Death in the Family

Death in the Family


The death of a loved one can leave you shaken and grieving. We offer our sincerest condolences to you for the passing of your loved one, and want you to know that we are here to support you in any way we can.

You have 60 days to submit a Qualified Life Event. 

During this time, you can find support from UVA through programs such as: 

  • Bereavement support: Spiritual support from UVA Chaplains
  • When a Loved One Dies: Information about making decisions such as whether to bury or cremate your loved one, whether to have an autopsy performed, and whether organs will be donated.

To discuss benefit changes, please contact the Solution Center, and a benefits counselor will assist you.

If you are the primary policy holder at UVA, the death of your loved one qualifies you to make changes to:

  • Medical, dental, and vision benefits
  • Health FSA and Dependent FSA
  • Group supplemental life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D)

Please note that changes to your coverage may only be related to the qualified life event. (For example, with the passing of your loved one, you may change your "Employee Plus Spouse or Family" coverage level to "Employee Only," but you may not switch your coverage from Basic Health to Choice Health.)

What You Need to Know and Do:

  1. Within 60 days of the qualifying event, initiate and finish the process of adding or deleting dependent(s) in Workday:

    - Navigate to Workday>Benefits & Pay Hub>Change Benefits

    - If you (not dependents) are waiving your current medical, dental, or vision benefit enrollments or if you are enrolling under UVA medical, dental, or vision benefits for the first time because of a qualifying life event, you must make your request to askhr@virginia.edu.

    - Upload the required paperwork 

    - See this chart detailing documentation requirements that confirm the qualified life event and, if you are adding a spouse or dependent to your coverage, the documentation to confirm their relationship to you. 

     

  1. You may change your tax withholding due to adding or removing a dependent.

    - Navigate to Workday>My Pay App>Withholding Elections

    - Click on the Update button and make your changes

     

Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance

As a result of adding or removing a dependent, you may be able to make changes to your life and AD&D benefits, based on your current retirement plan. Contact your vendors directly to make changes to your life or AD&D benefits:

Learn More About Life Insurance

Beneficiary Designation

As a result of adding or removing dependents, you may make changes to beneficiary designations for retirement or life insurance.

  • Navigate to Workday>Benefits & Pay Hub>Change Beneficiaries
  • Add, edit, or delete beneficiaries
  • Reach out to your investment plan vendors directly for changes to your retirement plan:

ICMA-RC
877.327.5261

Fidelity
800.343.0860

TIAA
800.842.2252

Flexible Spending Accounts and Dependent Daycare Reimbursement Account

As a result of adding or removing dependents, you may make changes to Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Dependent Daycare Reimbursement Accounts (DCAs) that are consistent with the qualified life event (increase for adding dependents, and decrease for removal of dependents but goal amount can't be less than amount already contributed or spent). Make the request to change your FSA  or DCA within 60 days of the qualified life event. Changes become effective the first day of the month following receipt of the application and documentation at UVA HR if received within 60 days of the qualified life event. 

Learn More About FSAs

Survivor Benefits

If you have survivor retirement benefits and your deceased was a retiree, you may enroll in the State Retiree Health Benefits Program if you had coverage prior to the retiree’s death. You would be considered an annuitant survivor.

Learn More