Syracuse University provides comprehensive health benefits designed to keep you and your family healthy, secure and supported. Choose from three comprehensive health plans with national and international medical coverage administered through Excellus BCBS and prescription drug coverage through Optum Rx. All three plans cover the same services – only your share of costs differs. Two dental plan options, with or without vision coverage, are also available.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’re benefits-eligible, your coverage starts on your hire date—but you need to enroll within your first 31 days of employment for coverage to be effective from day one. Log into MySlice, navigate to the benefits section and make your elections before the 31-day deadline expires.
What if I miss the 31-day window? You’ll have to wait until the next Open Enrollment (typically early November) to enroll, unless you have a qualifying life event in the meantime.
Need help getting started? Download the 2026 Benefits Guide for New Hires [PDF] for a complete overview, or reach out to HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042 and we can help you navigate the process.
Multiple resources are available to help with benefit decisions:
- HR Shared Services: Available 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday, at 315.443.4042.
- New hire benefits information session: Watch a recorded overview of 2026 benefit offerings anytime.
- Benefits guide: Review up-to-date benefit information in our 2026 Benefits Guide.
- Excellus BCBS (medical and dental): Contact 800.493.0318 (TTY: 800.662.1220), Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Optum Rx (prescriptions): Contact 866.854.2945 (TTY: 711), available 24/7.
You will be sent member ID cards upon enrollment. If you need additional cards, you can contact the administrator directly.
Remember, most carriers (Excellus BCBS, Optum Rx and VSP) have mobile apps where your ID lives digitally. Download them once, and you’ll always have your card handy—even when you can’t locate your physical one. The apps also let you check benefits, find doctors, refill prescriptions, and much more.
VSP vision note: They don’t mail physical cards, but you can print one anytime from their website or just pull it up on the app.
You can update most of your information yourself through MySlice. Just log in and update your address, phone, email, emergency contacts and military status. You can even add a preferred name that’ll show up across University systems (including your email display name).
To change your legal name in University records, you’ll need a new Social Security card in your new name, then complete the Employee Demographic Change form in MySlice (find it under Employee Resources > eForms).
To update your gender, please contact HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042.
Check out Reaching Age 65 under Life Events for all the details. Still have questions? That’s what we’re here for. Contact HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042 and we’ll walk you through it.
Whether you just got married, had a baby, adopted a child, or experienced another qualifying life event, you have 31 days from that date to add your new family member to your benefits. Contact HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042 and we’ll help you add your new eligible dependents to your existing coverage. You’ll need to provide documentation (marriage certificate, birth certificate, adoption papers, etc.) to confirm eligibility, so gather those ahead of time.
If you do not contact us within 31 days, you must wait for the next annual Open Enrollment (generally held in early November) to make changes to your benefits. Read more about life events such as getting married and becoming a parent, and contact HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042 with any questions.
For most plans, you may enroll the following dependents (as long as they meet the criteria listed in the Benefits Eligibility Policy):
- Your legal spouse or your eligible domestic partner*
- Your child under age 26 who is your biological or adopted child; the child of your eligible spouse or eligible domestic partner; or a child who has been placed in your legal custody or for whom you are the appointed legal guardian
- Your child over age 26 who is incapable of working or self-support due to a mental or physical disability that was present prior to age 26; the child must qualify as a tax dependent of you or your eligible spouse or eligible domestic partner*
For more information, review the Benefits Eligibility Policy. Remember, when you add a spouse, partner or child to your coverage, you must provide supporting documentation to HR Shared Services to confirm their eligibility.
*For dependent life insurance, only same-sex domestic partners may be enrolled (except Texas residents). For child life insurance, the child must be unmarried and rely on the employee for at least half of his or her annual support.
Every effort has been made to ensure that the information contained within this website is accurate. However, benefits are governed by legal documents (which, in certain circumstances, may include insurance contracts). If there is any difference between the information in this website and the official documents, the official documents will control. As is the case with all of Syracuse University’s employee benefit plans, the University reserves the right to modify or terminate these benefits at any time.