Health Insurance

New Graduate Assistants who are eligible have the opportunity to participate in the Student Employee Health Plan (SEHP) through the New York State Health Insurance Program (NYSHIP) which is one of the largest group health insurance programs in the United States. The Student Employee Health Plan provides valuable medical benefits for you and your eligible dependents. It provides medical and surgical care, hospital expense benefits, mental health and substance abuse benefits, prescription drug coverage, dental and vision care. There are no pre-existing condition exclusions.

Am I eligible?
Graduate Assistants eligible for an employer contribution under the NYSHIP SEHP are those who work at least one-half an assistantship and are employed at a stipend that would yield a total compensation of $4,422 or more for the contract year.

Graduate Assistants who work at least one-half an assistantship but are hired mid-year, will be eligible if they earn a stipend that would yield a total compensation equal to $4,422 or more when annualized.

Graduate Assistants (and his/her dependents) currently enrolled in NYSHIP’s Empire Plan or a NYSHIP HMO as an employee of New York State, a Participating Employer or a Participating Agency, are also eligible for coverage under the NYSHIP SEHP.

Are my dependents eligible for coverage?
You may enroll for either individual or family coverage. Eligible dependents include a spouse or domestic partner and children under the age of 26.

If you wish to carry family coverage, copies of the following documents are needed to support your dependent’s eligibility: marriage certificate for a spouse, proof of current financial interdependence if married for more than one year, and proof of residency and financial interdependence for a domestic partnership. Copies of birth certificate(s) and social security card(s) will also be required prior to enrolling all dependents.

When will my coverage be effective?
If you wish to enroll for health insurance/prescription coverage, you must select a plan within the first 45 days of appointment to avoid any extended waiting period. Coverage will be effective on the date of application.

What is the cost of coverage?
New York State pays a significant portion of the premium for yourself and your dependents. You pay the balance which is deducted from your paycheck on a bi-weekly basis. There are two types of coverage that you may purchase: individual or family.

2023 Health Insurance Bi-weekly Rates
Individual Coverage - $29.03
Family Coverage - $182.78

One of the decisions you will need to make when enrolling for health insurance is whether or not to participate in the Pre-Tax Contribution Program (PTCP). Under PTCP, your health insurance premiums are deducted from your pay before taxes are taken out. This lowers your taxable income and gives you more spendable income. Under Internal Revenue Rules (IRS), if you participate in PTCP, you cannot change your health insurance deduction once the amount is set for the tax year unless you have a "qualifying event".

Health Insurance Plan Summary

How do I find a participating provider?
Go to Empire Plan participating providers or call 1-877-7-NYSHIP (1-877-769-7447)

How do I find a participating pharmacy?
To locate a participating pharmacy go to CVS/Caremark Prescription Drug Plan or call 1-877-769-7447

How do I enroll?
Please indicate your intention to participate or not to participate in the Student Employee Health Plan on the Benefits Election form. To enroll, please complete the Health Insurance Transaction Form (PS-404G) online or provided in your orientation packet and return it to the Employee Benefits Office, Cleveland Hall 410, within 45 days of your appointment date to avoid any extended waiting period.

Dental and Vision Care

Dental Care
Administered by EmblemHealth – provides coverage for dental examinations, cleaning and bitewing X-rays. Also provides discounts on other services.

Each visit is subject to a $20 copayment when you visit a participating provider.

Covered services include:

  • Examination and Cleaning (up to two visits per 12 month period)
  • Bitewing X-Rays (maximum four X-rays per year)
  • Two fillings per 12 month period subject to a $10 copayment per filling.

How do I find a participating dentist?
To locate a participating provider in the SEHP dental program go to EmblemHealth or call 1-800-947-0101

Vision Care
Administered by Davis Vision – provides coverage for routine eye examinations, eyeglasses or contact lenses.

A routine eye examination subject to a $10 copayment is covered once in any 24-month period.
A limited selection of frames and lenses or daily wear, disposable or planned replacement contact lenses offered by a participating provider at the time and place of an eye exam will be paid in full. This benefit is available only once in any 24 month period. There is no coverage for services received from a non-participating provider.

How do I find a participating vision provider?
Call 1-888-588-4823.

For more detailed coverage and co-pay information for medical, prescription, dental or vision benefits refer to the SUNY Student Employee Health Plan (SEHP) for Graduate Student Employees Union (GSEU) booklet.

How do I enroll?
Please indicate your intention to participate or not to participate in the Student Employee Health Plan on the Benefits Election form. To enroll, complete the Health Insurance Transaction Form (PS-404G) online or provided in your orientation packet and return the completed form to the Employee Benefits Office, Cleveland Hall 403, within 45 days of your appointment date to avoid any extended waiting period.

Retirement Plan

Full-time permanent employees (with appointments of 3 months or more) are required to join a retirement system within 30 days of their appointment/hire date.  Part-time employees and those with provisional or temporary appointments have the option to join a retirement system at any time.

No retirement system membership will be established, nor any service credit or contributions reported, until the appropriate retirement system election and membership applications have been received and processed.

Your selection of a retirement system is an important decision so please review your options very carefully.  Once your election is made, you will generally not be allowed to change retirement systems unless you have a change in your employment title making you eligible for a different retirement system for the first time and you opt to change to that system within 30 days of your eligible appointment.  Note, membership in a retirement system may not otherwise be changed or withdrawn during your current or any subsequent employment with any SUNY campus.

Retirement Plan Options
Eligibility for a retirement system depends on a variety of factors, including your bargaining unit/union, your position classification, and whether you are full or part-time.

  • CSEA, PEF, NYSCOPBA, MC-06, MC-13, UUP, and Graduate Student (GSEU) employees are eligible to join the New York State and Local Employees' Retirement System (ERS).  ERS is a defined benefit pension retirement system. Retirement pension benefits will depend on the results of a calculation at the time of retirement that takes into account the final average salary, number of years of credited membership service, and age at the time of retirement.
  • University Police title employees (e.g., PBANYS) are eligible to join the New York State Police and Fire Retirement System (PFRS).  PFRS is a defined benefit retirement system. Retirement pension benefits will depend on the results of a calculation at the time of retirement that takes into account the final average salary, number of years of credited membership service, and age at the time of retirement.
  • UUP and MC-13 employees may, depending on title, be eligible to join the New York State Teachers' Retirement System (TRS).  TRS is a defined benefit pension retirement system. Retirement pension benefits will depend on the results of a calculation at the time of retirement that takes into account the final average salary, number of years of credited membership service, and age at the time of retirement. Membership is open to employees in a select group of titles including:  all faculty titles, librarian or coach titles, or titles of president, vice president, provost, dean, associate dean, or assistant dean.
  • UUP and MC-13 employees who are full-time; and part-time UUP employees with Term appointments, or MC-13 employees who are at least half-time, are also eligible to elect the SUNY Optional Retirement Program (ORP).  The ORP is a defined contribution retirement system. Retirement benefits will depend on the value upon distribution of individually owned annuity contracts purchased on behalf of electing employees through employer and required employee contributions from one or more of the currently authorized investment providers for the SUNY ORP, including:  Fidelity, TIAA, VALIC, and Voya. The SUNY ORP is designed to allow retirement at any age. Distributions from ORP contracts are permitted any time after separation from services, subject to an IRS 10% penalty for distributions prior to age 59 ½ , unless separating from service after reaching the normal retirement age of 55. Because the SUNY ORP is a NYS Public Retirement Plan, ORP distributions are generally exempt from New York State Income Taxes. 

Additional Retirement Plan Information from SUNY

Vesting:  What is it and when am I vested?
When you are vested, you have ownership of the assets held in your retirement account. Vesting does not mean that you have an immediate right to withdraw these assets, but simply that you would retain these assets upon termination of employment.  The vesting period for the three public pension programs (ERS, PFRS and TRS) is five (5) years of full-time credited service.

Participation (or vesting) in the SUNY ORP is immediate for employees who own qualifying Fidelity, TIAA, VALIC, and Voya contracts at the time of their employment. Qualifying contracts must include employer contributions. For those who do not own pre-existing contracts with one of these annuity carriers, college contributions will be made upon completion of a 366 day vesting period. At the end of 366 days of service, the college will make a single lump sum contribution with interest for this initial period and then make regular bi-weekly contributions thereafter. If you leave State service prior to becoming a vested member, no college contributions will be made. However, your contributions plus interest may be refunded.

What are the employer and employee contributions?
All three defined benefit programs provide for contributions by you as well as the college. Your contributions will be made on a before-tax basis (federal taxes only) through payroll deduction, throughout your active membership.

  • Employer Contribution Rate for ERS, PFRS and TRS:  Based on actuarial recommendations, New York State contributes an amount necessary to satisfy present and future pension payments.
  • Employer Contribution Rate for ORP:  8% of salary for the first 7 years of SUNY ORP membership; 10% thereafter.
  • Employee Contribution Rate:  Contribution rates are based on a member's salary: 

          3% for $45,000 or less
          3.5% for $45,001 - $55,000
          4.5% for $55,001 - $75,000
          5.75% for $75,001 - $100,000
          6% for $100,001 or more

Retirement Plan Election and Enrollment
Once you have carefully reviewed your options and decided to join a retirement system, please submit your retirement program election and provide your retirement system history:

  1. All new employees must use the SUNY online enrollment and management system at www.retirementatwork.org/suny. 
     
  2. If you elect to enroll in ERS, PFRS, or TRS, you must also complete the following form appropriate to the retirement system selection: 

Note, State law is very specific about the deadline for enrolling in the ORP.  After 30 days, the ORP is no longer an option and ERS/TRS will be your default selection.

Before making your decision, please review the individual retirement system information. When considering participation in the ORP, it is recommend that you carefully review fund prospectuses, performance information and sales literature of each annuity company. You should consider each program in relation to your particular needs and objectives and consult with a qualified financial or tax professional for assistance. Representatives of each of these plans are available to assist you.

For further information and/or assistance with the enrollment process, please contact the Employee Benefits Office.

Voluntary Savings Plan and College Savings Program

The State University of New York (“SUNY”) provides employees with the opportunity to save for their retirement through the SUNY Voluntary 403(b) Savings Plan (the “Plan”). Participation in the SUNY Voluntary Savings Plan is a great way to build your retirement savings through pre-tax and/or post-tax payroll deduction contributions. View the 2025 Universal Availability Notice and please contact the Employee Benefits Office 878-4821 with any questions.

New York’s 529 College Savings Program
If you are looking for a way to save for your child’s college education, New York’s 529 College Savings Program may be of interest to you. This program allows parents, grandparents, relatives or friends to open an investment account for future college students with as little as $25.

Contributions to the account are invested according to the options selected by the account owner. The program’s investments are managed by The Vanguard Group, a leading financial services organization. The program provides significant tax advantages. New York taxpayers can deduct up to $5,000 in contributions each year from their New York taxable income and none of the investment earnings will be taxed by the state as long as the money is used for qualified higher education institutions anywhere. Federal tax on earnings is deferred until the student uses the money for college expenses, and then the earnings are taxable at the student’s income tax rate.

For additional information, call 877-697-2837 or visit New York's 529 College Savings Program.

The Flex Spending Account is a state benefit that allows eligible employees to pay for certain expenses with pre-tax dollars.

Dependent Care Advantage Account
The DCAAccount allows employees to set aside up to $5,000 annually in pretax salary for eligible child care, elder care, or disabled dependent care expenses.  The 2024 employer contribution for graduate assistants is $800.

What’s the catch?  Use-it-or-lose-it!
You must estimate your expenses carefully.  If you overestimate your costs, you lose any money that remains in your account at the end of the calendar year.  

Eligibility Requirements and Enrollment

  • Must be receiving regular bi-weekly paychecks.
  • Must be eligible for health insurance.
  • Must enroll within 60 days of appointment, during the annual open enrollment period, or when you experience a valid change in status.

For program details or to enroll in the FSA, visit www.flexspend.ny.gov or call the FSA hotline at 1-800-358-7202.

Sick Leave

After one semester of service, graduate assistants are entitled to a maximum of five (5) days of sick leave per academic year.

Payroll, Policies, Forms

Additional Forms to Complete and Return: