When a Death Occurs

Death of a Family Member

The death of a family member is very difficult, both emotionally and financially. Some arrangements need to be made promptly so that family finances and benefits plans remain in order. Indiana University offers services to help both employees and family members after the loss of a loved one.

The IU Employee Assistance Program (IUEAP) provides support through bereavement counseling to appointed employees and their household members. The IUEAP program is administered by IU Psychiatric Management (IUPM). By contacting IUPM, a referral can be made for up to three counseling visits paid for by IU.

The employee can also obtain assistance with general benefit matters by contacting a campus Human Resources office. Important benefit considerations include the following:

• Group Insurance Plans–Claims for life and Personal Accident Insurance benefits and a change in Personal Accident Insurance coverage levels may need to be made.

• Medical and dental plans–A covered spouse or child will need to be removed from the IU-sponsored health care plan (notice is required within 60 days of the date of death).

• Beneficiaries–Beneficiary designations on life, accident, and retirement plans may need to be updated. Beneficiary change forms are available at www.indiana.edu/~uhrs/benefits/insuranceforms.html.

Death of an Employee

No one likes to plan for his or her own death, but as a practical matter, there is important information that the employee can provide for surviving family members. For appointed employees, an IU representative will initiate contact with the employee’s family or beneficiary to offer assistance with the following benefit plan transactions. Family members and beneficiaries may contact University Human Resources Services at 812-855-2007 at any time.

• Final paycheck–The employee's family or beneficiary must go through a state-mandated petition process. In many cases the state imposes a 45-day waiting period. The request for the IU Payroll Department to issue a final paycheck takes 10 days from the time that all state requirements are met.

• Medical and dental coverage–The employee’s family will be notified in writing of rights and options for continuing IU-sponsored health care coverage under COBRA. COBRA must be elected within sixty days of death.

• Group Insurance Plans–To make a claim for life and Personal Accident Insurance benefits, the beneficiary must contact University Human Resource Services. Surviving family members under a group plan have the option to convert to individual coverage, but only when initiated within thirty-one days of death.

• Retirement plans–To claim the proceeds of retirement plan, the beneficiary must contact the respective retirement plan administrator or investment company.

The following contact numbers may be useful when dealing with the above issues:

For more information please contact University Human Resource Services at (812) 855-2007.

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