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

Life Insurance

The Research Foundation for the State University of New York partners with Securian Life Insurance Company to provide your Group Term Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance plans. The Research Foundation group insurance program offers you an affordable way to provide protection for your family.

Basic Life Insurance

The RF provides you Basic Life Insurance coverage and a matching Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) benefit. The Basic Life coverage amount for all eligible employees is $50,000. The RF pays the full cost of coverage which begins six months after your date of hire or eligibility date. Once you are eligible, enrollment in Basic Life is automatic. The Life Insurance and Accidental Death & Dismemberment benefits provided by the RF are through Securian Life Insurance Company.

Optional Insurance

The RF offers you the option to purchase additional life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance equal to one, two, three, four, five, six, or seven times your annual salary, rounded to the next higher $1,000, up to $300,000. This coverage is purchased from Securian Life. You pay the full cost of coverage, which begins six months after your hire date or eligibility date. The cost of Optional Life insurance depends on the option chosen and the salary and age of the insured. If you delay enrollment beyond 60 days of your eligibility date, you will be required to complete an Evidence of Insurability Form and have it approved by the insurance company.

Dependent Life Insurance

You also have the option to purchase life insurance for your spouse/domestic partner and your dependent children. You pay the full cost of coverage which becomes effective six months after your hire date. The total amount of dependent life insurance purchased cannot exceed the coverage amount you have for yourself.

Coverage amounts available for your spouse/domestic partner are $10,000, $20,000, $40,000, $60,000, $80,000, or $100,000 

Coverage amounts for dependent children are $2,000, $4,000, $6,000, $8,000, or $10,000. One premium provides coverage for any number of eligible dependent children.

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.