Research Foundation Regular Employees

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The Research Foundation for SUNY (RF) offers an array of benefits to eligible employees. These benefits can add an exceptional value to your employment.

Open Enrollment Dates

The open enrollment period for health benefits, voluntary short-term disabiliity insurance and Flexible Spending Accounts is Nov. 1 — Nov. 30, 2022.

Make your changes online at www.rfsuny.org/selfservice. Changes will take effect January 1, 2023.

Please be sure to retain a copy of your confirmation statement when completing your enrollment.

How To Enroll In Your Benefits

Download RF SUNY Benefits Bulletin

RF SUNY Self Service

Download the Employee Self Service Guide

The RF Employee Self Service portal is where you can manage most of your employment tasks online. Start by setting up your account:

  1. Go to account set up
  2. Using the RF ID Number you were given when you were employed, create a password

The Research Foundation Employee Self Service portal offers many features:

  • Ability to quickly and accurately do tasks online, such as:
    • Enroll for benefits
    • Enter dependents and beneficiaries
    • Update your contact information
  • Easy access to your direct deposit payslips, paycheck stubs, tax forms and current benefits enrollment

Your Benefits

Medical,Dental,Vision Flex Spending Retirement Disability Life Insurance

Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance

Medical Insurance Options for Regular RF Employees

The Research Foundation offers three health insurance plans that provide hospital, medical, and prescription drug benefits for regular employees and their eligible dependents. The plan allows you to choose between two Empire Blue Cross Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) Plans and an HMO plan through Independent Health. Regardless of your health insurance plan, your unmarried dependent children are covered until age 26, and all preexisting conditions are covered. The Research Foundation pays 85% of your employee premium and 70% of your dependents' premium.

Contacts

Traditional and Deductible PPO
800-342-9816
www.empireblue.com

Independent Health
716-631-8072
www.independenthealth.com

Empire Postdoctoral PPO
800-342-9816
www.empireblue.com

Insurance Costs 2023

 

 

Plan

2023 Biweekly Cost
Employee Only Employee & Child(ren) Employee & Spouse Employee & Family
Empire Traditional PPO
$87.29
$222.90 $273.88 $435.42
Empire Deductible PPO $37.08 $132.52 $173.45 $284.95
Independent Health $58.37 $151.75 $221.79 $268.48
  Employee Only Employee + 1 dependent Employee + 2 or more dependents  
Empire Postdoctoral PPO
$22.29 $76.71 $104.54  

Eligible Dependents

The dependents listed below are eligible to be included in your RF Health Care coverage if you choose employee and spouse, employee and child(ren), or family coverage.

  • Your spouse, including a legally-married, same-sex spouse
  • Your children up to 26 years of age as follows:
    • Biological children
    • Stepchildren
    • Children for whom you are the legal guardian and
    • Children legally adopted by or placed for adoption with you or your spouse
  • Your unmarried children of any age incapable of self-support because of a mental or physical disability who become disabled before reaching the limiting age (Plan requires periodic medical documentation)
  • Your domestic partner who is:
    • Age 18 or older
    • Unmarried and not related to you by marriage or blood in any way that would bar marriage
    • Residing with you
    • Financially interdependent with you
    • Involved in the domestic partnership for a period of not less than one year (Documentation of the above must be approved by the RF)
  • A child of your domestic partner who:
    • Meets the plans’ eligibility requirements
    • Resides in your household
    • Whose gross income for the calendar year is less than the personal exemption amount ($3,900 in 2013)
    • Receives 51 percent or more of their support from you and who is not a qualifying child dependent of any other taxpayer

Dental

The Research Foundation provides a dental plan through Delta Dental for you and your eligible dependents. It covers preventive services (exams, cleanings, X-rays), basic services (fillings, oral surgery, gum treatment), major services (crowns, dentures, bridges), and orthodontics for children (under age 19).

Contact

Delta Dental
800-932-0783
www.deltadental.com

Dental Coverage Costs

Plan

Biweekly Cost

Individual

Individual & Spouse

Individual & Children

Family

 

Delta Dental

 

$1.59

 

$7.03

 

$7.03

 

$7.03

Vision

Starting Jan. 1, 2018, the Research Foundation will provide two vision plan options through Davis Vision for you and your eligible dependents that covers the total cost of an eye examination, lenses, and frames from the provided selection once on a 12-month or 24-month period, depending on the plan you choose. Contact lenses are also available with a copayment. You can enroll in the Regular Vision Plan or the Vision Plan Plus

Coverage

Coverage begins six months from the date you are hired or from your eligibility date.

Eligibility

If you work at least 50% or greater, then you are eligible to enroll in a vision plan. 

Covered dependents include a spouse, domestic partner, or child up to the age of 26. 

Biweekly Rates

Regular Vision Plan

The RF pays the full cost of individual and/or family vision coverage for the Regular Vision Plan.

Vision Plan Plus

For the Vision Plan Plus, the employee shares the cost of the plan with RF by paying a biweekly premium.

Vision Coverage Costs
Biweekly Cost for Vision Plan Plus
Plan Rate
Single $4.85
Family $11.31

Contact

Davis Vision
800-828-6100
davisvision.com

Contact an Expert

Sean O'Brien.

Sean O'Brien

RF Benefit Services

Phone: 716-645-4485

Email: sobrien2@buffalo.edu

Zachary Jenney.

Zachary Jenney

Manager

Research Foundation Benefit Services

Phone: 716-645-4439

Email: zjenney@buffalo.edu

Manage Your Benefits

After you've made your initial benefits selections, whether you have declined any of our coverage options or not, there are some special circumstances in which you can make changes to your pretax benefits. For your health insurance, and dental insurance you will need a qualifying event to make changes without penalty. You may change your vision care coverage anytime during the year.

A qualifying event is a change in your status or your dependent’s status that permits a change to be made in pretax health insurance elections outside of the annual Open Enrollment period. The change in status must result in a gain or loss of coverage or coverage options. The election change must be consistent with the change in status, and must be made within 60 days of the event. To make changes to your benefits any time other than open enrollment you will need to submit an RF Benefits Enrollment Form to the benefits team along with supporting documentation of your qualifying event. (e.g. birth certificate, marriage license, statement of loss of insurance)

You have 60 days from the day of any qualifying event or special enrollment period to submit the necessary documentation.

You may also make changes to your health insurance, dental insurance, vision care coverage, and flexible spending accounts during open enrollment for the following plan year.