• left portrait
  • office
  • right portrait
  • logo_benefits.gif

Benefits

Online Benefits Enrollment System

New Faculty & Staff

New Hires must enroll for benefits within 31 days of your start date. If you do not make selections during this period, you and any eligible dependents will not receive Medical, Prescription, Dental, Optional Long-Term Disability Insurance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Transit/Parking Reimbursement, Optional Term Life Insurance, Dependent Term Life Insurance, or Long-Term Care Insurance coverage from Columbia University for the remainder of the calendar year.


Columbia Benefits hosts a set of Frequently Asked Questions for all benefits-eligible faculty and staff, including a glossary of benefits terms.

Contact the HR Benefits Service Center: 212-851-7000 | hrbenefits@columbia.edu | Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. 

For Officers of the University and Support Staff 

  • Who is Eligible for Benefits
  • Making Changes to Your Benefits During the Year
  • Medical Coverage
  • Prescription Drug Coverage
  • Dental Coverage
  • Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) - Healthcare and Dependent Care
  • Transit/Parking Reimbursement Programs (T/PRP)
  • Retirement Plans
Columbia University offers several programs for tuition, both at and outside of the University.

HRI Presents Medical Identity Theft - Facts for Consumers from the FTC

The EAP offers confidential support for active Columbia University Officers and Support Staff, and their households.

Frequently asked questions about Medical, Dental, Retirement, Life Insurance, Transit, Parking, Life Status Changes, and other Columbia University Benefits.

View information about retiree medical plans, including rates for the current year.
Current COBRA medical and dental rates

Enrollment instructions and rates for medical plan benefits for postdoctoral fellows.

Columbia University offers the Adoption Assistance Program to help with the costs incurred by adoptive parents. Full-time, regular Officers and full-time, regular Non-Union Support Staff are eligible for this program.

Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs)

In accordance with the federal Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70: Service Organizations, (SAS 70), the University is required to remind you about security and password protection regarding information related to your Columbia University Retirement Plan and Columbia University Voluntary Retirement Savings Plan (VRSP).

SAS 70 is an auditing statement issued by the Auditing Standards Board of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA).

The HR/Benefits website is intended only to provide information for the guidance of Columbia University Officers, staff and union employees. The writers of the content have exercised their best efforts to ensure accuracy of the information, but accuracy is not guaranteed. If there are any discrepancies between the information on the website, verbal representations and the Plan documents, the Plan documents will always govern. The information is subject to change from time to time, and the University reserves the right to change or terminate these Plans at any time. The information contained on the website is not intended to replace the plan documents, nor is the information in any way intended to imply a contract.

Highlights

Newly Hired Faculty & Staff Checklist

University Holidays

HIPAA Privacy Policy

Forms

Discounts for Faculty & Staff

International SOS
Travel Assistance Program

Carrier Contacts

Transit/Parking

Flexible Spending Accounts

Medical Carriers

Prescriptions

Dental Carriers

Life Insurance

Long-Term Care Insurance

Long-Term Disability Insurance

Retirement Planning

Transit/Parking

EBPA
1-888-456-4576

Flexible Spending Accounts

EBPA
1-888-456-4576

Medical Carriers

Aetna Member Login
Aetna DocFind
1-888-444-3368
Aetna: Behavioral Health 888-44-3368

CIGNA Member Login
CIGNA General Information
1-800-244-6224
CIGNA: Behavioral Health 800-283-6226

United Healthcare Member Login
United Healthcare General Information
1-800-232-9357
United Healthcare: Behavioral Health 888-265-9945

HIP Member Login
1-800-447-8255

ColumbiaDoctors
ColumbiaDoctors, the Physicians and Surgeons of Columbia University
1-800-227-2762

Prescriptions

Medco Rx
1-800-230-0508

Dental Carriers

The Aetna Columbia Dental Plan
1-800-773-9326

GHI Dental
(212) 501-GHID

Life Insurance

The Standard Life Insurance
1-888-264-3057

Long-Term Care Insurance

John Hancock Long Term Care
1-800-964-3039

Long-Term Disability Insurance

Metropolitan Life Insurance Co.

Phone: 1-800-858-6515
Fax: 1-800-230-9531

www.metlife.com/mybenefits 

Retirement Planning

TIAA-CREF
1-800-842-2776

The Vanguard Group
1-800-523-1188

Calvert
1-800-368-2745