FT Benefits Enrollment - Human Resources - Carnegie Mellon University

Full-Time Benefits Enrollment

As a new full-time, benefits-eligible employee, one of your first tasks is to enroll in your benefit options and complete the paperwork required of new employees. This page includes the processes required by the Benefits Office to enroll you in the university's benefit programs.

Medical, Life Insurance and Disability Benefits:

You must enroll in or opt-out of health care, life insurance and/or disability benefits coverage for yourself and your eligible dependents no later than 30 days from your hire date. To enroll or opt-out of coverage, please do the following:

  1. Review the Benefits Workbook for Domestic Full-Time Employees [pdf].
  2. Connect to HR Connection. (Enter your Andrew User ID/Password to authenticate, then enter your date of birth [mm/dd/yyyy] as your HR Connection password.) Follow the prompts to select your benefits in each category.
  3. If you are in a same- or opposite-sex domestic partnership, review the Domestic Partners of Full-Time Faculty and Staff Registration Packet [pdf] and complete any of the appropriate forms. You cannot use HR connection to process benefits for your partner until the registration form has been submitted and accepted.
  4. If you are enrolling a spouse/domestic partner or dependent children in your coverage, documentation that proves your relationship must be submitted within 30 days of their enrollment date, or they will be removed from your coverage.

Retirement Benefits:

The university contributes to a 403(b) retirement plan account on your behalf at no cost to you. You are automatically enrolled in the university’s plan (with no waiting period), in an age-appropriate TIAA-CREF LifeCycle fund. You can, at any time, change the TIAA-CREF default enrollment. 

You can also enroll in a Supplemental Retirement Annuity (SRA) to contribute your own money toward your retirement. University and personal contributions can be invested in a variety of TIAA-CREF or Vanguard annuities and mutual funds.

To enroll in an SRA or to change your default university enrollment:

  1. Review the Enrolling in Your Carnegie Mellon Retirement Benefits [pdf] overview.
  2. Access the retirement carrier websites or enrollment guides to research their funds and products:
  3. Complete the appropriate university and carrier enrollment forms:
If you don't enroll or opt-out within the 30 day period, your benefits coverage will be defaulted. The cost will be deducted from your paycheck.
  • Medical: UPMC PPO Option 2 (employee only)
  • Rx: Caremark Option B (employee only)
  • Dental: none
  • Vision: none
  • Life Insurance: Basic (1 x salary)
  • Dependent Life Insurance: none
  • Long Term Disability: none
  • Spending Accounts: no contributions
  • Retirement: age appropriate TIAA-CREF Lifecycle Fund
  • Supplemental Retirement Account: no contributions

default benefits plan