Frequently Asked Questions
- Health Care Reform Act
- Premium Costs for Health, Dental and Vision (pdf)
- Flexible Spending Accounts
Click on the link above to learn more and to link to EFLEX.
- Medical Spending Account
- Dependent Care Spending Account (Child or adult daycare)
- Transportation Spending Account
- Blue Cross Blue Shield Plan Information
Employees at the Aurora campus will continue to have three options for medical coverage. Because the health insurance market is quite different in Wisconsin there is only one coverage option.
- TIAA CREF
You can save both pretax and after tax to your TIAA CREF Retirement Account or Group Supplemental Retirement Account. Learn more about Aurora's plans, the ROTH after tax option, and how each fund is performing at the Aurora University TIAA CREF Portal.
- TIAA CREF changes and information (PowerPoint)
- TIAA CREF Retirement Account (RA)
- The university matches your contributions - are you "maxed" for the match? If not, consider increasing your current contribution by 1% this year and gradually move towards the maximum in order to take full advantage of this benefit.
| Your contribution |
University matches |
| 1% of salary |
2% of salary |
| 2% of salary |
3% of salary |
| 3% of salary |
4% of salary |
| 4% of salary |
5% of salary |
| 5% of salary |
6% of salary |
- TIAA CREF Group Supplemental Retirement Account (GSRA):
- Are you enrolled? Link above to the TIAA CREF website information on the SRA. This is a good time to enroll or increase your contributions. Learn more at the link above, or stop in HR for a Plan Booklet. (Note: Link takes you off the AU website to the TIAA CREF website).
- Salary Reduction Agreement
- Maximums for 2011: The limit on elective deferrals is $16,500 for 2011. This limit includes the employee contribution only.
- The limit on extra catch-up contributions by participants age 50 or older is $5,500 for 2011. The maximum total contribution by such participants in 2011 will therefore become $22,000.
- Maximums for 2011 did not change - they are the same as the 2010 maximums.
- Dental Plan Information
Two plans are offered:
- Principal Dental has excellent in network benefits, as well as a plan option that covers out of network dentists.
- Vision Plan Information
- Life Insurance Information
- Beneficiary information:
What is a beneficiary & why is it important?
- A beneficiary is the person (or persons) you elect to receive a benefit in the event of your death. Electing beneficiaries (and keeping your choice up to date) allows you to make sure your assets get distributed to your loved ones in a way you desire.
- If there is not a living beneficiary named at the time of your death for any of the contracts requiring a beneficiary designation, the plan benefits will be paid to your estate. Your will, if you have one, or the laws of the state you resided in at the time of your death will then determine to whom the benefits are paid. You should name at least one primary and at least one contingent beneficiary. Contingent beneficiaries are necessary so that if a primary beneficiary pre-deceased you or disclaims the asset, property will pass to your second choice.
- WHO should be your beneficiary?
- We strongly recommend you DO NOT name minor children as beneficiaries, but rather to name a guardian for minor children and a trustee for the children's insurance proceeds and other assets to be managed until they reach the age of adulthood. For legal advice about this, please consult an attorney.
- A recent lawsuit illustrates the importance of keeping your beneficiary up to date. In this case, a man died several years after a divorce in which the divorce agreement stated that each party gave up the rights to any interest in the other's retirement account. However, he had never removed his ex-wife's name as beneficiary on the actual retirement account. The ex-wife received the balance of the funds, not the estate.
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- Lesson: What the beneficiary form says is what the Plan must do. Wills and divorce decrees do not override the documentation.
- Other forms and informational links
