INSURANCE GUIDELINES DURING LEAVE OF ABSENCE
Employees on Leave of Absence With Pay
If an employee is placed on an approved leave of absence from the University and will continue to receive a paycheck, the employee is not required to take any action to continue current insurance coverage.
Employees on Leave of Absence Without Pay
If an employee is placed on leave of absence without pay, the employee must contact Kathy Taylor immediately. During the leave, the employee may continue all insurance coverage or they may choose to cancel all insurance coverage.
Continuing Insurance during Leave without Pay
The employee may continue all insurance coverage PROVIDED the employee pays their premium which is normally deducted from their paycheck, PLUS the employer portion of the monthly premium. The University will NOT send a billing for the premiums and it is the employee's responsibility to provide the premium payment by the 1st of each calendar month.
Canceling Insurance during Leave without Pay
If an employee is placed on leave without pay they may choose to cancel ALL insurance coverage while on leave. To do so, the employee must contact Kathy Taylor and complete all applicable forms to request cancellation of insurance plans during the leave without pay. If forms are not completed, and the employee does not make arrangements to provide the monthly premium payments, coverage will be terminated for non-payment. If coverage is terminated due to non-payment of premiums, the employee may not be eligible to re-enroll in the University's insurance plans upon returning to work. Upon returning to work, it is the employee's responsibility to contact Kathy Taylor and complete all applicable forms to re-enroll in the eligible insurance programs. The employee has 31 days from the date they return to exercise this option.
Premium Payments during Leave without Pay
All monthly payments for insurance coverage must be payable to the "University of Tennessee." The employee's Social Security Number or Personnel Number must be identified at the time of payment. The premiums must be remitted to the Office of Human Resources by the 1st of each calendar month, beginning with the first month of non-paid leave. The State of Tennessee allows a 31-day grace period before coverage is cancelled for non-payment of the required monthly premium. If past and current month premiums are not received within the allowed grace period, coverage will be cancelled for non-payment and the employee will be required to reimburse the State of Tennessee for all claims paid after coverage ends.
