Status of Benefits Leaving the University

The following summarizes the status of your employee benefits at the date you leave the University. If you have any questions, please contact your Benefits Office.

Health - Coverage is extended until the end of the month in which you last worked for the University. You can elect to continue your health benefits at your own expense by enrolling in COBRA.

COBRA - A personalized continuation of coverage packet will be mailed to your home after your department has terminated your employment in the Human Resources Management System (HRMS). If you have not received a COBRA packet within two weeks after you have received your final pay from the University, please contact the following:

Medical School Employees362-4925
Danforth Employees935-7745

You have 60 days after the later of 1) the cancellation of coverage date or 2) the date the University sends you the COBRA enrollment packet to enroll in COBRA continued health benefits. The same University health benefits can be extended for a period up to eighteen months and you are required to pay the total premium cost.

A Certification of Group Health Coverage will be included in the COBRA packet. Please RETAIN this document for future insurance plan coverage.

COBRA Information Including 2009 Premiums

Congress has passed the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act ("the Act"), which affects the current COBRA provisions effective March 1, 2009. The Act provides a new subsidy of 65% of the COBRA continuation coverage premiums for up to 9 months for former employees (and their dependents) who are involuntarily terminated and become eligible for COBRA beginning September 1, 2008 through December 31, 2009.
The COBRA beneficiary will pay only 35% of the overall COBRA premium for that period. The period expires on the earlier of (a) nine months, (b) the date the individual becomes eligible for major medical group coverage or Medicare or (c) the end of the maximum required period of COBRA continuation. The beneficiary must notify the employer in writing if they become eligible for other coverage as stated above and is subject to significant penalties for failing to do so.


Flex Spending - You may submit claims for eligible health care and child care expenses incurred before the end of the month in which you last worked for the University. The health care spending plan may be continued through COBRA. If applicable, please call 935-7745.

Health Savings Account (HSA) - HSA's are individually owned accounts and the funds remaining in the account can be used by the participant for future health care expenses at any time. The bank fees which are paid by the University for active employees become the responsibility of the account owner upon termination of employment.

Life Insurance - Coverage is extended until the end of the month in which you last worked for the University. You may continue your term life insurance at your own expense. The participant may continue his/her term life coverage at a current or lesser benefit amount with the following restrictions: the minimum amount you can continue is $20,000; the maximum is equal to the coverage amount in force at time of coverage termination or $1,000,000, whichever is less. The participant is billed directly by MetLife at competitive rates, however on January 1 of the year in which a former employee attains age 70, the benefit amount will be reduced to 50% of the benefit in effect immediately before the reduction. If you are interested in continuing your MetLife group term life insurance, please contact MetLife at 1-866-492-6983. You can continue your MetLife GVUL policy by contacting MetLife at 862-2211 to set up payment arrangements.

Long Term Disability - Coverage ceases as of the date you last worked for the University. You may convert group long-term disability benefits to an individual policy within 31 days of your last day worked. If interested, please contact your Benefits Department, Danforth, 935-5931 or Medical School 362-4925.

Long Term Care - Coverage is extended until the end of the month in which you last worked for the University. You may continue group long-term care benefits with John Hancock and/or MetLife. If interested, please contact John Hancock at 1-877-582-2288 and/or Met Life at 1-888-748-4824 to set up payment arrangements.

Tuition Assistance - Benefits cease at the end of the semester in which you last worked for the University.

Retirement - Benefit ceases as of your last paycheck. You may withdraw funds from the Retirement Savings Plan. However, the IRS imposes a 10% surtax penalty on lump sum distributions before age 59 1/2. If interested in withdrawing from the Retirement Savings Plan, please contact TIAA-CREF at 1-800-842-2776 and/or Vanguard at 1-800-523-1188.

Retirement Medical Savings Account (RMSA) – Participants who leave the University prior to retirement have two options for withdrawing their account balance: (1) use their current employee contribution account balance if $20,000 or less to pay for qualified medical expenses, and forfeit their University contribution account balance; or (2) keep their current employee and University account balance in the RMSA and use it at retirement to pay for qualified medical expenses. After leaving the University, the RMSA participant will be required to make a one-time irrevocable election within 60 days after receiving notification from the University of their account options. Participants who leave the University prior to retirement will be responsible for paying associated bank fees. The University will continue to pay bank fees for Washington University retirees.

ARC, the third party claims administrator for the RMSA will automatically receive notification from the University of RMSA participants who have retired from WU. If you leave WU and then retire from another employer, please send proof of your enrollment in a retiree health plan (i.e., Medicare, a Medicare supplement plan, a
pre-65 retiree health plan, etc.) to:

Mary Stull
Washington University
Campus Box 1190
7509 Forsyth Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63105

Once ARC has received notification from WU of your retirement, you will receive an information packet from ARC. Retired RMSA participants may contact ARC at 1-866-898-4371 with questions concerning RMSA claims.

Vacation - If you have completed the probationary period, you will be paid for any accrued vacation up to a maximum of 22 days.

Sick Leave - You will not be paid for accumulated sick days.

United Way, Savings Bond, Credit Union - If you are participating in any of these programs, deduction(s) will cease with your last paycheck. Savings bond deductions that are insufficient to purchase a bond will be refunded. If you have an outstanding loan with Credit Union, you will be responsible to set up alternative payment arrangements.

Outstanding Expenses - You must submit an expense report prior to your termination date to allow for reimbursement.

University Property - You will be responsible for returning keys, parking permit, ID card and any other University property in your possession.


The above summary represents policies and procedures as they exist today. Although we don’t anticipate changes in benefit plans or administration, the benefits above may be revised or eliminated.