Benefits

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.

Benefits Highlights (formerly Benefits in Brief) 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	Tuition Programs Columbia University offers several programs for tuition, both at and outside of the University.	Employee Assistance Program (EAP) 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.
	FAQs & Glossary Frequently asked questions about Medical, Dental, Retirement, Life Insurance, Transit, Parking, Life Status Changes, and other Columbia University Benefits.	Information for Retirees View information about retiree medical plans, including rates for the current year.
	COBRA (Officers and Support Staff) Current COBRA medical and dental rates	Postdoctoral Fellows: Medical Benefits Enrollment instructions and rates for medical plan benefits for postdoctoral fellows.
	Adoption Assistance Program 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 Summary Plan Descriptions (SPDs)
	Summary Annual Reports (SARs) and Form 5500s (Annual Reports)	Statement on Auditing Standards No. 70: Service Organizations (SAS 70) 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.