Enroll or Change Your Benefits
New Hire Employees
As a newly hired employee, you and your dependents are eligible for benefits on the first day of the month following your date of hire into an appointed position. If your hire date occurs on the first of the month, your benefits may start on your hire date or the first of the following month.
You have 30 days from your date of hire to enroll in the benefit plans. After that, employees may only change their insurance and flexible spending benefits during the annual Open Enrollment period or as a result of an IRS qualifying life event such as the loss of employment-related coverage by a spouse or dependent.
Review all of our benefits plans and options on our Current Benefits Plans webpage.
How to Change or Enroll for Benefits:
Employees may only make changes to their benefits under three circumstances:
- Open Enrollment – Employees at the University of Denver have the opportunity to elect different benefits during the annual Open Enrollment period held each year from May 1 – May 15. This is the time for benefits-eligible employees to sign up for medical, dental and vision insurance plans, or to make changes in their coverage choices (such as switching medical plans, adding coverage, and setting up or changing flexible spending accounts). All enrollments and changes made during the Open Enrollment period become effective on July 1.
- Loss of Coverage – Employees may modify their benefits plans as a result of an employment-related loss of coverage affecting a spouse or parent.
- IRS Qualifying Life Event – Employees may change their benefits selections within 30 days of experiencing an IRS qualifying change in status such as birth, adoption, marriage, divorce, etc. Changes made due to qualifying events must be consistent with the type of event. See the section below for complete details. Employees are required to provide dependent verification documentation such as a marriage license for your spouse/partner and a birth certificate for your dependent children. Please follow this guide on how to upload your documents to MyDU.
Review this four minute video to understand how to effectively navigate Benefits Enrollment options in MyDU.
- Open Enrollment - Selecting your Benefits (video was created 2022)
Review this video to understand the benefits and differences between health savings account (HSA), flexible spending account (FSA), limited purpose flexible spending account (LPFSA), and dependent care flexible spending account (DCFSA).
IRS Qualifying Life Events
Internal Revenue Code Section 125 limits the extent to which participants in a benefit plan can make mid-year election changes. The list below contains examples of qualifying life events.
- Legal marital status – Includes marriage, divorce, legal separation, and annulment.
- Number of dependents – Includes any event that changes the number of an employee's dependents such as the adoption, birth, or death of a child.
- Employment status – Includes the termination or commencement of employment for the employee, their spouse/partner, or a dependent.
- Work schedule – Includes any reduction or increase in hours of employment experienced by the employee, their spouse/partner, or a dependent. Strikes, lockouts, and leaves of absence are specifically included.
- Eligibility – Includes changes that cause a dependent to gain or lose eligibility for coverage under the plan, for example due to age or student status.
- COBRA eligibility – Includes changes affecting the employee, their spouse/partner, or a dependent, and applies only to Cafeteria Plan contributions for COBRA coverage.
- Location – Includes changes of residence or work site affecting the employee, their spouse/partner, or a dependent.
- Court order – Includes issuance of a family relations judgment, decree, or order such as a qualified medical child support order.
- Medicare or Medicaid entitlement – Includes entitlements received by the employee, their spouse/partner, or a dependent.
- Bona fide rehire – Includes rehire of an employee during the same year as his or her termination, and applies only to reinstatement of the benefit elections in effect prior to the termination.
Note: Changes made due to qualifying events must be consistent with the type of event and made within 30 days of the date the event occurred.
Important Contact Information
- Benefits Advocate Center
Benefits Advocate Center (BAC) provides complete support for maximizing your benefits plan and your health. BAC will assist with the following: answer questions regarding the explanation of benefits, claims issues, review what services and procedures are covered, authorization for medication, and more! Simply call the dedicated toll free number at 833-355-8939, Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. MST. You can also email at bac.duadvocates@ajg.com. Language assistance is available.
- DU HRIC Benefits Team
DU HRIC Benefits Team will assist with enrollment, changes, health insurance premium deduction questions, leaves, and tuition waiver benefits. Contact a benefits specialist at Benefits@mattraineyweddings.com.