Employee Separation Benefits
Healthcare Coverage
Employee and dependent healthcare benefits end at midnight on the last day worked in a benefit-eligible position. This may occur:
- When the employee separates from benefit-eligible employment, or
- When the employee’s hours or terms of employment are reduced to a benefit-ineligible status
Please see the Separation page for general information on separating from the university. You can also download a PDF tip sheet on separation benefits.
COBRA Continuation Coverage
Employees and/or covered dependents may be eligible to purchase medical, dental, vision and/or EAP coverage through COBRA effective the first day after the loss of coverage. COBRA allows you to temporarily remain on the same plan(s) you had through the university without a break in coverage.
- A COBRA enrollment packet will be mailed to your home address on file with the university approximately two weeks following the loss of coverage. Please be sure to keep your address up to date. Changes can be submitted to hr@uidaho.edu.
- You will pay 100% of plan cost of coverage, plus a 2% administrative fee. Currently monthly costs will be included in your COBRA enrollment packet.
- COBRA elections must be completed within 60 days of the loss of coverage.
- You may remain on COBRA from 18 to 36 months, depending on the cause of loss of coverage.
Other Benefits
Annual leave and comp time balances are paid out to employees in their final paycheck. You may also choose to donate unused annual leave to the shared leave pool.
Sick leave balances are not paid out and have no cash value. They are forfeited upon separation from the university, but will be reinstated if you return to employment with the university or another state agency within three years.
A Health Savings Account remains active after separation from the university and is yours to take with you. You can choose to leave the balance with Health Equity or to transfer it to another HSA account. Note that the university will no longer pay any account fees after you separate from employment.
Health Care Flexible Spending Accounts and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts are not transferable upon separation. You have 90 days from your last day of work to submit claims to your Health Care FSA or Dependent Care FSA. Any remaining balances after that date will be forfeited.
For assistance submitting claims or transferring an account balance, please contact Health Equity.
If you are enrolled in life insurance through The Standard or through NCPERS, you may be eligible for life insurance portability or conversion options. If you are interested in exploring these options, contact the provider as early as possible. Your application must be submitted within 30 days (NCPERS) or 31 days (The Standard) of separation from employment.
The Standard
800-378-4668
standard.com
Plan # 645326
NCPERS
(PERSI Life Insurance plan)
800-525-8056
Plan # 11011-250-3000
PERSI
You may choose to leave your funds with PERSI until retirement, roll them over to another account or withdraw them. Early withdrawals may be subject to taxes and penalties. Be sure to understand whether you are already vested in PERSI as this may affect your options (members are vested in PERSI after 60 months of participation). For more information, please visit the PERSI website or review their brochure on separation.
In order to roll over or withdraw your funds, you will need to complete an RS108 form and return it to PERSI.
Optional Retirement Plan (ORP)
If you contribute to the ORP through Fidelity, you are vested from your date of hire. Upon separation, you may choose to leave your funds with the vendor, roll them into another retirement account or withdraw them according to contract guidelines. Early withdrawals may be subject to taxes and penalties. For more information, please visit Fidelity.
If you wish to continue your voluntary benefits after separation from employment (AFLAC plans, MASA, home and auto insurance, pet insurance, etc.), you must contact Corestream directly at 855-952-1600 to arrange other payment options.