Welcome to the University of Iowa's Temporary Employee Benefits page. Discover health and dental insurance options tailored for temporary staff. Learn about eligibility, plan details, and enrollment to maximize your benefits during your time with us.
Employees who receive compensation from the University of Iowa may be eligible for temporary health and dental insurance.
Eligibility
The temporary employee must:
- be anticipated to work 50 percent or greater time,
- and be appointed for at least six months.
Other scenarios of eligibility:
- A temporary faculty member employed for an entire semester is eligible, even though a semester falls short of the six-month requirement.
Regular full-time employees may purchase temporary insurance to help cover the first month of hire until they become benefit-eligible on the first of the month after their hire date.
Who is not eligible to purchase insurance?
Employees who do not receive compensation from the University of Iowa are not eligible to purchase insurance through the university.
Contact the University Benefits Office to determine eligibility and request temporary insurance enrollment forms.
30 Day Deadline
A temporary employee must submit enrollment for temporary insurance within 30 days of their hire date with the University. If the employee misses the 30-day deadline, you may request enrollment during the annual open enrollment period or within 30 days of a qualifying event.
Plans Available
Plans Available
Health Insurance
There are two health plans to choose from:
- UISelect;
- The employee must have a permanent residing address in Iowa.
- Lower premiums and higher out-of-pocket costs if used.
- The plan only covers Level 1 and 2 providers; it does not cover medical providers outside of Iowa, except in emergencies or with Doc on Demand.
- Traditional deductible plan.
- 3-tier drug plan, generics are free.
- UIChoice;
- higher premiums, and lower out-of-pocket costs.
- Level 1, 2, and 3 providers; plan covers nationwide.
- Deductible only applies to inpatient hospital services.
- 4-tier drug plan, generics are free.
Dental Insurance
There is one dental plan:
- Dental II
- Seek care from almost any dentist you wish.
- 3-tier provider network within Delta Dental of Iowa..
- $2,000 annual max benefit with up to $4,000 carryover.
- Two diagnostic and preventive visits per year.
- Orthodontia coverage for children and adults.
Employee Purchases Insurance
A Temporary employee who is eligible and wants to purchase health and/or dental insurance through the University will need to do the following:
- Contact the University Benefits Office at benefits@uiowa.edu to request a temporary employee insurance enrollment packet, which will be sent to you via email.
- The employee will complete the necessary paperwork and send it back to the University Benefits Office for processing.
- The University Billing Office will bill the employee their monthly premiums either by U-bill or the employee may fill out an ACH form with the Billing Office, which will allow premiums to be automatically deducted from a bank account. Unfortunately, Temporary Insurance premiums cannot be payroll-deducted.
- Approximately two weeks after submitting your completed enrollment information, the employee should receive insurance card(s) mailed to the home address that our office has on file. To avoid delays, please ensure that the home address is up-to-date in Employee Self-Service.
2025 Rates (no contribution)
Monthly Rates are Effective January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025
| Employee Only | Employee + Spouse | Employee + Child(ren) | Family | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| UISelect | $670 | $1,599 | $1,305 | $1,713 |
| UIChoice | $904 | $2,157 | $1,760 | $2,311 |
| Dental II | $50 | $105 | $110.50 | $148 |
Departments Contribute to Insurance
Departments may contribute to the cost of temporary insurance by determining that they will cover the total cost or partial cost of health and dental insurance for the temporary employee.
The department's contribution selection must match the employee's coverage selection.
Please submit the workflow form for processing to enroll your temporary employee in health and dental insurance, along with your contribution.
2025 Rates (with department contribution)
Monthly Rates are Effective January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025
| Employee Only | Employee + Spouse | Employee + Child | Family | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (Dept Cost / Empl Cost) | (Dept Cost / Empl Cost) | (Dept Cost / Empl Cost) | (Dept Cost / Empl Cost) | |
| UISelect | $670 / $0 | $1,279 / $320 | $1,044 / $261 | $1,370 / $343 |
| UIChoice | $814 / $90 | $1,726 / $431 | $1,408 / $352 | $1,849 / $462 |
| Dental II | $50 / $0 | $84 / $21 | $88.40 / $22.10 | $118.40 / $29.60 |
Retirement Plan Election
Due to employment with the University of Iowa, employees are required to participate in a retirement plan, either the Iowa Public Employees Retirement System (IPERS) or the University Funded Retirement Plan through TIAA.
The employee will have 60 days from their hire date to elect one of the mandatory retirement plans within Employee Self-Service.
Your enrollment is irrevocable and cannot change during your employment with the University of Iowa, even if you transfer into a permanent position later in your employment at the University of Iowa.
Enrollment Instructions
- Log in to Employee Self-Service with your HawkID and password.
- Select the "Benefits & Wellness" link
- Select the "Retirement Enrollment" link in the "Retirement" section.
- Every employee automatically defaults to IPERS. Therefore, if you wish to remain in IPERS, you do not need to take any further action.
- If you prefer to enroll in TIAA, select the Enroll in TIAA button.
- If you do not make an election within 60 days of your hire date, you will default into IPERS, and you will not be able to change this election unless you experience a break in service of 31 days or more here at the university.
After enrolling in your mandatory retirement plan, do not forget to create your online account with that retirement plan vendor. Your online account with IPERS or TIAA is where you will need to update your account and beneficiary information.
Not Eligible/Exempt from the Mandatory Retirement Plan
The following classifications of employees are exempt from retirement plan participation:
- Adjunct Faculty
- Most fellowships
- House staff
- Students
- Employment with the University of fewer than six months in length