Insurance Benefits
The State Group Insurance Program offers a variety of insurance products to University of Tennessee employees. Insurance benefits include health (medical, pharmacy and behavioral health), dental, vision, short and long-term disability benefits, basic term life and AD&D, and additional voluntary term life and voluntary AD&D insurance options.
Completed enrollment forms and all dependent verification documents must be submitted to Benefits Administration within 30 calendar days of your hire date or date of becoming eligible. The 30 days includes the hire date or other date you become eligible. Please enroll as quickly as possible to avoid the possibility of double premium payroll deductions.
Eligibility
- Full-time employees regularly scheduled to work at least 30 hours per week
- All other individuals cited in state statute, approved as an exception by the State Insurance Committee or defined as full-time employees for health insurance purposes by federal law
Effective Date of Coverage
If you are a newly hired employee (including someone who comes from the local education or local government plans or from a higher education institution or someone moving between higher education institutions), most coverages will start on the first day of the month following your hire date and completion of one calendar month of employment with your new employer. Voluntary term life insurance will not start until you have completed three full calendar months of employment.
- Benefit Enrollment Checklist
- Benefits Orientation Acknowledgement
- 2023 Enrollment Change Form with Basic Term Life Insurance
- 2023 Voluntary AD&D
- Long Term Disability
- 2023 Flexible Spending (FSA)
- 2023 Health Savings (HSA)
- Optional Term Life (online enrollment)
Retirement Benefits
The University of Tennessee has two main retirement plans available: Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS) and the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP).
Eligibility:
All regular, full-time employees must participate in one of the State of Tennessee’s retirement plans. For regular part-time employees, membership in a retirement plan is optional.
Retirement Plan Options:
Non-exempt employees (paid hourly/bi-weekly):
Non-exempt employees will automatically be enrolled in the Tennessee Retirement Plan, TCRS.
Exempt employees (paid monthly):
Exempt employees may choose between TCRS and ORP retirement plans. Retirement elections must made within two weeks of hire.
Review the TCRS/ORP Decision Guide to compare the two plan options.
Exempt employees electing the TCRS Plan need to complete the following:
- TCRS Notice of Election
Exempt employees electing the Optional Retirement Plan will need to complete the following:
- ORP Notice of Election and UT Premium Distribution
- Complete the online enrollment with TIAA and/or VOYA
Optional Deferred Compensation:
Additional retirement savings options are available.
RetireReady TN (Watch for letter from Empower Retirement with instructions for choosing a beneficiary and selecting investment choices)
- 401(k) – There is an Auto-Enrollment for 2% for hires who are new to UT. The University will match up to $50 of employee contributions to the 401(k). Employees may opt-out within first 90 days by calling 800-922-7772.
- 401(k) ROTH
- 457
UT 403b Deferred Compensation Plan Enrollment
Note: Employee must enroll with TIAA and/or VOYA before submitting enrollment form.
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