In the event one of your family members pass away, contact HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042 as soon as possible for assistance with applicable benefits and claim filing. Should you pass away, a loved one may also contact our HR Shared Services team with any questions.
Please remember that there are grief support and counseling resources available to you and your family through the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program through Carebridge.
If you pass away while in a benefits-eligible position, the following benefits are available:
- Family members who were covered under the University’s medical, dental or vision plans may continue coverage through COBRA for up to 36 months. The premium will be waived for the first 90 days. Enrollment information will be sent by the COBRA administrator. Family members have 60 days to enroll and coverage will be retroactive to the date coverage under the active plan ended.
- Your survivors may continue to submit health care and/or dependent care flexible spending account (FSA) claims for expenses incurred prior to your death. Claims may be submitted until April 30 of the year following the calendar year in which the death occurred. Continuation of the health care FSA may be available to allow expenses incurred after the date of death to be reimbursed, with contributions made on an after-tax basis.
- Benefits for basic, supplemental life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D), if applicable, will be paid to your named beneficiary(ies) on file. If no beneficiary is on file, the policy will determine who should receive the benefits.
- Retirement account balances are eligible to be paid to your surviving spouse, to the named beneficiary on file, or to the estate.
- A child who is matriculated and receiving dependent tuition benefits at the time of your death will continue to be eligible for benefits under the policy. In addition, if you have completed seven years of continuous full-time equivalent, benefits-eligible employment (as determined by the Office of Human Resources), your dependent(s) will continue to be eligible for future benefits under the policy if they are not matriculated at the time of your death.
- Remitted tuition credits that were transferred to your spouse or same-sex domestic partner will be prorated according to your date of death for the last year of employment.
- Your family members will continue to be eligible to use the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program through Carebridge for 90 days.
- Your family members should provide any updated address or contact information to HR Shared Services to ensure that final pay, year-end tax forms and other notices will be received.
When your family member dies, please consider the following:
- Remember that the Faculty and Staff Assistance Program through Carebridge is available to provide grief counseling and other support.
- If your family member was covered under your dependent life insurance, contact HR Shared Services for assistance with filing a claim. You are automatically the beneficiary.
- Contact HR Shared Services to make appropriate adjustments to health coverage.
- Consider whether this death changes your need for benefits. You have 31 days from the date of death to enroll/change enrollment in certain benefits. If you do not contact HR Shared Services to request changes within 31 days, you must wait for the next annual enrollment period.
- Review and update any beneficiary designations for life insurance or retirement accounts.
- Update your name, address, emergency contact and payroll tax withholding, as needed.
- By logging into MySlice, you can update your address, phone number, email, emergency contact and military status.
- You can add a preferred name, which will display in many University software systems, including as your email display name. To change your name in University records, you must provide a copy of your new Social Security card issued in your new name and submit a completed name change form [PDF] to HR Shared Services.
Should you have any questions, or require accommodations to access any information on this webpage, please reach out to HR Shared Services at 315.443.4042.
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.