Human Resources

Insurance Eligibility

Determinants in Eligibility and Appeals

Please review the following information for determining your and your dependent's eligibility for coverage. For full eligibility rules pertaining to all employees, refer to WAC 182-12-114 (Eligibility) and WAC 182-12-131 (Maintaining Eligibility).

Medical, Dental, Life, Long-Term Disability

CWU offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical and dental insurance, retirement and optional savings plans, life and disability insurance. For full eligibility rules for all employees see WAC 182-12-114 (Eligibility) and 182-12-131 (Maintaining Eligibility).

Permanent Employee Eligibility

Generally, positions that last more than six consecutive months and are at least 50% of full-time are eligible for benefits. Coverage begins the first day of the month following the date of hire. If the date of hire is the first working day of the month, coverage begins immediately.

Temporary (non-faculty) Employee Eligibility

Generally, temporary employees do not work enough hours to be eligible for benefits. However, those who are anticipated to work at least 8 hours and an average of at least 80 hours in each month for more than six consecutive months are eligible for benefits.

Non-Permanent Faculty Eligibility

Non-permanent faculty are eligible for and required to be enrolled in benefits at the beginning of the second consecutive quarter working half-time or more. In certain circumstances, the faculty member is responsible for notifying the Benefits Office of their eligibility. Please see the Benefits Notice that is included with all non-permanent faculty contracts.

Dependent Eligibility

A Spouse or Registered Domestic Partner may be added:

• within 31 days of marriage or domestic partner registration
• at the next open enrollment period, or
• within 31 days of loss of other coverage

Appeal Information

You may appeal benefits eligibility decisions first to the CWU Benefits Office, then to the Public Employee Benefits Board. Refer to WAC Chapter 182-16 for more information on the appeals process.

Questions

If you have questions about benefits eligibility, contact the Benefits Office in Human Resources at (509) 963-1202 or hr@cwu.edu.

Additional Faculty Benefits Information

Faculty Benefits Notice

Faculty holding less than a full academic year appointment year appointment are eligible for employer provided insurance beginning the first day of the second consecutive quarter with faculty employment of at least 50% of full time. Once established, insurance coverage continues as long as faculty work half-time or more.

Spring and fall are considered consecutive quarters. Summer (off-season) benefits are provided for faculty who work an average of half-time or more throughout the entire instructional year or equivalent nine-month period and work each quarter.

Eligibility is based on total faculty employment in Washington public higher education. If you have a faculty position at another institution, notify the benefits office immediately, as the combination of your employment may make you eligible for employer provided insurance.

Averaging employment may allow faculty who drop below half time to maintain benefits. Considering the two preceding academic years (defined as summer, fall, winter, and spring, in that order), individuals who worked at least two quarters of each year, and average half-time over three quarters of each year, may remain eligible for employer provided benefits the following year. You must notify the benefits office by April 30 of each year if you believe this applies to you.

Faculty who drop below the eligibility threshold but return to half-time employment within twelve months are immediately eligible and do not have to reestablish eligibility.

If you are returning from layoff status within 24 months of your layoff date, it is your responsibility to notify the benefits office immediately as you may be eligible for immediate benefits coverage.

If an employee is eligible for participation and does not either elect an insurance plan and complete enrollment forms, or affirmatively waive participation, the employee will be defaulted into the Uniform Medical Plan and premium payments will be deducted from the employee's paycheck. Contact the Benefits Office immediately if you believe you qualify and within 15 days of your date of hire.

Refer to the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) site for complete eligibility rules.