not allow you to transfer money between these two accounts.

If you are unsure of how much to save, be conservative.

In order to receive reimbursement from your FSA, you must submit a claim. You must also submit a receipt for each expense for which you are submitting a claim. Remember, you must submit your claims before the filing deadlines in order to be reimbursed. After that, any unclaimed balance will be permanently forfeited.

According to IRS guidelines, a qualified expense is "incurred" at the time the service is provided, not when you are billed or when you actually pay for the service. This is important to note when filing claims at the end of a calendar year.

If you have direct deposit of your NYU paycheck, your FSA claims will be reimbursed through direct deposit. Once your FSA claim has been processed, the reimbursement will be deposited directly into the same bank account that is used for your paycheck, and you will receive the Explanation of Benefits (EOB) as you do now. If you do not have direct deposit of your NYU paycheck, you'll receive your FSA reimbursement in a separate check from UnitedHealthcare.

You may file a claim for reimbursement as soon as you have "incurred" a qualified expense. Out-of-pocket expenses under the UnitedHealthcare Point-of-Service (POS) Plans, the Caremark Prescription benefit, and the NYU Dental Assistance Plan administered by MetLife will be automatically submitted to your FSA for reimbursement.

Remember that according to IRS guidelines, a qualified expense is "incurred" at the time the service is provided, not when you are billed or when you actually pay for the service. This is important to note when filing claims at the end of a calendar year.

• For Health Care FSA Expenses: When you submit an FSA claim for health care expenses, you will be reimbursed for your claim, up to the full amount of your annual election, regardless of the amount of money that has been deposited into your account.
• For Dependent FSA Expenses: You can reimburse yourself on a monthly basis for dependent care expenses incurred during the calendar year, up to the amount available in your account. If you submit a claim for more than the balance in your FSA, you will only be reimbursed for the amount of money available in your account at that time. The remainder of your claim will be held for reimbursement once future contributions are deposited into your account.

If you had unclaimed funds at year end, IRS regulations allow you to claim expenses incurred from January 1 through March 15 of the following year from your prior year's FSA account.

The deadline for submitting claims for your prior year's FSA expenses to UnitedHealthcare is June 30.

If you have elected to participate in the Health Care FSA, your reimbursable, out-of-pocket expenses under the UnitedHealthcare Point-of-Service (POS) Plans, the Caremark Prescription benefit, and the NYU Dental Assistance Plan administered by MetLife will be automatically submitted to your FSA for reimbursement. This process is performed by an automatic, electronic data interface between UnitedHealthcare, MetLife, and Caremark. This reduces the need for you to submit manual paper claims.

Claims for other eligible health care expenses (e.g., vision care, Aetna, Oxford, or HIP copayments) and Dependent Care FSA expenses will still need to be submitted by using a claim form.

At times, a medical or dental claim might not be processed. The claim could be "pended" for additional information, either from you or from the provider of services. If a claim is pended, it won't roll over to your FSA until it is fully processed and the amount of the charges that you are responsible for is determined.

It is very important to review your FSA account periodically to determine whether all of your medical, dental, and prescription drug claims have been processed. If any of your claims are pended, you need to be sure to take any additional steps required to properly resolve your claim.

Yes, you can cover:

• your legal spouse
• your domestic partner whom you registered with the Benefits Office

If you are divorced, you cannot cover your divorced spouse.

You can cover your opposite sex or same sex domestic partner if you:

• agree to be jointly responsible for each other's common welfare and to share financial obligations
• live together in a long-term relationship of indefinite duration
• are not related by blood to a degree of closeness which would prohibit legal marriage in the state in which you legally reside

To apply for coverage for your domestic partner, register your domestic partner with the NYU Benefits Office.

You can cover:

• your natural child
• your stepchild
• your registered domestic partner's child
• your legally adopted child (or child placed with you for legal adoption)
• a child for whom you have been appointed legal guardian by a court of competent jurisdiction
• a child for whom you have been given temporary or permanent custody under an order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction
• a child for whom you have been appointed legal guardian by a court of competent jurisdiction or for whom you have been given temporary or permanent custody under an order issued by a court of competent jurisdiction.

For your child to be covered, your child must be:

• unmarried and under age 19 (under age 25, if a full-time student)
• fully dependent on you for support
• under your legal custody. You must provide court documentation substantiating the legal guardianship or court order of custody. If you provide a temporary order of custody, you will be required to submit either another order that extends the period of temporary custody or an order of permanent custody in order for the child's coverage to remain in effect.

A newborn natural child is eligible for coverage at birth.

If at any time your child isn't considered a dependent child under this plan, your child's coverage will stop. (See also, "Continuation of Coverage under COBRA".)

Generally, you can't cover your child as a dependent once your child reaches age 19. You may be able to extend coverage for your dependent child:

• up to age 25, as long as your child is a full-time student at an accredited educational institution, or
• indefinitely, if your child was found to be physically or mentally handicapped, mentally ill, or developmentally disabled before the age of 19 and continues to be fully dependent on you for support and unmarried.

• Once your child no longer meets the requirements to be your dependent, your child's coverage will stop (See also "Continuation of Coverage under COBRA")
• at the end of the month of your divorce or revocation of your domestic partnership
• at the end of the month in which he/she is no longer a full-time student
• at the end of the year in which the child reaches age 19 (or 25 if still a full-time student).

You can cover your disabled child after age 19 if the child is unmarried and fully dependent upon you for support and found to be physically or mentally handicapped, mentally ill, or developmentally disabled before the age of age 19.

Note: In order to cover your disabled child past age 19, the child's disability has to begin before the date eligibility would otherwise end and you will need to provide proof of the disability.

No, you can't cover a married child, even if the child is dependent on you.

You can cover your spouse as a dependent under your plan, or your spouse can cover you as their dependent, or you and your spouse can elect separate employee coverage, if eligible. Neither you nor your spouse can be covered as both an employee and a dependent under the plan.

Proof of relationship can be a copy of one of the following: marriage certificate; NYU Domestic Partner registration affidavit; birth certificate that shows the names of both the parents and the child; final adoption papers; documentation substantiating placement for adoption; a court order showing legal guardianship, temporary or permanent custody of a child.

If you need to obtain one of these legal documents, you should contact the Office of Vital Records in the state in which the birth, marriage, adoption, guardianship or custody took place.

COBRA (the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986) provides certain former employees, retirees, spouses, former spouses, and dependent children the right to temporary continuation of health coverage at group rates, when coverage is lost due to certain specific events.

COBRA establishes specific criteria for plans, qualified beneficiaries, and qualifying events. Generally, an employee, or the employee's spouse, or dependent children who are covered by an NYU group health plan and lose coverage due to a "qualifying event" are eligible to continue coverage under COBRA.

In certain cases, a retired employee, the retired employee's spouse, and the retired employee's dependent children may be eligible for COBRA.

Shortly after you or your dependent(s) lose coverage due to a "qualifying event," the qualified beneficiary(ies) will receive an initial notice of rights to COBRA benefits. You must respond to this notice and elect COBRA coverage on or before the 60th day after the written notice is sent, or the day health care coverage ceased, whichever is later. Otherwise, you will lose all rights to COBRA benefits. When you are no longer eligible for health coverage, you will receive another notice regarding your rights to COBRA continuation benefits.

Examples of qualifying events are:

• Voluntary or involuntary termination of the covered employee's employment for any reason other than gross misconduct
• Reduction in the hours worked by the covered employee
• Divorce or legal separation of the covered employee
• Death of the covered employee
• Loss of dependent child status under the plan rules.

You will generally be eligible for coverage for a maximum of 18 months if the qualifying event is due to employment termination or reduction of hours of work. Certain qualifying events, such as loss of coverage due to a divorce, or a second qualifying event during the initial period of coverage, may allow you to receive a maximum of 36 months of coverage.

Your dependent child will become eligible to continue coverage under COBRA for up to 36 months if they lose coverage under the plan.

Once you or your dependent(s) have become a "qualified beneficiary," you will be given an election period of at least 60 days, during which you may choose whether to elect COBRA coverage.

Each qualified beneficiary may independently elect COBRA coverage or you or your spouse may elect COBRA coverage on behalf of all other qualified beneficiaries.

If you waive COBRA coverage, you may revoke the waiver if you do so before the end of the election period. After the 60-day election period, your eligibility to elect to continue coverage under COBRA will end.

When you were an active employee, your employer may have paid all or part of your group health premiums. Under COBRA, as a former employee no longer receiving benefits, you will usually pay the entire premium amount, that is, the portion of the premium that you paid as an active employee and the amount of the contribution made by your employer. In addition, there may be a 2 percent administrative fee.

As a Plan participant under COBRA, you will remain subject to the rules of the plan, including copayments and deductibles, and are subject to all Plan limits and maximums.

The Explanation of Benefits (EOB) is a notification that a claim has been processed by your insurance company. It is not a bill.

Your EOB is an important record of the services you received. It shows the date(s) you received the service, the amount that was billed by your provider, the amount that was paid, what copayments were applied to the bill, how much was credited to your annual deductible (if applicable), and the portion of the charges that were not paid.

Your insurance company tries to make the explanation easy to understand. However, the layout and design of EOB's from different insurance companies may be slightly different.

Generally, there are four major sections on any EOB:

1) Claimant Information:

• The name, address, and phone number of the insurance company who received the claim
• The name of the individual who has the insurance (member's name)
• The name of the patient
• The group number for the NYU insurance plan
• The claim number

2) Service and Coverage Information:

• The date(s) when services were performed
• Codes that identify the type of service provided
• The amount charged
• Deductibles and/or copayments that apply
• The amount that was or will be paid
• The balance that will be the responsibility of the patient

3) Explanations:

• additional information that you need to know about the claim. For example, if the claim was not paid in full, the EOB will note the benefit limitations or exclusions that apply

4) Patient Summary:

• Total billed
• Total benefits approved for payment
• Amount that may be owed to the provider.

Reasonable & Customary (R&C) charges are the normal range of fees for services charged by health care providers in your given geographic area. Expenses in excess of the R&C are not reimbursed by the Plan. (See also, "Explanation of Reasonable & Customary Charges".)

At times, a claim might be "pended" for additional information, either from you or from the provider of services. If any of your claims are pended, you need to be sure to take any additional steps required to properly resolve your claim.

Yes, this is a new version of an EOB that UHC provides its members. In addition to the standard information listed above, the UHC Health Statement also provides personal information , from saving money on your course of treatment to reminders about immunizations and tests needed by you or your dependents.

Each time you receive an EOB, you should review it closely and compare it to the receipt(s) or statement(s) that you received from your providers. You may receive more than one EOB if more than one physician or service provider was involved in your treatment. For example, if an x-ray was taken when you visited your doctor, both your doctor and the laboratory may bill your insurance company separately depending on how your health plan covers lab and X-ray procedures.

Yes. It is a good idea to save your EOBs for at least a year in case questions come up about a particular claim. In addition, if you participate in a Health Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) you may need your EOB to substantiate an expense you have submitted for reimbursement under the FSA plan.

Reasonable & Customary (R&C) charges are the normal range of fees for services charged by health care providers in your given geographic area (based on the zip code where the provider has their practice.) The NYU Point-of-Service Plans use a national database of health care provider charges to determine the Plans' R&C allowances.

An average price for R&C charges is determined for a particular zip code, any charges above that average are considered above R&C.

Expenses in excess of the R&C allowance are not reimbursed by the Plan, nor do they count toward your annual deductible or the Plan's out-of-pocket maximum.

You should contact your health care provider if you need to know whether a charge for a given procedure code is within the R&C allowance.

If you are enrolled in one of the NYU Point-of-Service Plans, and you go out of network, any amounts your provider charges, which are above Reasonable & Customary or contracted rates, are your responsibility and are not credited to your annual deductible.

The Aetna, HIP, and Oxford HMO Plans cover in-network services only.

Tuition Remission is a benefit that waives tuition for certain NYU courses taken by full-time employees, regular employees, their spouses or registered domestic partners, and their dependent children.

In order to be eligible for Tuition Remission you must be a full-time, regular employee in an eligible job category. Your spouse/registered domestic partner and dependent children are also eligible to participate in the Tuition Remission Program. Retired faculty and staff who meet University eligibility requirements and retirement criteria are eligible for the same Tuition Remission benefits for which they were eligible immediately prior to retirement. Certain former employees and their dependents who meet the service and eligibility requirements may be eligible for Tuition Remission (see Separation Policy).

You must be accepted and matriculated in an NYU degree, maintain the same academic standards as any other applicants or students, and must comply with all student rules and regulations. Certain waiting periods may apply.

Tuition Remission covers tuition, the largest expense of attending NYU. For employees, the benefit will also cover 50% of the course registration fees. Spouses/registered domestic partners and dependents will pay 100% of the course registration fees. In addition, you are responsible for service fees, or any other incidental expenses.

When your spouse, registered domestic partner, or child applies for Tuition Remission for the first time, be prepared to provide a copy of their birth certificate, your marriage certificate or domestic partnership registration as proof of the relationship. You may register your domestic partner with the NYU Benefits Office, if you have not already done so. Their Social Security number will also need to be on record.

When your dependent child applies for Tuition Remission for the first time, be prepared to submit a copy of their birth certificate and proof of dependency (e.g. a tax return). Note: A dependent child means your biological or legally adopted child, your stepchild, or the child of a registered domestic partner whom you claim as a dependent when filing income tax.

Special Student Status may be granted when your acceptance into a degree program is pending, because

• Prerequisite course work is needed and these prerequisite courses will be taken as a Special Student.
• Additional paperwork is needed to complete your application for matriculation into a degree program.

Tuition Remission eligible employees and their spouses/registered domestic partners are granted nine credits of tuition remission per term (or the equivalent of nine credits for non-credit courses at SCPS), for a total of 27 per academic year. The employee or spouse/partner may carry over up to three unused credits from one term to the next within the same academic year, providing that the total for the academic year (September 1-August 31) does not exceed 27. The summer is counted as one semester for Tuition Remission purposes, although individual schools may divide it into a number of sessions for course scheduling.

Any credit limits stated may be superseded by a regulation of a particular department, school, or college that permits fewer credits.

Only credits earned but not used may be carried over. There can be no borrowing of a future term's credits.

Three unused credits from the fall may be carried over to the nine for the spring for a total Tuition Remission benefit of 12 for the spring term. Three unused credits from the spring may be added to the summer 9 credits for a total of 12 for the summer term. Unused credits from the summer may not be carried over to the fall because the fall is a new academic year.

You, your spouse, or your registered domestic partner, and your dependent children may use Tuition Remission for eligible degree programs at NYU.

In addition, as an employee, you may receive full or partial Tuition Remission for diploma programs, certificate programs, approved work-related courses, and non-credit non-work-related programs at the School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS). You are also eligible for Tuition Remission for certificate and diploma programs at degree-granting schools.

Exclusions:
Tuition Remission is not available for courses in the School of Law, School of Medicine, Post Graduate Medical School, the Executive MBA Program at Stern School of Business, or for certain courses in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS). Tuition Remission is not available at the College of Dentistry, except for the AAS in Dental Hygiene, BS in Dental Health Education, MS in Biomaterials, MS in Clinical Research, and MS in Bio/Oral Bio Programs.

Whether the Tuition Remission benefit is taxable is based upon the Program in which you or your eligible family member is enrolled, according to IRS regulations.

In general, you do not have to pay income tax on Tuition Remission benefits for undergraduate degree programs for yourself, your spouse and your dependent children. However, the value of undergraduate Tuition Remission for your dependent children may be taxable if you have been employed by NYU for less than three years and you earn over $100,000 in a calendar year. This amount may be revised each year by the IRS.

Because the IRS does not recognize the tax exemption of benefits extended to domestic partners, all Tuition Remission for registered domestic partners and their dependent children is considered taxable.

Under IRS regulations, up to $5,250 per year of graduate Tuition Remission benefits for employees are non-taxable. This means the first $5,250 of your graduate tuition costs will not be taxed. Anything over $5,250 will be considered taxable income, and the tax on the value of the benefit will be withheld from your paycheck. If the graduate level course work is job-related, it will be excluded from taxable income.

Under IRS regulations, any graduate-level Tuition Remission benefits for a spouse/ registered domestic partner, or dependent children are fully taxable.

NYU employees can apply for Tuition Remission online through the Tuition Remission System and process requests for themselves or eligible family members. To find the Tuition Remission System, log on to home.nyu.edu, click on the Work tab, then log in to Administrative Systems. The Tuition Remission System can be used to apply for degrees at all NYU schools and programs eligible under Tuition Remission, with the exception of SCPS non-credit courses. Employees still need to submit a paper Tuition Remission Form for SCPS non-credit courses.

Former NYU employees and Retirees still need to use a paper Tuition Remission Form.

If the link to the Tuition Remission System is not displayed on the Administrative Systems screen, you will need to contact ITS Client Services at (212) 998-3333.

Note: You will need to allow at least one business day after registration (two days if you are a Stern Graduate Student) before applying for Tuition Remission.

NYU offers a number of valuable retirement benefits plans to their employees. The Supplemental Tax Deferred Annuity (STDA) Plan is available to all employees. The NYU Retirement Plan and the 457(b) Plan are available to eligible full-time Faculty, Administrators and Research Staff. The Staff Pension Plan is available to all Office & Clerical, Laboratory & Technical, and Service Employees in Object Codes 107PAR, 107PRG, 107PRG/SGT. Participation in these plans provides an excellent opportunity for you to build a financially secure future.

The Supplemental Tax Deferred Annuity (STDA) Plan is a savings investment program that allows you to defer taxes and save money at the same time. The Plan is a defined contribution plan under Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code.

The STDA Plan is available to all employees beginning on their first day of employment. Participation in the plan is voluntary and funded completely by your own contributions. There is no waiting period and you can join at any time during the year.

You decide how much you want to save, up to the IRS maximum, and you choose the investment funds in which contributions to your account will be invested. A wide array of choices are available, so that you can choose the investments that are right for you. (See also, "How much can I contribute to a 403(b) Plan?" below)

You contribute to your account through pre-tax salary reductions. This means that your contributions are taken out of your pay before taxes are calculated, thus reducing current taxable income. (See also, "A Note on Tax-Deferred Contributions and State Practices" below.)

The University has selected TIAA-CREF and the Vanguard Group to offer as investment options under the Plan. When you join the Plan, you choose the investment funds in which contributions to your account will be invested. You can choose to invest your entire account in one fund, or you can spread your investments among several funds. You do not pay Federal, New York State or New York City taxes on the money you save or the earnings on your investments until you withdraw the money, or you begin receiving a regular monthly annuity payout.

If you are not participating in the NYU Supplemental Tax Deferred Annuity Plan and would like to join, contact the NYU Benefits Office for an Enrollment Kit. If you choose to participate, NYU will deduct the amount that you elect to contribute from your pay and invest it on your behalf into the investment option or options that you choose from among the available alternatives.

Your contributions to the NYU Supplemental Tax Deferred Annuity Plan (a 403b plan) are taken from your paycheck before Federal and state taxes are calculated.

State tax laws, however, can differ from state to state. New York State and New York City do not currently tax your individual contributions. However, New Jersey,and Pennsylvania consider your contributions to a 403(b) plan as taxable income. Therefore, if you reside in one of these states, you may have to include your 403(b) contributions in your state or local taxable income. Consult with a tax advisor, if necessary.

The NYU Retirement Plan is a defined contribution plan, authorized under Section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. You contribute 5% of your base salary each month on a pre-tax basis. NYU then contributes an amount equal to 10% of your base salary, up to the IRS maximum compensation limit. The maximum recognizable compensation for 2008 is $230,000.

You can join the NYU Retirement Plan if you are in an eligible job category at NYU (see Retirement Plan SPD), you normally work at least 20 hours per week, and you have completed one year of service. Shortly before your eligibility date, you will be mailed an enrollment package with the forms that need to be completed and information about available investment options.

You have completed one year of service if you have worked:

• One year at NYU in which you worked at least 1,000 hours; or
• One year with your immediately previous employer provided that:
  
  
  • Your immediately previous employer was a college, university, medical institution or practice, or tax-exempt medical research institution;
  • Your employment with that institution ended not more than 180 days before your employment with NYU started; and
  • You were employed with that institution for at least one year and you worked at least 1,000 hours in that one-year period.

Participation in the Plan is not mandatory until you reach age 35. However, there is an advantage to starting as soon as you are eligible. Once you sign an agreement to participate, contributions continue for as long as you meet the plan's eligibility requirements.

As soon as you begin participating in the NYU Retirement Plan, you are 100% vested, which means you have a nonforfeitable right to your account.

Your monthly benefit at retirement depends on the amount of money that is contributed to your account before you retire and how this money grows through investment by the time you reach retirement. Contributions and investment earnings are tax-deferred until they are withdrawn.

Limits on contributions: You should be aware that the Federal government places a limit on the annual amounts that can be contributed to this plan. (See also, How much can I contribute to a 403(b) Plan?)

The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act (EGTRRA) established maximum annual limits on the amount that you can contribute to your 403(b) accounts each year. If you participate in both the STDA Plan and the NYU Retirement Plan, your combined contributions to both plans, are subject to this IRS maximum.

For 2008, the maximum contribution is $15,500 for participants under age 50 and $20,500 for participants age 50 or over. This maximum is adjusted by the IRS each year and is usually announced before the end of each calendar year.

The NYU Section 457(b) Deferred Compensation Plan is a deferred compensation plan for eligible faculty, professional research staff, and administrative and professional staff that allows additional tax-deferred savings under Section 457(b) of the Internal Revenue Code.

In order to participate, you must have elected to contribute the maximum permissible amount under the NYU Retirement Plan and/or the NYU Supplemental Tax-Deferred Annuity Plan.

Each year, eligible employees will be mailed an enrollment package with the forms necessary to enroll. Participation is not automatic and in order to participate, you must make an election each year.

Note: Under Section 457(b) of the Internal Revenue Code, this Plan must be considered "unfunded" which means that your deferrals of salary (including any earnings on those deferrals) must be part of NYU's general assets. This means that in the unlikely event that NYU ever became insolvent, your deferrals under the Plan and any investment earnings that have accrued would be subject to the claims of NYU's general creditors and you might lose part or all of your benefits.

The NYU Staff Pension Plan is a defined benefit plan. The University funds the Plan, manages its assets, calculates benefits, and makes sure they are paid.

You are eligible to participate in the NYU Staff Pension Plan if you are a staff employee working in an eligible job category - Office & Clerical (106/116), Laboratory & Technical (104/114), and Service Employees (107/117PAR, 107/117PRG, 107/117PRG/SGT).

If you are an eligible staff employee, your participation in the Plan will begin on the September 1 closest to when you have completed at least 1,000 hours of service in the 12-month period from your date of hire and you have attained at least 21 years of age.

Note: If you were a Security Officer who was a participant in the Local One Security Officers Money Purchase Pension Plan on June 30, 2007, you became a participant in the NYU Staff Pension Plan on July 1, 2007.

Tax-deferred contributions to the NYU Retirement Plans (both your individual contributions and the NYU employer contributions) and earnings on those contributions cannot remain in the plan indefinitely. Federal minimum distribution requirements were established to ensure that you actually use your retirement plan account balances for your retirement.

The federal minimum required distribution applies to all employer-sponsored retirement plans and most IRAs.

You are required to begin receiving distributions from your retirement account(s) no later than April 1 of the calendar year in which you turn age 70 1/2, or April 1 of the year after you retire, whichever is later.

In each subsequent year, the minimum required distribution must be made on or before December 31. These distributions must be spread evenly over a time period not extending beyond the life expectancy of you and your designated beneficiary.

If you continue to work at NYU beyond age 70 1/2, you may defer taking distributions from your NYU retirement plan(s) until April 1 of the calendar year after you retire.

If you have other tax-deferred retirement accounts in addition to your NYU plan(s), you will be required to receive minimum distributions from those accounts once you reach 70 1/2, even if you are still working at NYU.

The IRS rules are specific and strict. If you do not take at least the minimum required distribution amount from each of your retirement accounts by April 1 of the year after you turn 70 1/2 or retire, and continue to receive distributions each year thereafter, the Internal Revenue Code imposes a 50% penalty tax on the amount that should have been withdrawn in each calendar year. This tax is in addition to regular income taxes.

For more detail about the Minimum Distribution rules, visit the IRS website

If you have a plan with a previous employer, you will have to take a minimum required distribution from that plan once you turn 70 1/2, but you may defer receiving payments from NYU's plan(s) as long as you are still working at NYU.

If you rolled over monies from a previous employer-sponsored plan into an individual rollover account (IRA) with Vanguard and/or TIAA-CREF, these accounts are kept separate from your NYU plan account(s) and will be subject to the minimum distribution requirements, even if you are still working at NYU.

NYU does not allow monies from a previous employer to be rolled over into the NYU Plan.

No, minimum distributions are taxable income and are not eligible for roll over into another pre-tax account.

No. You can take more than the minimum required distribution from your retirement plan in a given year. However, if you withdraw more than the minimum in any given year, you may not apply the amount in excess of the minimum required distribution toward the subsequent year.

Vanguard and TIAA-CREF allow you to elect a Minimum Distribution Option (MDO). The MDO allows you to choose monthly, quarterly, semiannual, or annual payments and choose any day from the 1st to the 28th of the month for payment.

Once you decide how you would like to receive your distribution, it can be directly deposited into your bank. In subsequent periods, you will receive the federal required minimum distribution payments automatically and you will not have to worry about completing paperwork and deadlines.

Unlike annuity options (in which you use your accumulation to purchase a lifetime annuity income or income for a fixed period of years), if you are receiving a minimum required distribution under an MDO contract, you may be able to increase your future income, as long as there is a balance remaining in your account.

Your minimum required distribution is generally based on your life expectancy, beginning in the year you attain age 70. Payments are calculated by dividing the portion of your retirement savings that are subject to the rules by the applicable life expectancy, which is estimated using Internal Revenue Service (IRS) mortality tables.

If your spouse is your sole beneficiary and is more than 10 years younger than you, the IRS allows you to use the joint life expectancy of you and your spouse. This calculation, which uses a different IRS table, will result in lower required minimum distributions.

Contributions and earnings credited to your account before 1987 are grandfathered and are not subject to the federal minimum distribution requirements until the year you reach age 75.

If you receive any payments before you are subject to the minimum distribution requirements, or make withdrawals in excess of minimum distribution amounts, these payments will reduce your grandfathered accumulation first. In the year you reach age 75, your grandfathered amount will automatically be included in your minimum distribution calculation.

Payments will be reported to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) as income, distributions are usually fully taxable as ordinary income due to the fact that contributions were made on a tax-deferred basis.

Federal income tax will be withheld from your payments, if required, and state withholding may apply as well - requirements vary from state to state.

You will receive a Benefits Enrollment Kit with information about the different benefits that are available to you and their associated cost. You will also have an opportunity to attend a New Employee Orientation, where you can learn more and get answers to your questions.

The Benefits Resource Center is a secure website that provides personalized information about your medical, dental, life, disability and the tax-advantaged plans (health and dependent care flexible spending accounts, commutation accounts, and retirement accounts). It also contains tools and resources that can help you make decisions about the benefits that are best for you and your family.

You will need your NYU NetID (network identification) and password to login to the Benefits Resource Center.

You need to enroll in benefits promptly to make sure that your coverage begins as soon as you are eligible. If you miss the enrollment deadline (31 days after your employment date), you will not be able to make elections until the next Open Enrollment Period, unless you experience a qualifying life event.

The Open Enrollment Period is a designated period of time each fall, when you will have an opportunity to make changes to your health care coverage and add or drop dependents. Changes made during Open Enrollment become effective on January 1 of the following year.

Changes remain in effect for the entire year, unless you experience a qualifying life event that permits you to change your coverage.

A qualifying life event is a change in your personal life that may impact your eligibility or your dependent's eligibility for benefits. If you are eligible to make changes, you must make the change within 30 days of the date of your qualifying life event. After the 30-day deadline, you will have to wait until the next Open Enrollment Period to make further changes.

Any changes made must be consistent with the qualifying event experienced. Some changes, e.g., birth, marriage, and divorce, may require proof of the qualifying event.

Examples of qualifying life events are: birth or adoption of a child; marriage; establishing a domestic partnership; divorce; ending a domestic partnership; disability; death; spouse/domestic partner gains or loses coverage; move to an area where current coverage is not available, and retirement.

As you make plans for your departure, you also need to make sure your passport is up-to-date, you have the proper work permits and visas, know how your health care will work, and are prepared for emergencies.

The Office of Global Programs is available to provide pre-departure assistance and information, and to ensure that you have the proper work permits and visas.

The NYU Insurance & Risk Management Department needs to be contacted prior to overseas travel in order to ensure that you have proper coverage under the University's Travel Accident/Assistance Program. This program provides an additional layer of protection should you encounter unexpected risks while on University business.

The Benefits Office will answer questions about your health care coverage and register you in the Aetna Global Benefits Plan, so you will have adequate international medical coverage.

Since you cannot use your U.S. medical plan's ID card to pay for health care when you are outside the U.S., NYU offers international medical coverage and 24-hour emergency assistance through Aetna Global Benefits.

Aetna Global Benefits has established relationships with leading hospitals and health networks throughout the world to help members easily access and pay for global health care. Without this coverage, if you need health care while traveling outside the U.S., you must pay for the services received and submit a claim for reimbursement when you return.

Please note, in order to have this coverage, you will need to register through the Benefits Office at least 2 weeks prior to your planned departure.

Failure to have proper visas and work permits could open NYU to liability under the immigration, tax, and employment laws of your destination country. Many countries require possession of a valid entry visa, as well as a work permit. In addition, some countries require an exit visa in order to be allowed to return home.

You should also check the expiration date on your passport, since many countries will not allow you to enter if your passport is not valid at least 6 months or longer beyond the dates of your trip.

The type of immunizations needed will vary by country and often depend upon the types of activities you are planning. Illnesses such as tetanus, pneumonia, polio, influenza, and measles-mumps-rubella are still a threat in some parts of the world. It is critical that you update your immunizations well in advance of your departure in order for the vaccine to take effect.

Some countries may require International Certificates of Vaccination. In addition, an increasing number of countries require that foreigners be tested for Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) prior to entry.

Prescription medications, even if they are for legitimate health conditions, may come under intense scrutiny by foreign officials. In some countries, drugs that are legal and readily available in the U.S. could be considered illegal, require a prescription, or arouse the suspicions of local officials and customs and immigration authorities. The Office of Global Programs can help you prepare for appropriate precautions when traveling with such supplies.

Regardless of the location or duration or your international assignment, proper preparation can reduce the likelihood of misfortune. If you travel overseas on NYU business and you do not register your travel prior to departure, you may not be fully covered by NYU's insurance plans. You may also be required to pay the full cost of any medical treatment at the time the service is rendered.

The Benefits Resource Center is a secure website, provided by NYU, which contains in-depth, personalized information about your medical, dental, life, disability, and tax-advantaged plans (health and dependent care flexible spending accounts, commutation accounts, and retirement accounts). It also contains tools and resources that can help you make decisions about the benefits that are best for you and your family.

You will need your NYU NetID (network identification) and password to login to the Benefits Resource Center.

When you login to the Benefits Resource Center, the information that is displayed is customized for you. By using your NYU NetID and password to access the Benefits Resource Center, you are recognized as the owner of your benefits information. You can have a greater sense of security knowing this authentication enables the system to ensure your privacy, and you can rely on the accuracy of the data.

When you login to the Benefits Resource Center, the tabs across the top of the screen will include "My Benefit Plan Information" and "My Current Benefits," along with tabs for "Retirement" and "Commutation Accounts." During the Open Enrollment period, there will be two tabs with Benefit Plan Information (one for the current year and one for the upcoming year).

• My Benefit Plan Information:
  When you click on the "My Benefit Plan Information" tab, the left navigation bar will display all of the NYU benefit programs that are available to you, including medical, dental, vision discount, life and disability insurance, long term care insurance, and flexible spending accounts. As you select a benefit plan, the screen will open to plan details and links to rates and features for that benefit.
• Life Events:
  When you click on "Life Events" in the left navigation bar under "My Benefit Plan Information", you will see a list of the events that affect some of your NYU benefit plans. Each event page contains information that you need to consider if you experience this event, along with instructions for making changes to your benefits (if applicable).
• My Current Benefits:
  When you click on the "My Current Benefits" tab, you will find a personalized summary of your NYU benefits and details about the plans in which you and/or your dependents are enrolled.
• Retirement:
  This tab opens to links for enrolling in the NYU Supplemental Tax Deferred Annuity Plan and details about your NYU Retirement Plan.
• Commutation Expense Reimbursement Account:
  Using this tab, you can elect or change the amount you want to contribute to the Mass Transit and Parking Commutation Expense Reimbursement Accounts (CERA).
• Staying Healthy/Web MD:
  With this tool, you can obtain a private health risk assessment, based on information you provide, and receive feedback about your health status and health risks. The personal information you submit to WebMD is governed by their privacy policy and is only used to provide members with easy-to-use health risk assessments and access to health information. Other features of WebMD include tracking tools for fitness progress and management of family health information and records.
• Provider Directories:
  This section provides contact information for your health plan providers.