Medical Plans
The University medical insurance plans are administered by Cigna. The University has a January 1–December 31 plan year.
All three plans provide:
- National network of doctors and hospitals
- No referral from the primary care physician (PCP) necessary to see a specialist
-
Cigna Medical Plans
High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs)
The University offers two HDHPs to UR Employees. If enrolled in one of the HDHPs, you may participate in a Health Savings Account (HSA) but not the Medical Flexible Spending Account (FSA). Many preventive drugs are available at zero cost (see the Preventive Generics Drug List).HDHP: Cigna Base High Deductible Health Plan - $4,000
Summary of Benefits & Coverage
HDHP: Cigna Value High Deductible Health Plan - $2500
Summary of Benefits & Coverage
Choice Open Access (Traditional) Plan
If enrolled in the Traditional Plan, you may participate in the Medical Flexible Spending Account. You will receive coverage for Emergency and Urgent care services outside of Virginia. Prescriptions for mail order and retail pharmacy are filed through Cigna.
Summary of Benefits & Coverage
Vision
Anthem BlueView Vision Plan
Anthem offers a vision plan separate from the University’s Voluntary Vision Insurance.
-
Cigna Insurance ID Cards
Beginning in 2024, Cigna will be transitioning to digital insurance ID Cards.
If you are enrolled in a University medical plan, you will not receive a physical copy of your medical insurance card. Digital ID cards will allow customers to access their plan coverage information more easily, and they are more conveniently available when needed. Customers can request physical medical ID cards through myCigna.com.
Cigna has provided information below regarding this transition:
-
Eligibility
Employee: All full-time employees have the option to enroll in the University’s health plan. Please see Eligibility Section of Plan Document for further details.
Dependent: Employees have the option to enroll eligible family members. Please see Eligibility Section of Plan Document for further details.
-
Cost
Costs for all plans are based on the University’s experience and are subject to annual changes. Please refer to the Medical Insurance Comparison Chart and Health Insurance Rates.
-
How to Enroll
Enroll in your medical insurance in the WEX Benefits portal at benefitexpress.richmond.edu.
It is the responsibility of the employee to enroll in one of the University’s health insurance plans no later than 30 calendar days after their employment start date. If an employee fails to comply with this requirement, the University will understand this to mean the employee is declining health insurance coverage and may not enroll until Open Enrollment unless there is an eligible life status change.
Please note that health insurance plans may only be changed during the Open Enrollment period. However, an employee whose eligibility status changes during the year may be eligible to make changes to their current coverage within 30 days of the status change. For more information, please see examples of life status changes.
Coverage will be effective the first day of the month following employment. If employment begins on the first of the month, coverage will begin that day.
Participation
Please refer to the Participation Section of the Plan Document to view when health insurance will be effective.
-
Waiver of Coverage
An employee may choose to waive their enrollment in the University’s health insurance plans and receive 5 vacation days (only staff) or $500 taxable cash benefit. These amounts are annual benefits which will be pro-rated for any portion of a year. Waive coverage in the WEX Benefits portal at benefitexpress.richmond.edu no later than 30 days after the employment start date. If an employee fails to enroll in health insurance or waive insurance within the 30 calendar days, the University will understand this to mean the employee is declining health insurance coverage and may not enroll until Open Enrollment unless there is an eligible life status change. Spouses who both work full time for the University are not eligible for the $500 or 5 vacation days. Additional information about waiving coverage is available in the Enrollment Section of the Plan Document.
-
COBRA
For information regarding COBRA, please refer to the COBRA Section of the website or the Plan Document.
-
HIPAA
For information regarding HIPAA please refer to the Certificate of Coverage under a Group Medical plan section of the Plan Document.
-
Pharmacy Benefits
View pharmacy benefits.
-
Find a Provider
Find a Provider
You can find a health care provider on the myCigna app or at myCigna.com. Watch this video for a quick overview.
- Additional Cigna Benefits
- Medicare for Active Employees Turning 65