Enrolling, Making Changes, and Paying for Benefits
How to Enroll
You can enroll for healthcare coverage through Penn’s Workday site during your new employee eligibility period or the annual Open Enrollment period. You may be eligible to change your coverage at other times as the result of an employment status change or a qualifying life event change, such as a change in marital status or the arrival of a new child.
The Workday@Penn is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Simply log on with your PennKey and password and you can enroll for coverage, make changes to your existing elections, and view a summary of your benefits.
If you don’t have online access or are having problems enrolling online, contact the Benefits Solution Center (powered by Health Advocate) at 1-866-799-2329.
If you elect to cover dependents, you must verify their eligibility.
Quick Links
Questions?
Contact the Benefits Solution Center
Benefits Enrollment Guides for 2024-2025
Benefits Enrollment Guides for 2023-2024
New Employee Eligibility Period
When you’re newly hired the effective date of coverage is based on your start date. Health benefits coverage will begin on the first day of employment if the employee starts on the first day of the month. For example, if any faculty or staff member starts on July 1, their benefits will begin on July 1. If someone begins their employment on July 2nd then they would become eligible for benefits on August 1st. This rule applies to each month of the year. Your healthcare coverage is effective on the first day of the month following your hire date.
You have 30 days from the date your benefits become effective to enroll for healthcare coverage. You can enroll for healthcare coverage once you register for and receive your PennKey and password.
The elections you make during an enrollment period stay in effect for the entire plan year unless you experience a qualifying life event change.
You have 30 days from the date your benefits become effective to enroll for healthcare coverage.
Open Enrollment
Each year, you have the opportunity to make changes to your elections during the annual Open Enrollment period. Open Enrollment generally is held in mid-April, and any changes made during this period become effective for the following plan year (July 1-June 30). Click here for more details on Open Enrollment.
The elections you make during an enrollment period stay in effect for the entire plan year unless you experience a qualifying life event change.
Qualifying Life Event Changes
If you experience a change in family status or employment status, you may be eligible to make changes to your benefit elections outside of Open Enrollment. Qualifying events include the birth or adoption of a child, marriage, divorce or separation, death of a dependent, and change in your dependent’s eligibility for benefits. Keep in mind that the IRS limits the types of changes you can make for such events.
If you experience a qualifying life event, log on to the online enrollment system to change your coverage. You must make any changes within 30 days of the event; otherwise, you’ll have to wait until the next Open Enrollment period.
You have 30 days from the date of the qualifying life event to make changes to your benefits.
Verifying Dependent Eligibility
You'll need to provide proof of eligibility if you enroll dependents for healthcare coverage.
Paying for Benefits
Your contributions for medical, dental, and vision coverage, and the Flexible Spending Accounts are made with pre-tax dollars. You pay for life insurance with after-tax dollars.
All contributions are deducted from your paycheck in the month for which your benefits are effective.
If you are a new hire or are declaring a life event, there is a 30-day window during which time benefits can be selected or changed and you will be retro-actively charged for your benefits/benefits changes back to your effective date.
When Coverage Ends
If you leave Penn, your health coverage ends on the last day of the month in which you resign.