2008 Benelect Guide
The purpose of this guide (print pdf version) is to provide you with an overview of Benelect—the flexible benefits program at Case. This is not intended to be a comprehensive description of the benefit plans. Details of individual benefit plans are provided in legal plan documents and contracts that govern the operation of the program. Specific coverage information is contained in the individual summary plan descriptions available from Benefits Administration (224 Crawford Hall). Employees are responsible for selecting and using their benefits prudently and in the most cost-effective manner. Under no circumstances are the statements contained in these policies to be considered a contract of employment, an obligation, or guarantee on the part of the university. Please call 216-368-6781 or e-mail benefits@case.edu with any questions, comments, or concerns that you may have.
Benelect Overview
Benelect is a flexible benefits program that offers both you and the university a number of advantages. One of the most important advantages is that Benelect offers you choice. You can choose the type of coverage you want, the number of people you want to cover, or you can choose no coverage.
Since faculty and staff choose only the benefits they need, the university can control fringe benefit costs more effectively. And, by providing choices, Benelect does a better job of meeting the diverse needs of staff and faculty.
Benelect also helps you save taxes. By paying for insurance premiums and putting money into spending accounts on a pre-tax basis, you pay less in Social Security, federal and state income taxes. Using your pre-tax dollars to pay for your benefits and/or spending account deposits will not affect coverage for pay-related benefits such as personal life insurance, LTD coverage, or retirement plan contributions. Those benefits will continue to be calculated from your gross pay.
Employer Costs
The university contributes varying amounts of money towards the purchase of selected benefits. The shared percentages are based on the number of hours worked per week and Federal Labor Standards Act (FLSA) employment status:
NONEXEMPT (paid semi-monthly)
EXEMPT (paid monthly)
Your Qualifying Members
For some Benelect benefits, coverage is available not just for you, but for qualifying family members as well. Qualifying family members are:
- Your spouse or equivalent (domestic partner),
- Unmarried children under age 19,
- Unmarried, full-time students until they reach age 23, and/or
- Unmarried children of any age if they are mentally or physically incapable of supporting themselves.
Proof of dependency is required for family members. Proof of domestic partnership through notarized affidavit is required for spousal equivalent (Affidavit of Domestic Partnership/ Acknowledgment of Domestic Partnership [pdf]). Proof of full-time student status is required for dependents that have reached age 19. Unmarried children of the age of 19 who are not full-time students and full-time students who have reached age 23 are eligible for COBRA coverage if they are currently covered through Benelect. Detailed information can be obtained from Benefits Administration.
Benefits Eligibility
Open Enrollment—Your benefits begin January 1 of the New Year and remain in effect for the whole calendar year.
New Hires—Your benefits begin when employment is started if the start date is on the first business day of the month; otherwise, benefits begin on the first day of the month following the month in which employment is started.
Making Changes due to Life Events
The benefit choices you make are in effect for one calendar year and may be changed only during the annual enrollment period to take effect for the following year. The exception to this Internal Revenue Service regulation is a change in family or job status, which allows you to make the appropriate benefit changes mid-year by notifying Benefits Administration within 30 days of the change. Qualifying life event changes are:
- Marriage or divorce (equivalent for domestic partner),
- Birth or adoption of your child,
- Death of your family members,
- Change in your child's full-time student status,
- Change in your employment status, i.e., from part-time to full-time work,
- Gain of insurance through your spouse’s (equivalent’s) employment, and
- Loss of your spouse’s (equivalent’s) medical and/or dental coverage.
These changes in family or job status must be reported to Benefits Administration within 30 days after the life event change occurred along with appropriate documentation. Only changes that are on account of and correspond with the documented family or job status event can be made. For example, if the documentation you provide is for the birth of a child, the addition may increase the level of coverage (category) to employee plus children or family; however you cannot decrease the level of coverage, opt out, add/delete other dependents or change carriers because a decrease would not be consistent with the reason for the change. Print 2008 Benelect Change of Status  form (pdf).
Important exceptions - to family and job status benefit changes are:
- You can change your dental and vision coverage level (category), but you cannot opt out of the plan.
- If your spouse (equivalent) loses dental coverage through his/her employer, you may opt into the dental plan.
- You may change your level of coverage (category) if you meet the criteria, but you may not change health coverage carriers.
Future Retirees
When you retire from Case, you can choose one of the medical plans offered (Traditional, PPO or HMO) and/or continue dental coverage that best fits your post-retirement needs. A retiree may change plans at retirement only if the plan they have will not work where they are going to reside. If you have used a local HMO while actively employed at the university and are planning to leave the Cleveland area, for example, you might want to choose the traditional indemnity plan. Once you’ve retired, you can change your medical or dental option only during the university’s open enrollment period unless there is a qualifying change of status event.
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