Benefits Enrollment
House staff members will become benefit-eligible the first of the month following their contract start date. For example, if a house staff contract begins on June 24, the member will become benefit-eligible on July 1. If the contract begins July 1 for a member, they will become benefit-eligible effective August 1.
Newly benefit-eligible employees have 30 days from their start/new eligibility date to enroll in benefits. If the member does not enroll within Employee Self-Service before the 30-day deadline, they may not enroll again until the annual open enrollment (late fall, with a January 1 beginning date) or if they experience a qualifying event.
Reviewing your options before completing the benefits enrollment is a good idea. Below are the plans and other benefits that house staff members can participate in at the University of Iowa.
A quick overview House Staff Benefits Overview (pdf).
Health Insurance
The University of Iowa offers two health plans: UISelect and UIChoice.
- UISelect is a high-quality plan that offers lower premiums and gives you more control over your spending. Members must live in Iowa to enroll in this plan. To review plan details and premium rates, please visit the UISelect Health Insurance webpage.
- UIChoice is a high-quality plan with extensive network coverage inside and outside Iowa. To review plan details and premium rates, please visit the UIChoice Health Insurance webpage.
Plan Highlights
| Highlight | UISelect | UIChoice |
|---|---|---|
| Providers | The plan only covers providers in Iowa. (2 levels of providers) | Choose any provider with nationwide coverage. (3 levels of providers) |
| Your Costs | Lower premiums and higher out-of-pocket costs. $0 monthly premium for single-only or double-spouse families. | Higher premiums and lower out-of-pocket costs. |
| Out-of-Pocket Max (OPMs) | Level 1 OPM - $2,300 single/$4,000 family Level 2 OPM - $3,500 single/$7,000 family | Levels 1, 2, and 3 participating providers - OPM - $2,000 single/$4,000 family non-participating providers - OPM - $2,500 single/$5,000 family |
| Rx Coverage | 3-tier prescription benefit with free generics. Rx OPM - $2,000 single/$4,000 family | 4-tier prescription benefit with free generics. Rx OPM - $1,600 single/$3,200 family |
Find a more detailed comparison of both plans on the UISelect and UIChoice Plan Comparison page.
House Staff Pharmaceutical Benefit Guide
This Benefit Guide was approved by the Pharmacy & Therapeutics Subcommittee on July 1, 2013.
General Program Guidelines
This program is administered by the University of Iowa Health Care Department of Pharmaceutical Care Ambulatory Care Pharmacies in conjunction with Wellmark formulary guidelines.
1. if medically necessary, prescription medications are available for house staff members or their immediate family members, defined as a spouse or child living with the house staff member. Members and their covered family members should present their Wellmark identification card to the pharmacy or have their Wellmark ID number available.
2. Medications will be covered using the Wellmark Pharmacy “tiers”. Coinsurance (patient’s responsibility) is determined by a combination of the medication’s tier and pharmacy service location:
| DRUG TIERS | COINSURANCE AT UI HEALTH CARE PHARMACY LOCATIONS | COINSURANCE AT OUTSIDE PHARMACY LOCATIONS |
|---|---|---|
| Tier 1 (most generic medications) | $0 | 25% coinsurance |
| Tier 2 | 15% coinsurance | 30% coinsurance |
| Tier 3 | 35% coinsurance | 50% coinsurance |
| Tier 4 (not covered) | 100% coinsurance | 100% coinsurance |
Payment for coinsurance will be due at the time of service.
3. Wellmark prior authorization and quantity limit criteria will apply to all prescriptions.
4. A clinician may not prescribe medications for himself or herself in accordance with the Hospital Policy MS-SOP-01.21. In general, prescriptions should be issued as part of a clinic visit. This is consistent with expectations of the Board of Medical Examiners, the AMA, and hospital guidelines. Over-the-counter medications (with the exception of pseudoephedrine products, per Iowa law) may be self-prescribed.
5. Hospital policy and state law require that prescriptions for all controlled substances written for immediate family or personal use must be written by a clinical faculty member. All prescriptions for controlled substances must include an appropriate DEA registration number. Effective May 21, 2005, most pseudoephedrine-containing products sold in Iowa (including all such products stocked by University Hospitals) are handled as Schedule V controlled substances.
6. To assure safe prescribing, legal compliance, and avoidance of the potential for dangerous drug interactions, all prescriptions should be generated from the Epic medical record if written by a UI Health Care prescriber. Prescriptions must reflect the complete name of the patient for whom the medication is being prescribed, hospital number, birth date, date written, and the indication for use.
7. Prescription drug use will be monitored on an ongoing basis to detect potentially excessive utilization of medications (whether restricted or unrestricted) by house staff physicians and dentists. Individuals with unusually high rates of prescription drug utilization (for themselves or their dependents) may be contacted to provide additional information on the circumstances influencing their prescribing practices.
8. To minimize waiting time for clinic and discharge patients, house staff are asked to plan ahead so that refills and new prescriptions for non-urgent medications are presented one day and picked up the following day.
9. Prescription refills may be requested by phone at 384-6800.
10. Questions regarding a bill/statement may be referred to the Pharmacy Business Office at 353-7516.
11. If receiving high cost self-injectable medication (covered under medical) 10% of the co-pay must be paid at the time of service; the balance may be placed on account with the pharmacy billing office. Signing of a Pharmacy Financial Agreement is required. Failure to pay the balance within one week of receiving insurance reimbursement will result in the balance being deducted from monthly payroll.
Dental Insurance
The University offers one dental plan for benefit-eligible employees, Dental II. To review plan details and rates, please visit the Dental Insurance webpage.
Plan Highlights
| Highlight | dental II |
|---|---|
| Providers | Choose any provider 3-tier provider network (PPO, Regular Delta Dental Network, and non-participating providers) |
| Your Costs | $0 monthly premium for employee-only or double spouse family. |
| Annual Benefit | $2,000 max annual benefit, up to $4,000 carryover |
| Other | 2 diagnostic/preventative visits per year. Orthodontia coverage for both children and adults. |
Life, Disability, and Accident Insurance
Life Insurance
- REQUIRED: UI funds 2x's the house staff member's annual salary (max $400,000). Find more details on the Group Life Insurance webpage.
- VOLUNTARY: Enroll in 1/2 to 3-1/2 times your salary. More details can be found on the Voluntary Term Life Insurance webpage.
- VOLUNTARY: You must be enrolled in the voluntary term life plan to enroll in the Voluntary Term Life Insurance for your spouse/partner/dependent plan. Premium is paid on an after-tax basis.
- VOLUNTARY: Enroll in Accidental death and dismemberment insurance which is available in $100,000 increments.
- REQUIRED: No enrollment is necessary as you are automatically enrolled into the Long-Term Disability Insurance as a condition of your employment.
- Liability and Malpractice Coverage (GME Office)
Other Benefits
- Contribute pre-tax dollars to a Flexible Spending Account - up to $3,050 in 2024 for the health care FSA and up to $5,000 per year to a dependent care FSA.
- Travel Assistance Programs - Domestic Travel and Personal International Travel
- liveWELL - access to various wellness programs, incentive programs, and additional information on stress management, nutrition, weight loss, exercise, and other health resources.
- Employee Assistance Program - EAP provides brief counseling and assessment for staff.
Retirement
State law prohibits House Staff Physicians from participating in the university's required retirement programs. (Exception: Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS) or TIAA retirement plan - Fellow Associates only)
- Voluntary Retirement Savings Program - open to all House Staff who receive earned compensation reportable on IRS Form W2 and subject to federal and state withholding.
Additional Information
Double Spouse Credit
When a house staff member is married to another UI employee/partner, both work for the University of Iowa in benefit-eligible positions, and have dependents listed on their policy, they may be eligible for the Double Spouse Credit (DSC).
Double Spouse Credit provides family health and dental insurance at little to no cost, depending on your chosen health plan. To begin the process, you must fill out the Double Spouse Credit Request form (pdf) and submit it back to the Benefits Office for approval. The Double Spouse Credit benefit begins the first of the month after a qualifying event.
Continuation Coverage after Termination
For information on purchasing insurance after employment ends or during an unpaid leave of absence, the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA).
Benefits Not Available
- Voluntary Vision Insurance through World Insurance Associates (Avesis/eyeMED) is unavailable for House Staff enrollment.
- Alternative Options:
- Both UIChoice and UISelect cover annual eye exams, and if you are enrolled in Dental Insurance, you may receive a discount through DeltaVision if you visit those specific providers.
- You may also submit any eligible vision out-of-pocket costs to a Health Care Flexible Spending Account for reimbursement.
- Alternative Options:
- General and Shared Savings Credits do not apply to House Staff members.
- A mandatory retirement plan with university contributions through TIAA or IPERS is unavailable for most House Staff members. Please visit the retirement section above for more information.
Have a Question?
ABOUT OUR SITE:
The information presented on our website describes only the highlights of the plans and does not constitute official plan documents. Additional terms and conditions may apply. If there are any discrepancies between the information contained herein and the official plan documents, the plan documents will govern. For more detailed information you may contact Wellmark Blue Cross/Blue Shield at the toll-free number 800-524-9242 (TTY: 888-781-4262), Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (Central Time). For more efficient service, please have your member ID number handy - it can be found on the front of your card.