When you’re first eligible for benefits with JHU—whether you’re newly hired or are just becoming eligible for benefits—you’ll be asked to make some important decisions.
Making Your Enrollment Decisions
You’ll need to make enrollment decisions within 30 days by going to myChoices Enrollment. Your elections are effective on your hire/eligibility date.
As you prepare to enroll, you should have your dependents’ names, birth dates, and Social Security numbers on hand, as well as the names and birthdates of your beneficiary(ies). To explore your options, talk to Alex, Virtual Benefits Counselor. Just answer a few questions and ALEX will show you the plans that give you the coverage you need and explain each benefit if you would like to learn more. Refer to the chart below for an overview of enrollment decisions.
For these benefits… |
When to enroll… |
| Health & life benefits: Medical, dental, vision, flexible spending accounts, short-term disability, life and dependent life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance
Voluntary benefits: Critical Illness Insurance, Hospital Indemnity Insurance, Accident Insurance, Legal Services Plan, Identity Protection |
Within your first 30 days of hire or benefits eligibility. Enrollment effective on your hire/eligibility date. Note: If you do not receive a benefits enrollment email within 2 weeks of hire date, contact JHU Benefits Service Center. |
| 403(b) retirement plan | Available immediately upon hire or new eligibility; you are automatically enrolled at a 3% savings rate in an age-based target-date fund. You will receive a retirement plan enrollment email within three weeks of hire or new eligibility. |
| Voluntary benefits: Auto and Homeowner’s Insurance, Pet Insurance | At any time |
Take Action
Shortly after you become eligible for benefits, you will receive an email with a link to the benefits enrollment site. Please complete your online elections by the due date indicated in the email.
In addition, you may need to complete and upload one or more of the following:
- Medical Coverage Waiver—to waive medical coverage at JHU
- Affidavit of Marriage/Domestic Partnership—this can be provided in lieu of a legal marriage certificate
- Dependent Eligibility Information—if you are enrolling dependents in your JHU coverage
- Certificate of Previous Coverage for Long-Term Disability—to be eligible for immediate coverage under JHU’s long-term disability plan
- Your 403(b) Retirement Plan automatically enrolls you at a 3% savings rate in an age-based target-date fund. Then, every July beginning in 2026, your savings rate will increase by 1% each year until you reach a 10% savings rate. If you do not want to contribute, then you must opt out.
- Your enrollment elections for other insurance and benefits
If You Don’t Take Action
If you are a new employee or newly eligible and do not enroll in or waive your benefits within 30 days of your hire or eligibility date, you will receive the default benefits coverage listed in the chart below. Your next opportunity to enroll in or waive coverage will be during annual enrollment, unless you have a qualifying life event.
Default Coverage for Faculty and Staff |
|
| Medical | CareFirst Core PPO (Individual coverage) |
| Dental | No coverage |
| Vision | No coverage |
| Flexible Spending Accounts | No coverage |
| 403(b) Retirement Savings Plan | Automatic enrollment at a 3% savings rate in an age-based target-date fund. Starting July 2026, your savings rate increases by 1% each year until a 10% savings rate is reached. |
| Basic Life Insurance | Basic coverage; level depends on employment status |
| Dependent Life | No coverage |
| AD&D | $10,000 basic coverage |
| Short-Term Disability | No coverage |
| Long-Term Disability | Coverage after one year of service unless proof of similar coverage elsewhere |
| Legal Services Plan | No coverage |