University of Southern California

Your employee benefits include a broad range of programs to help protect the health, wealth and future of you and your family. The university invests some $360.7 million each year to provide these benefits to you, and they represent an important and substantial component of your overall compensation package.

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All about dependents

Who are your eligible dependents?

• Spouse or registered domestic partner (the portion paid by the university for your domestic partner's benefits is considered imputed income to you, and corresponding taxes come out of every paycheck unless you claim your domestic partner on your taxes)
• Children up to age 26
• Dependent children, regardless of age, who are totally disabled due to mental or physical incapacity, if such capacity existed immediately prior to the limiting age

Eligibility ends if any of the conditions above cease to exist (for instance, child turns 26).

How do you verify your eligible dependents?

The following are the acceptable documents to verify your dependent relationships. Copies of this documentation must be submitted to Benefits. Tuition Assistance carries additional restrictions.

Spouse

• Marriage certificate that contains official seal of issuing government agency and is an exact copy of original on file at issuing agency

Registered domestic partner

• Domestic partnership certificate that contains official seal of issuing government agency and is an exact copy of original on file at issuing agency

Biological child

• Birth certificate that contains official seal of issuing government agency and is an exact copy of original on file at issuing agency, verifying that the sponsoring employee is the mother or father of the child

Adopted child

• Birth certificate that contains official seal of issuing government agency and is an exact copy of original on file at issuing agency, modified as part of the adoption proceedings to show that the sponsoring employee is the adoptive parent

Stepchild

• Birth certificate that contains official seal of issuing government agency and is an exact copy of original on file at issuing agency, verifying that the sponsoring employee's spouse or registered domestic partner is the parent of the child, AND
• marriage or domestic partnership certificate (as described in "Spouse" and "Registered domestic partner" sections above) verifying marriage or domestic partnership of sponsoring employee to or with child's parent

Legal guardianship with financial dependency

• Certified copy of court orders stating that sponsoring employee is legal guardian of child, AND
• marriage or domestic partnership certificate (as described in "Spouse" and "Registered domestic partner" sections above) verifying marriage or domestic partnership of sponsoring employee to or with child's parent

Legal guardianship with financial dependency

• Certified copy of court orders stating that sponsoring employee is legal guardian of child, AND
• most recent tax forms filed with the IRS in which child is claimed as a dependent (Execution of Power of Attorney papers granting said powers to a non-parent or an award of temporary custody to a non-parent are not the equivalent of legal guardianship)

Submit documentation via fax, mail or hand delivery. Scanned documents submitted via email are also acceptable, but for your own protection please do not email documents that contain Social Security numbers. See Contact us/feedback.

I don't have that documentation yet. What can I do?

The university recognizes that receipt of government-issued documentation can sometimes take several months. Do not delay enrolling in your benefits while you wait! Provisional documentation can be accepted in some cases, providing for temporary enrollment. However, failure to provide final official documentation (as outlined above) within three months of the effective date of benefits coverage will result in cancellation of enrollment.

Examples of provisional documentation include, for marriage, a copy of application for marriage license, or a copy of a church certificate. For birth, a copy of a letter from the hospital that is often given to parents would work. Contact Benefits for more information.

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eTrac

eTrac allows you to manage your benefits plans, check your payroll information, and update your personal information from a Java-enabled web browser on any computer.

Go to www.usc.edu/eTrac to authenticate your identity and create a PIN; you can log in immediately.

1. If you are not going to add dependents, skip to step 2, but to add dependents:
1. From the eTrac main menu, select "Personal Associates (including dependents) Update"
2. Select "New Personal Associate"
3. Complete "Personal Associate Preliminary Detail Information"
4. Click on "Continue" to a summary review page and click on "Submit Changes" to save the dependent information; repeat process for each dependent
2. From the eTrac main menu, select "Benefits Enrollment"
1. Select "Benefit Type" and choose which benefit to enroll in then click "Submit"
2. For the Enrollment Type, select "Regular Enrollment" and for the Transaction Type, select "New Enrollment"
3. Select the options you want for each plan. Remember you must complete each transaction by clicking "Continue" to a summary review page and then clicking "Submit Changes" to save it.

You must complete a separate transaction for each type of benefit for which you wish to enroll (medical, dental, flexible spending, legal services, etc.)

For more information, you may contact eTrac at (213) 740-5857 or email etrac@usc.edu, or you may contact Benefits for assistance.

Your check stub or eTrac pay information itemizes earnings, taxes, deductions and reductions, including both the employee and employer contributions for any university benefit or service. If you have set up direct deposit for your pay you will receive an email prior to each payday, which notifies you when your pay information is available on eTrac. Information is provided for the current pay period as well as calendar year-to-date totals.

If you've set up direct deposit and would rather receive a paper payroll advice slip, log onto eTrac, go to "Work Information" and request delivery to your Home Department Coordinator (HDC). Contact your HDC if you have questions regarding salary deductions or reductions.

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Paying your share

The employee portion of the cost of your benefits is paid through payroll deduction or reduction (before tax payments). Employees who are paid monthly pay in 12 equal deductions. Employees who are paid biweekly pay in 24 equal deductions, which are taken the first 2 pay periods of each month (2 paychecks a year will have no medical/dental deduction).

Payroll deductions pay for the majority of the following month's coverage (including all medical and dental benefits). Usually, a new employee will experience a double deduction for their first monthly premium (or for 2 paychecks for biweekly employees). More information about how deductions work is available at www.usc.edu/payroll, or contact Benefits.

Faculty who receive annual base pay in fewer than 12 equal installments must pay in advance for the summer continuation of all benefits. If no other arrangements are made, a single deduction will be taken from the April payroll to cover premiums for May, June, July and August (4x calendar year monthly premium rates). The September premium will be taken from the August paycheck.

Alternatively, faculty may elect to have summer premiums deducted from summer salary (summer teaching, etc.) if applicable. More information is available by contacting Benefits.

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If you are already have medical coverage

USC has a special plan for you if you're waiving group health care called USC Alternative Coverage. You also need to understand the following information.

Special enrollment notice if you are waiving group health care

Waiving coverage because of other health insurance
If you are declining enrollment for yourself or your dependents (including your spouse) because of other health insurance or group plan coverage, you may be able to enroll yourself and your dependents in a university health plan if you or your dependents lose eligibility for that other coverage (or if the employer stops contributing toward your or your dependents' other coverage). However, you must request enrollment within 30 days after your or your dependents' other coverage ends (or the employer stops contributing).

Conditions of special enrollment

1. When coverage was declined or waived, employee or dependent stated in writing that other coverage was the reason for the waiver.
2. If the other coverage was COBRA coverage, then the COBRA coverage must be exhausted for the special enrollment to apply.
3. If the other coverage was not COBRA coverage, then the other coverage must terminate because of one of the following reasons:
1. Employer contributions toward the coverage have been terminated, or
2. Loss of eligibility under the other coverage
1. Divorce or legal separation
2. Cessation of dependent status (such as attaining the maximum age to be eligible as a dependent child under the plan)
3. Death of an employee
4. Termination of employment or reduction in the number of hours of employment
5. In the case of coverage offered through an HMO, or other arrangement, in the group market that does not provide benefits to individuals who no longer reside, live, or work in a service area (whether or not within the choice of the individual), and no other benefit package is available to the individual
6. A situation in which an individual incurs a claim that would meet or exceed a lifetime limit on all benefit plans
7. A situation in which a plan no longer offers any benefits to the class of similarly situated individuals that includes the individual

Not covered is loss of coverage due to failure on the individual's part to pay premiums on a timely basis, or termination of coverage for cause, such as fraudulent claims and/or intentional misrepresentation of a material fact in connection with the plan. Such loss of eligibility may be disclosed by a health plan to a benefit department as termination of enrollment for cause and is specifically permitted under the Privacy rule. A termination of enrollment of dependent or employee for cause from one health plan will result in loss of eligibility for enrollment in any other health plan.

Waiving, but no other health insurance
In addition, if you have a new dependent as a result of marriage, birth, adoption, or placement for adoption, you may be able to enroll yourself and your dependents. However, you must request enrollment within 30 days after the marriage, birth, adoption, or placement for adoption.

To request special enrollment or obtain more information, contact Benefits.