Health & Life Benefits
Your health and peace of mind are important to us, and we want to ensure that you get the coverage that’s best for you and your family. Through myChoices Health & Life, you can enroll, view, or make changes to your benefits.
myChoices Health & Life
New: Vida Health
Adults enrolled in a JHU CareFirst health plan now have access to Vida Health, a personalized digital health platform that provides coaching and tools to support your well-being. Vida Health offers support for nutrition, weight management, pre-diabetes, diabetes, hypertension, and more.
Watch the webinar to learn more using passcode: e8#^0w.8
Quick Links
- myChoices Benefits Enrollment
- Quantum Health Portal
- WEX (FSA, HSA, Commuter, DCFSA, Child Care Voucher)
- Ask Alex Benefits Decision Tool
- Benefits Forms
- Benefits Provider Contacts
- Life Events
- Cost of Coverage
- Cobra
Our Health & Life Offerings
We offer a variety of coverage options, including medical, prescription drug, dental, and vision insurance, plus flexible spending accounts to save you money on health care and dependent care expenses. We also provide life and long-term disability insurance, plus optional additional coverages that protect you and your family.
For enrollees in JHU CareFirst medical plans, Quantum Health is your first point of contact for help with navigating medical care. Learn more or go directly to the Quantum Health member portal.
Several medical plans are offered, each varying in cost, coverage and in-network providers. Be sure to read and compare each plan and review eligibility for faculty and staff.
Several medical plans are offered, each varying in cost, coverage and in-network providers. Be sure to read and compare each plan and review eligibility for LiUNA bargaining unit members.
All of our medical plans include prescription drug benefits for you and your family and include a convenient, money-saving mail order pharmacy. Your out-of-pocket costs will depend on which medical plan you choose.
Free of charge to employees, Naviance provides support and information for anyone dealing with a cancer diagnosis or caring for someone with cancer. The program also helps supervisors learn how to best support employees through a cancer journey.
Two dental plans that vary by cost and coverage are offered. Read about eligibility, coverage, and how the plans compare.
Optional coverage for eye exams, glasses, contact lenses, and laser eye surgery.
A Health Care FSA saves you money by allowing you to pay for certain health care expenses – such as co-pays, deductibles, or medical equipment – with tax-free dollars. A Dependent Care FSA reimburses you for qualified dependent care expenses such as daycare that enable you and your spouse to work or attend school full time.
A Health Saving Account (HSA) is a tax-favored savings account to pay for health care expenses. You must be faculty or staff enrolled in the High Deductible Health Plan in order to open and contribute to the account. HSA funds belong to you and roll over from year to year, so you can choose to use them for eligible expenses now — or save them for later.
Pay for public transportation or non-JHU parking with pre-tax dollars, saving you money on your commute. Also, see if you qualify for the JHU transit subsidy.
JHU offers basic life insurance at no cost to full-time benefits-eligible faculty, staff, and LIUNA bargaining unit members, plus the option to purchase additional coverage for yourself and your dependents.
Full-time, benefits-eligible faculty and staff are automatically provided basic accidental death and dismemberment insurance coverage, with the option to buy additional coverage. AD&D insurance pays a benefit to you and your insured family members if you die or are seriously injured as the result of an accident.
JHU provides long-term disability (LTD) insurance at no cost to all full-time, benefits-eligible faculty, staff, and LIUNA bargaining unit members who have completed one year of service. LTD insurance pays out a portion of your income if you become unable to work for an extended period of time due to a disability. You may also purchase short-term disability (STD) insurance, which provides a portion of income for short-term absences from work due to injury or illness.
You can save money and prepare for life’s unexpected challenges by purchasing a variety of voluntary insurance packages, including accident, auto and homeowners, critical illness, pet, legal coverage, and more.
More About Health & Life
Life Events
Did you know that when you experience certain personal events, such as getting married or having a baby, you can make changes to your benefits coverage? These are called “qualifying life events” (QLE), and they allow you to make a change to your coverage outside of annual enrollment, so long as you change your benefits coverage within 30 days.
Cost of Coverage
You and Johns Hopkins University share the cost of your benefits coverage. The university pays for the majority of your coverage and you pay the remainder.
How it works
The premiums you pay for coverage are deducted directly from your paycheck. Some premiums are deducted before your taxes are calculated (pre-tax), and others are deducted after your taxes are taken out (post-tax). Some benefits are considered taxable income and reported on your W-2.
Below is a brief overview of which benefits are paid pre- and post-tax and any tax consequences relating to your coverage:
- Pre-tax: Premiums for all benefits with the exception of Dependent Life Insurance and Voluntary Benefits (Critical Illness Insurance, Accident Insurance, Legal Insurance, Auto & Homeowner’s Insurance) are deducted from your pay before income and Social Security taxes are taken.
- Post-tax: Premiums for domestic partner coverage are paid after income and Social Security taxes are deducted from your pay, as required by Federal law.
- Tax consequences of domestic partner benefits: The university-provided contributions paid for domestic partners (and their dependents) are treated as taxable income on your W-2 form. For more information, see the Tax Consequences of Domestic Partner Benefits.
- Tax consequences of life insurance premiums: The value of the premiums you pay for Dependent Life Insurance and for your own Life Insurance (coverage above $50,000) are reported as taxable income on your W-2 form.
Rates
The cost of coverage depends on your employment status with the university. For the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield medical plans, your premium cost will vary depending upon your salary tier. Click on the appropriate link to view the cost of coverage.
Taxability of domestic partner benefits
The Internal Revenue Code requires the fair market value of the benefits or privileges provided to domestic partners and their children to be considered taxable income for employment and income tax purposes unless the domestic partner qualifies as a dependent of the employee under Section 152 of the Internal Revenue Code. You can look at the domestic partner tax chart for specific dollar amounts.
Guide to Determine Imputed Taxable Income
If you currently cover your domestic partner under the university’s health and welfare plans and are legally married, you should immediately provide a copy of your marriage certificate to the Benefits Service Center via email to [email protected] or by fax to 443-997-5820. The necessary action will then be taken to eliminate the imputed tax associated with the benefit plans under which your spouse and/or stepchildren are covered effective the date of marriage or January 1, 2013, whichever is later.
COBRA
You have a right to choose COBRA if you lose your group health coverage.
More about COBRA
Congress passed the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) health benefit provisions in 1986. The law amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, the Internal Revenue Code and the Public Health Service Act to provide continuation of group health coverage that otherwise might be terminated due to change of employment status or family status.
The university provides more detailed information on your rights for continuation of group health insurance through these links:
Faculty and Staff 2026 COBRA Rates
LiUNA Bargaining Unit Members 2026 COBRA Rates
The U.S. Department of Labor provides more information about COBRA continuation of health insurance.
Questions?
Contact the Benefits Service Center at 410-516-2000 or [email protected].