Benefits Program Considerations

Be sure to read through the program considerations for each Benefits plan to ensure that you make the best decisions. Please schedule a consultation with a Benefits team member if you have any questions.

If you and your spouse, or another IC employee who share a child, are both in benefit-eligible positions at the College and have dependent children, there are a few things you need to be aware of when making your elections for Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) and Dependent Life Insurance.

According to the rules of both plans, "no person may be covered both as an employee and a dependent and no person may be covered as a dependent of more than one employee." Thus, if you and your spouse, or other IC parent, are both in a benefit-eligible position AND you have children, your options are listed below.

  1. Both of you would automatically be enrolled in the Basic AD&D coverage, and one of you can elect Voluntary Employee & Children AD&D coverage. The employee who does not elect the Employee & Children coverage can choose to select Voluntary Employee Only coverage. Only one of you would be covered under the Voluntary Employee and Children coverage and therefore have coverage for your children. Your spouse, or other IC parent, would be covered under their Voluntary Employee Only coverage.
  2. In addition to both of you being automatically enrolled in the Basic AD&D coverage, you can both elect Voluntary Employee Only coverage. This would mean that neither of you would have any eligible children to cover, or you are both declining to cover them.
  3. You can both decline Voluntary AD&D coverage. In this case, you would still both be automatically enrolled in the Basic AD&D coverage.
  1. One employee can elect dependent life coverage and the other can decline coverage. It is important to understand that if you do so, the spouse, or other IC parent, who has not elected dependent life insurance is not covered as a dependent under your plan: they are covered as an employee under the Basic Life Insurance plan, and have the opportunity to elect Supplemental Life as an employee. You would have coverage for your children only in this case.
  2. You could both decline the Dependent Life coverage.

Your debit card does not expire at the end of every year so you should keep it for use in subsequent years. This extends to both Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Accounts. You may access your Inspira Financial account via Aetna at:  MyAetnaWebsite.com or inspirafinancial.com.

  • Your legal spouse.
  • Your legal children. For medical, dental, vision care this includes your natural, adopted or foster children, stepchildren, or any child for whom you have legal custody or are required to provide health insurance by a Qualified Medical Child Support Order. For Dependent Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment insurance this includes your natural, adopted or stepchildren.

Dependents are eligible for all benefits up to age 19. After the age of 19, they may remain eligible for certain benefits if they are.

  • under the age of 26 - for group medical insurance only, regardless of student or marital status.
  • between the ages of 19 and 25 (proof of full-time student status required) - for dental, vision, dependent life insurance, and voluntary accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
  • age 19 or older if unmarried and fully disabled.

To be an eligible individual and qualify for an HSA, you must meet specific requirements. Eligibility for an HSA is determined by Federal law. It is your responsibility to ensure you are eligible. You must be covered under a high deductible health plan on the first day of the month for which you receive or make a contribution to an HSA.

To be an eligible individual and qualify to make or receive contributions to an HSA, you must meet the following requirements:

  • You must not be covered by any other health plan other than another HDHP (with limited exceptions).
  • You must not be eligible to be claimed as a dependent on another person’s tax return.
  • You are not enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare or have VA Benefits.

If you enroll in a HDHP with a health savings account and are NOT eligible to make or receive contributions, there are tax implications that you will be responsible for, including the return of funds contributed on your behalf by Ithaca College.

If you are new to the HSA plan for 2026 and still have a balance in your 2025 Flexible Spending Account (FSA) as of December 31, 2025, you won’t be able to contribute to or receive funds in your HSA until April 1, 2026, due to IRS regulations. Therefore, ensure your FSA balance is zero by December 31, 2025.