FAQ - Human Resources at Ohio State

Medical claims should be submitted to CoreSource at:

CoreSource
P.O. Box 2310
Mt. Clemens, MI 48046

You can search for network plan providers at OSU Health Plan Member Search or by calling OSU Health Plan at 800-678-6269.

When traveling:  Any individual enrolled in one of the university-sponsored medical plans automatically has access to Ohio State Travel Assistance services at no cost to enrollees. You are covered for emergency and urgent care, outside Ohio or internationally. To determine your coverage level and to determine if your plan covers non-emergency care from out-of-network provider read the Medical Plans-Specific Plan Details or contact OSU Health Plan at 614-292-4700 for assistance.

Residing outside of Ohio for 30 consecutive days or more:  Access to care when residing outside Ohio for an extended time is available through special enrollment in the Out-of-Area Plan.  See “Medical Plan Options” in the Benefits Overview Book

Examples of circumstances to enroll in the Out-of-Area Plan:

• Your eligible child does not live with you and resides outside Ohio.
• Your eligible child is enrolled in a college outside Ohio.
• You are outside Ohio for 30 consecutive days or more.

You may change your medical plan election during Open Enrollment or in connection with certain qualified status changes including loss of other coverage for you or your eligible dependents or gaining a dependent as a result of marriage, birth, adoption or placement for adoption. In addition, a medical plan change can be made when an employee has a change in employment which results in a medical plan contribution tier change, such as changing from part-time to full-time or vice versa.  See Life Events for more information.

After you complete the medical plan enrollment process at Employee Self Service, a medical/prescription drug identification card will be mailed to your home address from CoreSource. You should expect to receive your card approximately three weeks after you enroll.

To request additional identification cards, go to the CoreSource Self Service site or call CoreSource at 866-442-8257. 

If you need a temporary identification card, please go to the CoreSource Self Service site or contact HR Customer Service at 614-292-1050 for assistance.

Prescription drug coverage is included in all Ohio State medical plans. The rates for medical coverage can be found on the Prescription Drug Program Summary Chart.

No. Your medical ID card serves as your prescription card.

See the Prescription Drug Formulary Guide. Here you will also find the list of medications requiring prior authorization and a link to the Express Scripts Pricing tool.

The Prescription Drug Plan, VBD and Specialty Plans have a combined deductible and annual out-of-pocket maximum. Refer to the Prescription Drug Plan Summary Chart.

Delta Dental of Ohio administers The Ohio State University’s dental plan. The plan provides national network coverage through the Delta Dental PPO and Delta Dental Premier networks.

You have your choice of network or out-of-network coverage; however, you receive greater benefit coverage when you use a provider who participates in the Delta Dental PPO network. The OSU Student Dental Clinic is in the Delta Dental PPO network. Some, but not all, of the providers within the Ohio State Dental Faculty Practice are in the Delta Dental PPO or Delta Premier network.

You can search for a provider via Dental Plan. 

You can use your Social Security number as your member ID, or you can use an alternative number based on your Ohio State employee ID. 

Delta Dental’s system requires a 9-digit alternative identification number. If you have a:

• 8-digit OSU Employee ID – your Delta Dental ID is your Employee ID with a leading zero added to it.
• 9-digit OSU Employee ID – your Delta Dental ID is your Employee ID with no changes.

Dental cards are not required for services. If you wish to attain a dental card for services, you can print one through the Consumer Toolkit.

Each enrolled member and their dependents may have two regular cleanings and exams in the plan year. Two additional cleanings will be covered when medically necessary. (Two additional cleanings per benefit year are considered medically necessary for individuals with at-risk conditions such as documented periodontal disease, diabetes, kidney failure, organ or bone marrow transplant recipient, and for individuals receiving dialysis, chemotherapy, radiation treatment, or are HIV positive.)

Coverage is dependent on the provider’s network affiliation and the dental service received. Please refer to the Dental Plan Summary Chart and the Dental Plan Summary Plan Description for details.

Vision Service Plan (VSP) is The Ohio State University’s Vision Plan vendor. The VSP website offers members the opportunity to manage their vision plan benefit through a secure, online account. From this site, members may view vision benefit eligibility for the current plan year, locate network providers, and view their member history.

You can create your account at www.vsp.com. Click “Create an Account” and follow the on-screen prompts to complete your registration.

No, a vision card is not required for service. Tell your provider that you have the Vision Service Plan. Visit the VSP website to register for an account and log in. There you can print a “Member Reference Card” if you prefer to have one, but it’s not necessary when seeing a network provider.

The primary cardholder is responsible for managing the account for him/herself as well as for all covered dependents.

With the VSP Basic plan, frames are covered ever other calendar year; with the VSP Premier plan, frames are covered every year. There are also differences in the maximum allowance paid under the two plans for frames and contact lenses. EasyOptions is only available under the VSP Premier plan.

For additional information on plan differences and premium amounts, see the Vision Plan Benefit Summary.

Employer deductions represent the portion paid by Ohio State towards the cost of employees health coverage (medical, dental and vision), group term life insurance, long-term disability and retirement contributions.

Ohio State has always contributed significantly to benefit costs for employees. Those amounts are now reflected on the pay advice.

There is no impact to your take-home pay. These amounts are for informational purposes only.

The Form 1095-C is required under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It contains information about medical coverage offered to you and your dependents by Ohio State. The IRS uses this information, in part, to validate your compliance with the ACA’s individual shared responsibility requirements.

A Form 1095-C is provided to employees who were:

• Enrolled in medical coverage through The Ohio State University Faculty and Staff Health Plans for the preceding tax year, or
• Considered full-time employees and eligible for The Ohio State University Faculty and Staff Health Plans at any point during the preceding tax year (even if those employees declined to participate in the medical coverage).

Your Form 1095-C can be provided electronically (with your consent) or by mail to your home address. Those who have already provided consent to receive their W-2 electronically will use the same login information. To ensure you receive the Form 1095-C promptly:

1. Give consent to access your form electronically (directions above); or
2. Confirm your home address in the HR system is accurate so that the form can be mailed if you do not wish to receive it electronically.
   • Go to Employee Self Service and click on Personal Information Summary. Select Change Home/Mailing Addresses. If you wish to make a change, click “edit” on the home address line. Medical Center employees should use OneSource.

Ohio State is required to send the form to individuals who meet the eligibility criteria as part of its reporting obligations under the ACA. You can use information from the 1095-C when completing your federal tax return.

All Ohio State faculty and staff and required to participate in the Ohio state retirement system.  The state provides retirement through 2 systems:

• OPERS is the Ohio Public Employees Retirement System for staff.
• STRS is the State Teachers Retirement System for faculty.

An additional option for eligible faculty and staff who hold a full-time position of 75% FTE or more is the Ohio State University Alternative Retirement Plan (ARP).

If eligible, you have 120 days from, and including, the effective date of your eligible appointment to make your irrevocable election and enroll in the ARP or OPERS/STRS. The Office of Human Resources must receive your completed Retirement Program Election form by close of business on the last business day before the 120^th day.

If you elect or default to OPERS/STRS, you have an additional 60 days to complete the OPERS/STRS paperwork and make a selection between their three plans. 

If you elect the ARP, you must choose and contact an ARP provider and complete the required account forms. Your ARP election is not completed until you have enrolled with your chosen ARP provider. Then you must complete and submit the Retirement Program Election form and submit to the Office of Human Resources no later than noon on the last business day before your 120^th day.

I haven’t elected a Retirement Plan yet, but I have an OPERS/STRS deduction on my paycheck?

Retirement contributions will be sent to either OPERS or STRS (based on your appointment classification) until an election between the appropriate state system and the ARP. If ARP is elected, contributions as of your ARP eligibility date will be transferred automatically to your chose ARP provider by OPERS/STRS. 

When the Alternative Retirement Plan (ARP) was put in place in 1999, the law was written to allow for a mitigating rate. The mitigating rate is a required percentage of the employer contribution that is used to pay for the unfunded liability associated with the pension plan. By law, the mitigating rate can fluctuate. The university contributes the full employer rate, however a portion is sent to OPERS/STRS, as applicable, and the remainder to your ARP account. The mitigating rate helps ensure the long-term viability of the retirement system.

The employee contribution is vested immediately in the OPERS and STRS defined benefit plan and put into an individual retirement account. The employer contribution is put towards the defined benefit pension plan to help fund the future benefit and is not reflected on your account statement. Your benefit at retirement is based upon a formula which includes your age and years of service.

A Supplemental Retirement Account (SRA) allows you the opportunity to contribute to an additional retirement account. There are two types of SRAs—Deferred Compensation Programs (457(b) plans) and Tax-Deferred Accounts 403(b). SRAs allow you to enhance your mandatory retirement plan savings through voluntary pre-tax contributions.

Yes, there is no coordination between the 403(b) and 457(b) plans.  Employees can contribute the maximum amount to both.

You may change your SRA contribution amount and/or your SRA provider at any time via Employee Self Service. Your existing SRA account balance may remain with your previous provider, or any portion may be transferred to the new provider. (Applicable transfer fees may apply). Your 403(b) contributions will begin the pay date your designate on the application or, if later, the next pay after receipt in Human Resources. Your 457(b) contributions begin the month after the election is made.

The university does not make contributions to your SRA.

Under certain circumstances, you may qualify through either SRA plan for the “catch up” contribution provision. Catch-up contributions are amounts you may contribute in excess of the annual plan contribution limits. If you have already contributed the maximum amount(s) under the plan(s) and you are at least age 50, you may make additional contributions, which are limited based on federal guidelines.

Your SRA provider will calculate and inform you of your maximum contribution level, including catch-up contributions, based on federal guidelines for the applicable calendar year

Each provider offers a variety of options in which you may elect to invest your contributions. You assume the investment risk; all earnings and losses accrue to your account. You assume the cost for any management fees associated with your investments, which may vary from provider to provider.

Contact your provider for information on the availability of your funds while actively employed and after termination or retirement. There are important tax issues associated with how and when you receive your benefits. Consult with your tax advisor or SRA provider for additional information.

You may enroll in STD within 31 days of employment or an eligible status change via Employee Self Service.

If you wish to apply for coverage outside of your initial enrollment or eligible status change periods, you may apply and complete the medical Evidence of Insurability form on the Unum website. The coverage dependent on approval by Unum.

The premiums for STD are deducted from your pay on an after-tax basis.  If you receive STD benefit payments, the payments may be taxable income. Consult your tax advisor for additional information.

You may cancel your enrollment in STD during an open enrollment period which will be effective on January 1 of the new plan year.

You may also cancel your enrollment in STD due to an eligible status change. You must change your enrollment via Employee Self Service within 31 days of the qualifying life event. Birth of a child is not considered a qualifying life event for purposes of dropping STD coverage.

Contact Unum to file your short-term or long-term disability claim.

• Integrated Absence Management and Vocational Services (apply for disability benefits)
• Unum (claim approval)

While on an unpaid leave of absence, you are responsible for paying the entire cost of the benefits, also known as the full-cost rate. To see the rate that you will be billed, refer to the Medical Plan Rates chart, and look for monthly or biweekly full cost rates.

Complete and submit an Application for Leave using a paper form or Employee Self Service to your supervisor for approval. You can view your leave balances in your paycheck, available via Employee Self Service.

For types of leaves or your eligibility for leave, use the following resources:

• Benefits
• Paid Leave Programs, Policy 6.27
• Unpaid Leave, Policy 6.45
• Your Human Resource Professional

An FSA allows you to pay for eligible health care and/or dependent care expenses through pre-tax payroll deductions. When enrolling, you determine how much money you want to contribute to each account for the plan year. The money is then withheld from your pay on a pre-tax basis. You will be reimbursed from the account as you incur eligible expenses and submit claims for them.

There are two types of Flexible Spending Accounts you may elect:

• Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HC FSA) – Used to reimburse you for out-of-pocket health care expenses, including copays, coinsurance, and prescriptions for you and your eligible dependents. Review a complete list of eligible and ineligible expenses.

• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DC FSA) – Used to reimburse you for out-of pocket expenses for child and dependent care expenses, such as daycare, private sitter, nursery and preschool, and summer day camps that would otherwise be eligible for a tax credit by the IRS.

Review a complete list of eligible expenses

Participation is voluntary and employees must enroll during open enrollment, within 31 days of employment in an eligible appointment, or within 31 days of a qualified status change, as described in “Limitations on Changes to an FSA” in the FSA Specific Plan Details.

You can file a claim on paper, from your computer, from your smartphone, or by using your Health Care Debit Card. For more information, see Flexible Spending Account.

To obtain an additional Health Care Debit Card log on to Employee Self Service or OneSource and click “My FSA/HRA“ under Benefits. Click “Tools & Support” and complete the Debit Card Request Form.

You can access your account online or by using the mobile app. For more information, see Flexible Spending Account or contact TASC at (855) 353-9678. Our employer code is FLXOSU.

See Death of an Employee and Survivorship or Death of a Dependent for information on filing a claim.

No application is required for enrollment in Ohio State’s GTLI; however, you must designate your beneficiary.

Under section 79 of the Internal Revenue Code, the university is required to report the imputed cost of any employer-provided life insurance benefit that exceeds $50,000. You can waive all life insurance coverage that exceeds $50,000 by completing a Group Term Life Insurance Waiver of Entitlement Form. Consult your tax advisor for more information.

You may change your beneficiaries anytime by using Employee Self Service.

You may request coverage at any time via Employee Self Service. However, you may enroll for a certain amount of insurance with Evidence of Insurability (EOI) within 31 days of the initial eligibility period or qualifying status change. If you apply for coverage outside the initial eligibility period coverage and may be subject to Evidence of Insurability (EOI). The coverage is effective upon approval by Minnesota Life.

To be eligible for the employee tuition assistance program, you must be in an eligible appointment of at least 75% FTE or more. Eligible appointments include regular appointments of faculty, unclassified staff, classified civil service staff, associated faculty and term appointments of clinical instructor house staff.

You must be employed in the eligible appointment on the first day of the term for which the benefit is applied. You must continue to work in an eligible appointment throughout the entire academic term, including the entire last week of classes of the term for which the benefit is applied.

No. The tuition assistance benefit applies to courses taken at Ohio State only.

You do not need to complete an application for the employee tuition benefit. After your eligibility information is verified by the Office of the University Bursar, the tuition assistance benefit will reflect as a credit against the fees assessed for that academic term on your fee statement.

Tuition assistance pays the Instructional, General and non-Ohio resident fees only, up to $9,640 per semester. (This maximum amount is subject to change.) The program does not cover application, registration, late or other fees. You are responsible for the difference between the approved tuition assistance benefit and the total fees associated with taking courses at Ohio State. Please see the Faculty and Staff Tuition Assistance Program Guidelines for more information.

Policy 2.35, Enrollment in Credit Programs, limits coursework to 10 credit hours per academic term. However, employees may request a program exception to the credit hour maximum if the academic department has an established curriculum that requires students to enroll in a specific number of hours per academic term in a lock-step fashion. See HR Policy 2.35 for additional information on program exceptions.

If you drop a class after the date to receive a full refund, the tuition credit is removed and you are responsible for the amount due for the class.

However, the program will pay a forfeiture charge for one term during your employment. After using this one-time waiver, any future forfeiture charges for withdrawing from class will be your responsibility. Please contact OHR Customer Service to request the One Time Exception form.

In order to be eligible for dependent tuition assistance, a faculty or staff member must hold an eligible appointment of at least 50% FTE on the first day of the academic term to which the benefit applies. An eligible appointment is a regular or term appointment of faculty, senior administrative and professional staff, administrative and professional staff, classified civil service staff, associated faculty, visiting faculty or clinical instructor house staff.

The following individuals are eligible to participate in the program if they have been admitted to the university through the Admissions Office or Office of Distance Education and eLearning:

• An eligible employee’s legal spouse
• An eligible employee’s same-sex domestic partner
• An eligible employee’s unmarried child. For this purpose, “child” means (1) a biological child of the eligible employee, (2) a step-child of the eligible employee, (3) an adopted child of the eligible employee (or a child who has been legally placed with the eligible employee for adoption), and (4) a foster child of the eligible employee who has lived with the employee for at least five years.
• An eligible employee’s same-sex domestic partner’s (1) unmarried biological child, (2) unmarried adopted child (or a child who has been legally placed with the eligible employee for adoption), and (3) unmarried foster child who has lived with that same-sex domestic partner for at least five years.

See Dependent Tuition Assistance Program Guidelines for more information.

To enroll in the program for an academic term, an eligible employee can log in to Employee Self Service, go to eBenefits, and complete the application for the specified term. Alternatively, an eligible employee may complete a paper Dependent Tuition Assistance Application. An application is required for each dependent each academic term.

See the Dependent Tuition Assistance Enrollment Schedule for deadlines for each academic term.

The benefit is based on the student’s fee schedule. The program covers 50% of the dependent’s Instructional and General Fees only, up to a maximum of $4,820 per semester. There is a maximum benefit of 8 semesters or 140 credit hours, whichever is greater. See the Dependent Tuition Assistance Program Guidelines for more details about the benefit.

For an eligible dependent of two Ohio State employees, the program covers 75% of the dependent’s Instructional and General Fees, up to a maximum of $7,230 per semester. There is a maximum benefit of eight semesters or 140 credit hours, whichever is greater. See the Dependent Tuition Assistance Program Guidelines for more details about the benefit.

The university reimburses up to $5,000 per child for eligible adoption related expenses upon placement of a minor child in your home.

No. The maximum benefit per adopted child is $5,000.

Yes, upon adoption or placement of the child in your home, you may add the child to your university benefit plans. You must enroll the child within 31 days of the placement or adoption date using Employee Self Service. After you have enrolled your child, you will receive a dependent verification packet from ACS HR Solutions, and you are required to verify your child’s eligibility for coverage.

You will need to complete an Adoption Assistance Reimbursement Request Form with proof of expenses and a copy of the adoption placement certificate or final adoption decree. If you have adoption paperwork in another language, it must be translated to English before you submit it to our office for reimbursement. This is a taxable benefit – consult your tax advisor with any questions.

The verifier needs your Social Security number to view basic information such as employment period at The Ohio State University and job title. Any additional information, such as your salary or gross earnings, is protected by a salary key that only you can authorize.

A salary key is a six-digit code that an employee gives a verifier to authorize that verifier with one-time access to his income information on The Work Number for Everyone®. Ohio State faculty and staff can obtain a salary key by logging in to www.theworknumber.com, selecting “I’m an Employee” and following the prompts or calling (800) 367-2884. If you are locked out and the PIN reset does not work, the employee can contact The Work Number at (866) 678-3729, enter the Ohio State ID number and press 0 as the PIN.

There is no charge to Ohio State employees for a verification or salary key. There is, however, a charge to non-social service agency verifiers. If a verifier charges you as an Ohio State employee for a verification, please have your receipt available and call The Work Number Client Service Center at (800) 996-7566 for assistance.

Yes. Written requests for verifications are not be processed and are returned to your verifier with instructions on how to use this service.

Verifiers who will not use The Work Number may accept another form of proof:

• Pay advice – Log onto www.controller.osu.edu/pay/pay-paycheck.shtm for instructions on viewing your pay advice
• W-2 – Log onto www.controller.osu.edu/pay/pay-w2.shtm for instructions on viewing your W-2. The Ohio State code is 10380.
• Employment Data Report – Log onto www.theworknumber.com for your Employment Data Report

The Work Number/TALX customer service is available to you Monday – Friday, 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time at (800) 996-7566.

All employees hired on or after November 7, 1986.

Section 1 can be completed before employment (only after an offer of employment has been accepted) or no later than the first day of employment. Forms I-9 must be fully completed within three business days after the employee begins working for pay.

For example, if the employee began working on Monday then the Form I-9 must be completed by Thursday.

Yes, Form I-9 is required for all employees hired after November 7, 1986, including employees who were hired before that date, left and came back. On the other hand, anyone who was hired before November 7, 1986 with no break in service, does not need to complete a Form I-9.

Yes. A Form I-9 is required for all employees, including student employees.

You can use the original completed Form I-9 for up to three years from the date it was originally completed by completing Section 3. Additionally, make sure to check Section 2 for any expired documents on the originally completed Form I-9. Alternatively, a new Form I-9 can be filled out for rehired employees.

Ohio State’s Form I-9 retention scheduled dictates that we must retain the Form I-9 for three years after the date of termination. For example, if an employee was hired on January 1, 2008, and was terminated on March 1, 2009, we would have to retain the Form I-9 until March 1, 2012. This schedule differs from the information within the USCIS Handbook for Employers due to the OnBase module. All electronic and paper Form I-9s should follow the General Records Retention Schedule.

It is not required to update or complete a new Form I-9 when an employee has a legal change of name.

If an employee decides to change his or her name on their Form I-9, the original Form I-9 can be updated using Section 3 to reflect the name change. Alternatively, a new Form I-9 can be filled out for when an individual changes their name. The new Form I-9 should be retained and stored with the original Form I-9.

The Form I-9 is not required for employees working outside of the United States for the University. Employees working outside the United States are also exempt from E-Verify.

While the Social Security Number is typically voluntary on the Form I-9, it is mandatory for E-Verify participants. Therefore, it is mandatory for employees to provide their Social Security Number on the Form I-9.

The employee and unit should still complete Section 1 and Section 2 of the Form I-9 but leave the SSN field in Section 1 blank. Employees are also still allowed to work without a SSN. Advise the employee that they should visit a local Social Security Administration (SSA) office to apply for a SSN and return to their HR department once they obtain their Social Security card. When the employee returns to update their Form I-9, only then should the employee write their SSN in Section 1, initial and date next to the field. The unit can then submit to E-Verify.

The unit should attach a note to the Form I-9 explaining why the SSN was never entered and follow the Form I-9 retention schedule. Do not submit to E-Verify.

All documents presented by an employee to complete Section 2 and Section 3 of the Form I-9 should be photocopied and retained with the completed Form I-9. Photocopies follow the same retention schedule of the Form I-9.

Store Forms I-9s centrally, together in one file, as opposed to individual personnel files.

The I-9 Database (I9Db) is a university web-based application that captures employee information from the Form I-9. The I9Db sends Form I-9 information to the Department of Homeland Security’s E-Verify website to complete employment eligibility and verification.

If you have been granted access to the I9Db, please log in to the I9Db by using your name.# username and password.

When you log in to the I9Db, you will see a roster of individuals whom you have access to and responsibility for. Any individual on that list with a status of “Not Submitted” will require a Form I-9 to be submitted to E-Verify.

We must retain Forms I-9 for either three years after the date of hire or one year after the date of termination, whichever is later.

E-Verify is an Internet-based system that compares information from an employee’s Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification, to data from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Social Security Administration (SSA) records to confirm employment eligibility.

• Reduces unauthorized employment
• Verification results are returned within seconds
• E-Verify includes data to confirm the citizenship status of naturalized U.S. citizens
• Photo Screening Tool to detect identify theft
• Participation provides the extension of optional practical training for foreign students in F-1 nonimmigrant status
• Speed and accuracy

All current and active employees hired on or after November 7, 1986.

HR professionals who completed Section 2 of the Form I-9 and have I9Db access to submit to E-Verify.

An E-Verify case is considered late if submission happens later than the third business day after the employee’s first day of employment.

For employees who do not yet have a Social Security Number, their Form I-9 information cannot run through E-Verify. Therefore, they do not have to be entered into the I9Db until a permanent Social Security Number is issued. Units should complete the Form I-9 process with the employee and wait to enter the Form I-9 information into the I9DB. Once the employee receives his or her Social Security Number, the unit should enter the Form I-9 information into I9Db and submit to E-Verify.

An employee’s previous employment authorization through E-Verify from another employer does not satisfy the current employer’s obligation to use E-Verify once an employee has been hired.

• Employment Authorization: For those employees whose work authorization status can be verified immediately (i.e. whose SSA record matched and confirms U.S. citizenship), the process ends here with a confirmation response returned to the employer through the system within seconds.
• Tentative Nonconfirmation: In the remaining small minority of cases, the system issues a Tentative Non-confirmation (TNC). A TNC does not necessarily mean that the employee is not authorized to work in the United States. Common issues resulting in a TNC include typographical errors, Social Security cards reflecting maiden vs. married names, providing an incorrect immigration status (permanent residences vs. alien authorized to work).

The Office of Human Resources will contact employees and provide employees with necessary steps necessary to contest and resolve their TNC. HR Professionals from the employing unit may be called upon to assist.

Visit www.uscis.gov/e-verify for more information about E-Verify.