As we finalize Open Enrollment, UW also offers other benefits for employees as well as beneficiary information for life insurances, health savings account, and retirement accounts. The employee must take action to enroll, make updates, and/or utilize.

Other Benefits

The Universities of Wisconsin provides additional benefit programs to eligible employees outside of the traditional insurance benefits:

• 529 College Savings Plan – Edvest is Wisconsin’s 529 College Savings Plan.

• Lifestyle Benefits Program – through Securian Financial, offers legal, financial and grief resources, travel assistance, and legacy planning. This program is available to employees enrolled in State Group Life Insurance or Individual & Family Life Insurance Programs. It is free of charge and no enrollment is required.
• Long-Term Care Insurance – Mutual of Omaha offers long-term care insurance, however, contact HealthChoice to enroll or make changes to your policy.

What is a Beneficiary?  Beneficiary Designations Video

If you don’t remember who you designated, complete a new enrollment form and mail it to the provider of service.  

A beneficiary is the person or entity named in a life insurance policy, retirement plan, or health savings account. This is the person that receives the benefit upon death. 

The beneficiary designation on file at the time of death is binding in the payment of your benefits.  

If you do not have a beneficiary designation on file, benefits will be paid in the order of “Statutory Standard Sequence” (a Wisconsin State law):

• Employee’s surviving spouse or domestic partner, otherwise;
• Employee’s surviving child(ren) equally, otherwise.
• Employee’s surviving parent(s) equally, otherwise.
• Employee’s surviving sibling(s) equally, otherwise;
• Employee’s estate.

To see which benefit plans you are currently enrolled in that have benefits payable to beneficiaries:

• Log into Workday (myworkday.wisconsin.edu).
• From the Menu in the left go to Personal, then select Benefits and Pay.
• In the Suggested Links select, My Benefits to access the benefits enrollment system, My Insurance Benefits.

Life Insurance and Beneficiary Designations 

• All Beneficiary Designations should be mailed to the address on each form by the employee.  
• OE is great time to update Beneficiary Designations as you may change your beneficiary at any time.
  • Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS)
    • ET-2320 –name primary and secondary beneficiaries
    • ET-2321 –name primary and secondary along with alternate beneficiary for each
  • Individual & Family Life Insurance
  • Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance
  • Accident Insurance – uses the same form at WRS.  To name different beneficiaries for these plans, complete separate forms and specify which plan it applies to on the form.
    • ET-2320 –name primary and secondary beneficiaries
    • ET-2321 –name primary and secondary along with alternate beneficiary for each
  • Health Savings Account (HSA)
  • UW 403(b) Supplemental Retirement Program (SRP)
    • Once enrolled, TIAA and Fidelity participants can update beneficiary designations online.
    • If you are not able to designate your beneficiary online account, contact your 403(b) recordkeeper(s) to obtain a beneficiary designation form.
      • TIAA | (800) 842-2776
      • Fidelity Investments | (800) 343-0860
  • Wisconsin Deferred Compensation (WDC) 457 Program

For questions, contact your local HR person or email hr@cals.wisc.edu.