Flexible Benefit Enrolment and Rules

Acquire Employee IC (UCID) Number

After you accept an offer of employment and you are entered into the system, your employee ID (UCID) will be emailed to you. Some of the links on this page require login to access and will only be available once you receive your UCID.

Complete Benefit Enrolment 

Soon after you accept an offer of employment you will receive an email notification which provides instructions for benefit enrolment. You must complete your benefit enrolment within 14 calendar days of your date of hire in a benefit eligible position. Benefit ID cards will be mailed to your home address within 4-6 weeks of your completed enrolment. Be sure your home address with the university is correct. Any eligible expenses incurred prior to receiving your ID card can be claimed for reimbursement once your account is set up.

Once you receive the Benefits Enrolment email from DoNotReply@ucalgary.ca, navigate to MyUCalgary portal > All about me > My benefits > Benefit Details > Benefits Enrolment.

Watch for this email as it will be sent to your primary email account, which may either be your personal email account or your new University of Calgary email account.

For assistance with your enrolment, refer to the Group Benefits Enrolment Reference Guide.

You must enrol your spouse and all of your eligible dependents, allocate your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) credits and designate your beneficiaries as required. There is a six month waiting period for Long Term Disability coverage but you must make your option selection during your enrolment. Premium deductions will not begin until your waiting period ends.

You must make your benefit selections within 14 calendar days from your hire date, otherwise you will be placed in the default options which will be in effect until the next flex re-enrolment, unless you experience a qualified Life Event (e.g. birth of a child, marriage, divorce, substantial gain/loss of spousal or common-law coverage).

Medical evidence of insurability is not required at initial enrolment. If you select a higher option at re-enrolment, Medical evidence of insurability will be required.

Default options are as follows:

• Basic Life - Option 2
• Long Term Disability - Option 1
• Health - Option 3
• Dental - Option 3
• Excess Flex Credits will automatically default to the Health Spending Account

Details on your coverage choices for the Flexible Group Benefits Plan and Enrolment Rules.

Keep in mind that Flex Credits are pro-rated based on your hire date. When you select your benefits, you will see annual Flex Credits and deductions; however, your excess credits to allocate to a spending account will be pro-rated

Complete All Beneficiary and Voluntary Coverage Forms 

While you can view your designated beneficiaries in PeopleSoft, the paper Group Benefits - Beneficiary Designation Form on file with Human Resources will be the binding beneficiary designation in the event of any Life Insurance, Optional Life Insurance, AD&D or Voluntary AD&D claim. Complete all beneficiary and voluntary coverage forms required for your benefit choices and submit signed originals to Human Resources.

Alberta Blue Cross Identification (ID) Cards for health and dental expenses are typically mailed 2-3 weeks after you finalize your benefit enrolment.   If it has been at least 2 weeks since you have completed your event, you can contact Alberta Blue Cross at 1-800-661-6995 to request their support to electronically obtain access to your Alberta Blue Cross account and print temporary ID cards.  You will be required to verify your identity with Alberta Blue Cross prior to them providing you your policy and ID numbers. For reference, all UCalgary plans have the Group/Policy Number: 18953.  Once you have access to their member site you can print temporary cards and make online claims.    

 If Alberta Blue Cross cannot find record of your enrolment in their system or if you have any other benefit questions, please contact UService.

• All Flex Choices will be locked until the next MaPS Flex Re-enrolment date.

• Re-enrolment periods are every two years effective Jan. 1 of each odd year (e.g. 2025, 2027)

• You may change your choices if you experience a Qualified Life Event (e.g. birth of a child, marriage, divorce, etc.), in which case you have 31 days to enter your qualified Life Event in Self-Service. Refer to the Life Events page for details.

• Annual Flex Credits are provided to you based on your dependent status (Single - just you, Couple - you and one dependent, Family - you and two or more dependents). A dependent is considered either an eligible child or spouse. Annual Flex Credits are applied to the annual cost of the Health and Dental option choices.

• You must enrol according to your true dependent status - Single, Couple, or Family.

• You must select one Health Flex Option and one Dental Flex Option You cannot waive coverage even if you are covered under your spouse's group insurance plan. You can coordinate benefits if you have coverage under more than one benefit plan.

• If the annual price of Health and Dental Flex Options selected cost less than your annual Flex Credits, excess credits can be allocated to a Health Spending and/or Wellness Spending Account. If the Flex Options selected cost more than your Flex Credits, you will be responsible to pay the difference through regular payroll deductions. If you do not allocate your excess credits, they will automatically default to the Health Spending Account.

• You must select one Basic Life Flex Option. You cannot waive coverage.

• Medical evidence is not required at initial enrolment or if you select a higher Basic Life Option when you experience a qualified Life Event.

• You will be required to provide medical evidence of insurability to move to a higher Basic Life Option at Re-enrolment—e.g. moving from Option 1 to Option 2 or moving from Option 2 to Option 3.

• The cost of providing medical evidence is your responsibility.

• You must select one Long Term Disability Flex Option. You cannot waive coverage.

• Medical evidence is not required at initial enrolment or if you select a higher Long Term Disability Option when you experience a qualified Life Event.

• You will be required to provide medical evidence of insurability to move to a higher Long Term Disability Option at Re-enrolment; e.g. moving from Option 1 to Option 2 or moving from Option 2 to Option 3.

• The cost of providing medical evidence is your responsibility.

As an eligible MaPS employee, you are automatically insured for Basic AD&D coverage with a principal sum of $100,000 without having to provide any medical evidence of insurability.

• The Basic AD&D benefit provides 24-hour coverage should you experience an accident resulting in death or serious injury. The amount that is paid will depend upon the type of injury.
• The premium for this coverage is fully paid for by the University of Calgary.
• You can choose to enhance your coverage by purchasing Voluntary AD&D for yourself and your spouse.

For more information, view the coverage information.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can I purchase additional AD&D?

Yes, you are able to purchase Voluntary AD&D for either you and/or your spouse at any time. Medical evidence of insurability is not required. The Voluntary AD&D benefit provides 24-hour coverage should you and/or your spouse experience an accident resulting in death or serious injury.

Voluntary AD&D is available in units of $1,000 to a maximum principal sum of $250,000. The amount that is paid will depend upon the type of injury. The premium for this coverage is your responsibility through payroll deduction.

Do I need to provide medical evidence of insurability to enrol in either basic or voluntary AD&D?

No, medical evidence of insurability is not required for either Basic or Voluntary AD&D.

• You may select any or all of these benefit coverages at initial enrolment or at any time, providing you remain eligible to participate in the benefit plan.

• Medical evidence of insurability is required for all amounts of Optional Employee and/or Spousal Life.

• Medical evidence of insurability is not required for Optional Child Life, Optional Employee and/or Spousal AD&D.

• Medical evidence of insurability is not required for employee and spousal Voluntary Critical Illness up to the guaranteed amounts provided you apply within 31 days of becoming a new MaPS employee, or within 31 days of certain life events including (marriage or meeting the definition of common-law spouse and  birth/adoption, death, substantial gain/loss of spousal coverage).

• Medical evidence of insurability is required for employee and spousal Voluntary Critical Illness for all levels of coverage above the guaranteed amount or in all situations other than those stated above.

• The cost of providing medical evidence is your responsibility.