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

Disability Insurance

The Research Foundation provides the following income protection programs when you are disabled and unable to work.

New York State Short Term Disability

Under New York State Law, the RF provides this off-the-job illness or injury benefit and pays all employees the full cost of the coverage. In the event of a disability, you will begin receiving income replacement after you have exhausted your sick leave accruals. After a seven-calendar-day waiting period or the exhaustion of your sick leave accruals (whichever is greater), you receive 50 percent of your average salary for the eight weeks before disability, up to the maximum benefit established under the New York State Disability Benefits Law, currently $170 per week. You can receive benefits for up to a maximum of 26 weeks.

The health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits in effect when you become disabled will be continued for the period during which partial income replacement is received through New York State Disability insurance, subject to the terms of those plans.

If your disability absence exceeds seven calendar days, contact us to get the documents and information necessary to obtain disability income.

You and your physician should complete a New York State Disability Claim Form (DB-450) and file it with your campus Benefits Office. The DB-450 can be obtained from Human Resources.

Voluntary Short Term Disability

The Research Foundation offers eligible employees the option to purchase additional short-term disability coverage, through First Reliance, beyond those provided by the New York State Disability Benefits Law (DBL). You may purchase a weekly benefit in $100 increments, at most 60% of your salary. Your benefit is offset by the benefits provided by New York State Disability (DBL). You can receive income replacement benefits for up to 26 weeks.

An employee working at least 50 percent of full time on a regular appointment and whose annual salary is at least $15,000 is eligible to enroll in the plan.

Suppose you enroll for the plan within your first 60 days of benefits eligibility. In that case, you are guaranteed coverage without medical examinations or questions and will not be subject to any pre-existing condition exclusions. If you enroll in the plan after becoming benefits-eligible, you must apply for the coverage by submitting a completed Benefits Enrollment form and Voluntary Short-Term Disability Enrollment Form.

Long Term Disability

Long-term disability provides partial income replacement for a certified total disability that prevents you from working for more than six months. Insurance is provided through First Reliance. Full-time, regular employees are eligible for long-term disability benefits. These benefits are paid in full by the Research Foundation and begin on the first day following 180 consecutive days of a certified total disability (or when full sick leave payments end, if later) and ensure a monthly income on a long-term basis.

Coverage begins on the first day following one year of full-time service, and there is no need to enroll for this benefit. You will receive 60 percent of your regular monthly salary up to a maximum of $7,500 per month (this amount is offset by other income such as disability insurance, Workers’ Compensation, and actual or estimated Social Security benefits).

Contact an Expert

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.