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Eligibility and Enrollment

Employees have 31 days from the date of a qualifying life event or 31 days from their eligibility date to enroll or make changes to their health, dental, vision, and reimbursement accounts. Coverage will be effective on the first day of the month following date of hire (or on the actual date of hire, if hired on the first of the month). After your initial enrollment as a new hire or becoming benefit-eligible, you may change your level of coverage and/or benefit options during annual open enrollment or if you experience a mid-year qualified life event.

Making and Changing Your Benefit Elections

New Hire and Newly Benefit-Eligible Enrollment & Enrolling Online

Faculty and staff have 31 days from their date of hire or becoming benefit-eligible to elect benefits. During this initial enrollment period, you elect your benefits and coverage level. Coverage will be effective on the first day of the month following your date of hire (or on the actual date of hire, if hired on the first day of the month). If you fail to enroll in benefits before the deadline, you may enroll in benefits during the next Benefits Open Enrollment Period or following a qualifying life event.

Benefits Enrollment is a paperless process that is done online through the Employee Self-Service Portal at https://ess.luc.edu.  Need Assistance logging in? Please contact the ITS Help Desk: helpdesk@luc.edu or by phone at 773.508.4ITS.

  • Important Note - The Employee Self-Service (ESS) Portal is compatible with Chrome and Safari internet browsers.
  • If adding dependents to your benefits, you must submit supporting documents to verify their dependent eligibility.  An employee may enroll one adult-- either a spouse or one LDA on their benefits. Please see page 7 of the Benefits Booklet located in the Resources section (upper right) of this page for more information about documents (i.e. birth certificate, marriage certificate) you will need to provide in order to enroll dependents for benefit coverage.
  • You can upload and submit all supporting dependent documentation while you complete online new hire benefits enrollment through Employee Self-Service. If needed, you can submit your supporting documents to Human Resources.

Be prepared in advance. Before you access the system, have your dependent information (including documentation to verify eligibility with date of birth, full legal name and social security numbers for all family members) and beneficiary information available.

After a Qualifying Life Event

An employee may make changes to his or her benefits only during the next Benefits Open Enrollment Period or if you experience a qualifying life event. 

Qualifying life events are:

  • Change in legal marital status (marriage, divorce, death of spouse/LDA, legal separation)
  • Change in number of eligible dependents (birth, placement for adoption, guardianship, or death)
  • Employment status change for you, your spouse/LDA, or your dependent (termination or commencement of employment, full-time or part-time)
  • Taking an unpaid leave of absence
  • Dependent satisfies or ceases to satisfy eligibility requirement (attainment of age limit, marriage)
  • Residence change by you, your spouse/LDA, or dependent (moving outside of the country)
  • Change in cost or coverage due to spouse/LDA or dependent’s open enrollment

Please see the Reporting Your Qualified Life Event section of this page for more information on the process.

Reporting Your Qualified Life Event

Learn more about how to report your qualified life event to Human Resources.

Open Enrollment & Eligibility

Benefit-Eligible Faculty and Staff

The following individuals are eligible for coverage under the University benefits program:

  • Full-Time University Faculty and Staff Members, classified as .80 full time equivalent or higher.
  • Part-Time University Staff member, in a position classified as .53 full time equivalent or higher based on 1,950 annual hours, or .50 full time equivalent or higher based on 2,080 annual hours.

In the fall of each year, during the annual Open Enrollment period, you have the opportunity to select benefits for the following calendar year.

  • If you do not make a change to your benefits during the annual Open Enrollment period, your elections for the previous year will automatically continue for the next calendar year.
  • Flexible Spending Accounts require re-enrolling every annual Open Enrollment period (effective date will be January 1 of the next year).

When Coverage Ends

Your insurance coverage will *end if:

  • You no longer have a active full-time benefit-eligible status
  • You terminate your employment with the University
  • Your contributions are discontinued
  • The group insurance policy is terminated

*Under Federal law, you have the right to temporarily continue health, dental, vision, and health care FSA account participation through COBRA.

Employees have 31 days from the date of a qualifying life event or 31 days from their eligibility date to enroll or make changes to their health, dental, vision, and reimbursement accounts. Coverage will be effective on the first day of the month following date of hire (or on the actual date of hire, if hired on the first of the month). After your initial enrollment as a new hire or becoming benefit-eligible, you may change your level of coverage and/or benefit options during annual open enrollment or if you experience a mid-year qualified life event.

Making and Changing Your Benefit Elections