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 BSwift Benefit System, which allows you to choose the benefits you and your family need.
The BSwift 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 BSwift 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”.
Index of Life Events Exceptions
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 BSwift Benefit System. You will be notified in advance of the Open Enrollment period.
Frequently Asked Questions About Benefits
How do I learn about my benefits?
UBF conducts a benefits orientation the first 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.
Are graduate students eligible for benefits?
No, but you may be reimbursed 88% of the student's cost and 73% of dependent cost for health insurance.
In order to receive reimbursement, submit a copy of tuition bill showing insurance and a zero balance due to the UBF payroll department via email ubf-timesheets@buffalo.edu, campus mail, or US Mail. Upon receipt, UBF will verify the graduate student's eligibility of working 10 hours per week and will process the reimbursement with the next payroll.
Campus Mail:
UBF Payroll Department
103 Center for Tomorrow
North Campus
US Mail:
UBF Payroll Department
PO Box 900
Buffalo, NY 14226-0900
When are benefits available to individuals on payroll administered by UBF?
Most coverages are available on the first day of the month following the date of hire or eligibility date.
Benefit Types
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Employee Assistance Program
This benefit provides access (at no cost) to consultants, resources and online tools designed to help balance work-life issues.
Related Link
Emergency Travel Assistance
This benefit provides assistance (at no cost) for various travel emergencies when you are traveling for business or personal reasons. The coverage is available for travel 100 or more miles from home, including travel to a foreign country.
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
There are two types of accounts available: Health, and Dependent Care. These accounts are set up so you can set aside pre-tax dollars to cover eligible medical and dependent care expenses.
FSA Eligibility
Faculty and staff who hold a full-time appointment are eligible to enroll in either or both of the Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA).
Enrollment will be effective on the first day of the month following date of hire or eligibility date.
How It Works
- When you enroll, the minimum you may set aside is $200 for either of the FSA accounts.
- Each payroll period, the bi-weekly amount (calculated on your annual amount requested divided by the pay periods left in the calendar year) will be deducted from your paycheck and deposited in your FSA.
- Independent Heath issues a FSA debit card that can be used to pay for eligible medical expenses or you can choose to pay out of pocket and submit a claim for reimbursement.
- At the end of the claim processing year, you will forfeit any amounts left in your account.
Annually, you will be able to make these elections through the online enrollment process. New hires or individuals with qualifying events who choose to participate in the FSA program will complete the enrollment form included on the BSwift Benefit System (in the Library section, under Content).
Campus Mail
UB Foundation
Center for Tomorrow
North Campus
External Mail (USPS)
UB Foundation
P.O. Box 900
Buffalo, NY 14226-0900
Eligible Expenses Under the FSA
Medical Expenses
Medical expenses that are medically-related services are eligible if they are not reimbursable through insurance.
Due to health care reform provisions, over the counter (OTC) drugs, unless prescribed by a physician, are no longer eligible expenses under the Health FSA.
Dependent Care
Dependent care expenses may be eligible depending on where dependents receive care, their age, and other factors.