Protect Your Assets and Investments

Life Insurance

Open Enrollment is now closed. You can make changes to your benefits if you have a "qualified life event." Learn more on the UVA HR Life Changes webpages.

Life insurance helps provide financial protection for your loved ones in the event of your passing. That may mean paying daily expenses, managing debt, or paying for education. If you are enrolled in a UVA retirement plan (VRS, ORP, or MCRP), or if you are Housestaff or a Postdoctoral Fellow, you are provided basic life insurance coverage at no cost to you. Find out more about your specific plan details below, and the option to purchase additional coverage.

What to Know

  • Life insurance can be modified all year - While basic life insurance is established when your initial retirement plan is selected as you begin your career at UVA, you can add or modify additional life insurance options throughout the year, not just during Open Enrollment.
  • Review benefits - Just like getting an annual physical, Open Enrollment is the perfect time of year to check your benefits and see if they still cover your health and financial needs. You can do this by navigating to Workday and checking to make sure the benefits you previously selected continue to meet the needs of you and your family.
  • VRS participants - VRS members may purchase additional life insurance directly with the vendor outside of Workday. The amount of coverage corresponds with the selected employee option. Learn more about levels of coverage and life insurance maximums. No medical evidence of insurability (EOI) is required if enrollment is within 31 days of your date of hire (up to $400,000 coverage for yourself and up to half your creditable compensation for your spouse with no EOI).
  • ORP and MCRP participants - During Open Enrollment only, if you are already enrolled in the Supplemental Employee and/or Spouse Life with The Standard, you may increase your current election by one increment (from 1x salary to 2x salary or from 2x to 3x for employees, and up to $50,000 for spouse) without having to complete the medical Evidence of Insurability (EOI): 

What's Changing

Due to an increase in claims, premiums for spousal optional life will increase in 2026.

Learn More

  • Play Video

    Supplemental Life Insurance

    Learn about supplemental life insurance for Medical Center Retirement Plan (MCRP) and Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) participants, and the option to increase supplemental life insurance without medical evidence of insurability only during Open Enrollment.

    Transcript for Supplemental Life Insurance video

Life Insurance for VRS Members

VRS members are enrolled in the VRS Basic Group Life Insurance Program - administered by Securian - at no additional cost. If you would like additional life insurance (for yourself, your spouse, and dependents), you can purchase Optional Group Life Insurance.

  • Your insurance provider
    • For information about program features, forms, and other resources, see VRS Life Insurance Benefits
    • If you have questions, contact VRS at 800.441.2258

  • Basic Group Life Insurance

    Features include the following:

    • Natural death benefit is equal to your creditable compensation*, rounded to the next highest thousand and then doubled
    • Accidental Dismemberment:
      • For accidental loss of one limb or the sight of one eye, the benefit is equal to your creditable compensation, rounded to the next highest thousand.
      • For accidental loss of two or more limbs, total loss of eyesight, or the loss of one limb and one eye, the benefit is equal to your creditable compensation, rounded to the next highest thousand and then doubled.
    • Accidental death coverage is an additional amount equal to the natural death benefit

    *Creditable compensation is the member's current annual base salary and excluding the following:

    • overtime
    • extraordinary pay
    • bonus pay
    • housing and moving expenses
    • mobile device and internet costs
    • vehicle allowances
    • termination pay for leave
    • non-permanent shift differentials
    • payments of a temporary nature including but not limited to acting pay (if not permanently confirmed for the position)
    • payments for extra duties, such as pay for teachers who serve as coaches
    More about Basic Group Life Insurance

  • Optional Group Life Insurance

    VRS members may also purchase additional life insurance.  The amount of coverage corresponds with the selected employee option. Visit the VRS Group Life Insurance webpage to learn more about levels of coverage and life insurance maximums. 

    Features include the following:

    • Eligibility for you, your spouse, and dependents
    • No evidence of insurability is required if the form is received within 31 days of your date of hire (up to $400,000 for employee coverage and spousal coverage is up to .5X creditable compensation with no EOI)
    • Four tiered options for coverage

    See forms for enrollment, changes, EOI, and beneficiary requests at the Securian Financial webpage. 

Life Insurance for ORP and MCRP Members, Housestaff, and Postdoctoral Fellows

ORP and MCRP members, as well as Housestaff, are enrolled in Group Term Life Insurance with Accidental Death & Dismemberment through The Standard. ORP and MCRP members, as well as Housestaff, can secure additional life insurance (for themselves, their spouses, and dependents) by purchasing Supplemental Life with Accidental Death & Dismemberment.

Note for Postdoctoral Fellows: The Open Enrollment process for all Postdoctoral Fellows (non-UVA employees) is managed through UVA Human Resources. For additional information specific to Postdoctoral Fellows, contact Corinne Clasbey or Rachel Short.

FAQs

  • What happens to my life insurance if I leave UVA?

    That depends.

    • If simply separating from UVA:
      • You would lose the life insurance benefit.
      • The benefit is portable if you contact your vendor prior to termination.
    • If you were to go onto disability, there are options to continue based on your retirement plan and disability vendor.
    • If you retire, life insurance is maintained, but the details vary depending on your retirement plan (VRS, ORP, or MCRP):

    If you were covered under the Virginia Retirement System (VRS) Group Life Insurance Program as a member, some benefits continue into retirement.  Visit the VRS website and click on the "Just for Retirees" tab for details.

    If you are a Medical Center employee or an Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) enrollee and enrolled in life insurance with The Standard, your retiree life insurance provides a death benefit of $10,000 payable to your designated beneficiaries upon your death. The death benefit amount stays level for the rest of your life. 

    The Standard plan also allows you, at retirement or upon separation of service, to convert part or all of the basic and supplemental insurance you have as an active employee, less the $10,000 retiree life benefit.

    The Standard Options for your Life Insurance

Having trouble finding what you’re looking for?

We strive to make the information on every webpage clear and easy to find. For benefits questions or concerns, or questions about Open Enrollment, please contact the HR Solution Center by phone at 434.243.3344, or by email at AskHR@virginia.edu.

Please let the HR Communications team know if you're having trouble finding what you're looking for on these webpages, so we can improve your experience on this page in the future. 

For previous Open Enrollment email communications, see the right sidebar box on this page labeled "Open Enrollment Emails."

 

*Note for Postdoctoral Fellows: The Open Enrollment process for all Postdoctoral Fellows (non-UVA employees) is managed through UVA Human Resources. For additional information specific to Postdoctoral Fellows, contact Corinne Clasbey or Rachel Short.