Enrolling & Making Changes

How to Enroll in Your Benefits

Welcome! As a new employee of Ithaca College, you have 30 days from your benefits-eligible hire date (or appointment date) to enroll in health benefits. Benefits information and enrollment resources are conveniently online and the new hire enrollment process is outlined below.

  1. Review the information in this guide, watch the New Hire Benefit Presentation video, and visit our Individual Choice Employee Benefits website. 
  2. Review Eligibility for Benefit Coverage and provide any supporting documentation for dependent verification. 
    1. Proof of spouse and dependent eligibility- the first page of your most recent federal tax return. If any dependent you wish to cover, is not listed on your tax return.
    2. Verification of full-time student status for dependent children age 19 and above (class schedule for current semester or tuition bill).
  3. Beginning on your hire date (or appointment date) you will have 30 days to enroll online in your health benefits. Please be sure to have the following with you at time of enrollment:  
    1. Beneficiary Information – names, addresses, birth dates, and social security numbers of any-one you wish to designate as a beneficiary.
    2. Proof of coverage under another medical plan, if you plan to opt-out of Ithaca College's medical coverage.

Making Changes

Once you have made your initial enrollment elections, you generally cannot make any changes until the next annual re-enrollment period. However, you may make certain changes if you have a qualified life status change that affects your benefits.

Typical qualified life status changes include, but are not limited to:

  • Marriage, divorce or legal separation;
  • Birth, adoption, or placement for adoption of an eligible child;
  • Death of your spouse or covered child;
  • Enrollment in (or loss of) state or federal medical coverage, including Medicare or Medicaid;
  • Change in your spouse’s or child’s employment resulting in gain or loss of eligibility for employer’s benefits;
  • A change in your child’s eligibility for benefits.

If you have a qualified life status change, you must notify the Office of Human Resources and submit documentation within 30 days of the event. Payroll deductions will continue until changes to your enrollments are made. Please Note: Newborns are NOT automatically added to your coverages.