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Your 'My UT Benefits' Experience

UT System has updated its enrollment system due to the previous platform's retirement. The new system running on a platform called Benefit Focus allows for significant process improvements, enables all employees and enrolled individuals to manage their enrollments online, and provides a robust portal for informed decision making.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Accessing My UT Benefits

Step 1: Click on the  link

Step 2: Select your campus location from the drop-down menu

Step 3: On your campus log in page, sign in with your local campus ID and password. (how you log in to your computer)

Step 4: Click on “My UT Benefits” to enroll 

Those who do not have access to their institution’s internal system (i.e. many retirees and surviving dependents) will follow the link and instructions below. 

*Please note for those associated with The University of Texas at Austin: Your institution uses the same link for everyone.  You can find that sign on link in the “active employee” section above. 

For all others, follow the steps below:

Step 1: Click on the  link

Step 2: Use the following to login with a username and password for the first time

USERNAME: Campus abbreviation + Employee ID (note: not case sensitive)

Example: UTEP600XXXXXX

Campus abbreviations:

  Campus

  Abbreviation

  UT El Paso

  UTEP


Employee ID: If you do not have this, you can contact login support at (844) 870-0044.

Password: Last name (first letter capitalized) + last 4 digits of your Social Security Number

Example: Garcia2345

When you login the first time, you will be prompted to update your password, but you may not update your username.

Click the following link for a My UT Benefits Troubleshooting guide.

Benefits Elections for Employees

If you are a full-time employee and don’t complete your enrollment within the initial 31-day period, your coverage will default to the basic insurance package that includes medical, prescription, basic life insurance, and basic accidental death & dismemberment coverage for you, with no coverage for your dependents. The next opportunity to elect coverage is during Annual Enrollment July 15th-31st.  Certain changes are also allowed upon experiencing a qualifying life event.

If you are a part-time employee and don’t enroll in benefits with the initial 31-day period, you will be defaulted to no benefits coverage. The next opportunity to elect coverage is during Annual Enrollment July 15th-31st.  Certain changes are also allowed upon experiencing a qualifying life event.

If you are a benefits eligible employee with coverage under another group health plan, including the UT Student Health Insurance Plan (SHIP), you may choose to waive the basic coverage package.  If you waive this coverage, you are eligible to use state premium sharing (50% if you are full-time, 25% if you are part-time) to pay for one or more optional coverages for you and your dependents: dental, vision, and/or accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D). To be eligible for premium sharing, you must upload proof of alternate group coverage at the time of your online enrollment.

Benefits eligible employees will be automatically enrolled in the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) at the time of eligibility. Certain employees are eligible for the Optional Retirement Program (ORP) in lieu of TRS and will be notified of their eligibility by their HR/Benefits office. ORP eligible positions at your institution may include full-time faculty members, faculty administrators, counselors, professional librarians, chief and senior administrative offices, specialized professional positions (e.g. scientists, engineers), and athletic coaches and directors. ORP eligible employees will have a once-per-lifetime irrevocable option to enroll within 90 calendar days of their ORP eligible date. Failure to timely enroll in ORP will result in default participation in TRS. Contact your HR/Benefits office for questions or clarification of your ORP eligibility.

More information can be found here:

For your enrollment window, day 1 = the first day of employment or day of the qualified life event.  For example, if you begin work on March 1st, that counts as day 1 and you have 30 additional days in your enrollment window, through March 31st.

Dependent Elections

To submit a life event, log in to the My UT Benefits portal and select “Change current benefits.”  This will lead you through the process to submit documentation and add dependents to your coverages.

How do I add dependents to my coverage for initial enrollment or a qualified life event?
If you’re adding dependents to your medical, dental, or vision coverage and they are not currently covered by one of these plans with UT System, you’ll need to add them as a dependent before you designate their new coverage. The steps are below:

  • Click “View my Benefits”
  • Click “Dependents” in the left navigational column and follow the instructions.
  • You’ll return to the main menu where you will select the plan to add them.

 If you are electing only dependent life and/or accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance for your dependent(s), you do not need to add them as a dependent in My UT Benefits. 

Upload documentation directly in  :

  • From the main page, select “Document Center” on the left navigational column.
  • Click “Upload document” and enter a name for the document.
  • Select the document type and save.

If you are electing only dependent life and/or accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance for your dependent(s), you do not need to add them as a dependent in My UT Benefits.

In order to enroll in the voluntary spouse life coverage, you must first enroll in dependent life coverage. This enrollment will trigger the option for spousal life coverage. 

Your name is listed because you are the policy holder.  The insurer does not require a dependent name to enroll in these benefits. In the case of a claim, you would contact them and provide documentation of your relationship to the dependent.

No, you need to enter your beneficiaries for each separate type of life and AD&D coverage, as the information for one plan does not carry over to other plans.  Additionally, to update beneficiaries with TRS, ORP, or voluntary retirement accounts, please send in your beneficiaries form to  or contact your other , as appropriate for your coverages.

If you have an active child support order in place, you are not able to remove that dependent from your coverage.  If the child support order has changed, please provide your HR/Benefits office with the most recent version.  

Updating Benefits or Information

If you are still within the Annual Enrollment window (July 15th – 31st) or within 31 days from either your date of hire or qualified life event, select “Edit” on the “Benefit Summary” page for the item you want to change. You are guided through the enrollment process until you have finished making your selections, and then the “Summary” page displays these elections. Late enrollment changes are not allowed.

Follow the steps below:

  • On the “Home” page, select the “Dependents” link
  • Under the “Actions” button for the dependent select “Edit.”
  • Make necessary changes and select “Save.”
  • Select “Next” to return to the appropriate step in the workflow.

Click “questionnaire” on the left navigational column and make the correct elections.

You need to contact your institution’s HR/Benefits Office if pre-populated information in My UT Benefits is incorrect.

I don’t see the beneficiaries I’ve previously designated in the old My UT Benefits platform.  Do I need to re-enter them?
Beneficiaries submitted in the old version of My UT Benefits or at any time by paper are not available to view in new system. However, Blue Cross and Blue Shield (formerly Dearborn National) stores this information and these designations will remain in effect until you make beneficiary changes in the new system. If you would like to see your beneficiaries online, you must enter this information again. 

Start Date for Benefits

An effective date for each of your benefits displays on the “Benefit Summary” page. If you have questions about when your benefits begin, please contact your institution’s HR/Benefits Office.

Benefits for the individual(s) you added to your coverage begin on the 1st of the month following the life event. For example, if you were married on March 15th, your spouse would begin their benefits on April 1st.  If you instead want the coverage start date to be the day of the event, please contact your HR/Benefits Office to make this request after uploading the appropriate documentation and making elections. Please note however that premiums are not pro-rated, so if coverage begins mid-month for your dependent(s), the new premium rate is still calculated for the full month. 

Cost of Benefits

Your benefit costs will display throughout the enrollment process. You can review your “Shopping Cart” to see your costs, and you can review detailed information on the “Benefit Summary” page before you save your benefits.  

Documentation and Notifications

Any changes to your benefits, even if it’s only adding beneficiaries, will generate a notification that your benefits have changed. If you were not in the My UT Benefits platform and did not make any changes, please contact your HR/Benefits Office immediately to inform them of the notification.

When transitioning between part-time and full-time employment, the state premium sharing amount allocated to your benefits changes. You are receiving a notification because based on these changes, actions must be taken to continue certain coverages.

For those who have moved from part-time to full-time employment: premium sharing now pays a larger portion of your premium. You must take action to re-enroll medical elections for them to continue coverage.

For those who have moved from full-time to part-time: the basic package has been dropped as it now carries a premium cost. You must actively elect this package if you wish to continue this coverage, and you must actively re-enroll any dependents in medical elections for them to continue coverage.

Log into My UT Benefits. On your home page, go to “My Documents” under the left navigational column and select “Confirmation Statement.”

If you are selecting certain higher levels of life insurance for yourself or your spouse, you will be prompted to complete Evidence of Insurability (EOI). EOI is a health questionnaire used by the insurance company to make a determination on your request for coverage. Election of the coverage must be made within your enrollment window.  You then have an additional 15 days past the enrollment window to complete the questionnaire.

Will I receive new insurance cards?
If you have enrolled in new coverage or made changes to existing coverage, you may receive new ID cards and/or a FLEX Debit Card (if enrolled in the Health Care Reimbursement Account) within two weeks of your effective date. Otherwise, you can continue using your current cards. Please note that cards list only the employee’s name, not their dependents.

Annual Enrollment

Evidence of Insurability (EOI) is required for any life insurance changes during Annual Enrollment, even if it’s below the Initial Enrollment EOI threshold for documentation.    

If you do not make changes, your benefits will remain the same for the next fiscal year. The only exceptions are flexible spending accounts.  If you would like to continue a medical or dependent care flexible spending account the next fiscal year, you must log in and elect it. 

How do I add dependents to my coverage for next plan year?
If you’re adding dependents to your medical, dental or vision coverage, you’ll need to add them as a dependent before you designate their new coverage. The steps are below:

  • Click “View my Benefits”
  • Ensure “Future Benefits” is selected under “Your benefits at a glance.”
  • Click “Dependents” in the left navigational column and follow the instructions.
  • You’ll return to the main menu where you will select the plan to add them. 

If you are electing only dependent life and/or accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance for your dependent(s), you do not need to add them as dependents in My UT Benefits.

Assistance

For assistance with technical issues, login access, and site navigation when using My UT Benefits, call the MY UT Benefits Support Line (1-844-870-0044). The Support Line is available Monday - Friday from 7:00 a.m. to - 4:00 p.m. MST. 

General Questions: annualenrollment@utep.edu Or 915-747-5202
Benefit Questions: benefits@utep.edu

Benefit Resources

UTEP Human Resources Benefits webpage: /human-resources/services/benefits/index.html               

The Office of Employee Benefits webpage: 

  • For newly benefits eligible employees: 

  • For mid-year qualified change of status events: 

               

  • For employees considering retirement: 

          

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Connect With Us

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Human Resources Services
Administration Building, Rm 216
500 W University
El Paso, Texas 79968

E: hrs@utep.edu
P: (915) 747-5202
F: (915) 747-5815