Insurance Programs

The university offers a rich and flexible menu of insurance options to meet your needs. Review the quick overview below and use the links to the left for more information.

  • For benefits eligible employees, the university's contribution to your core benefits (medical, dental, life, and AD&D) is called Sooner Credits.
  • Full-time and part-time benefits eligible employees must enroll in insurance within the first 31 days of employment. Benefits eligible employees are covered the first day of the month following their date of hire.  
 Insurance Program Summary
Medical Insurance
 OU offers two plans through Blue Cross Blue Shield. Your options include the BlueOptions PPO plan and the BlueEdge HDHP plan.

The university contributes to medical premiums for benefits eligible employees.
Dental Insurance OU offers BlueCare Dental from Blue Cross and Blue Shield, available in a Basic Plan and an Alternate Plan. Both plans cover preventive, basic, and major services, but they differ in how they pay for covered services. Under each plan, you can visit any licensed dentist. The university contributes to the premiums for benefits eligible employees.  BlueCare Dental Web Portal
Vision Insurance MetLife Vision offers a standard vision plan and a premium vision plan. Both vision care plans provide coverage for prescription lenses and frames, contact lenses (in lieu of eyeglasses), and a complete annual eye exam. Under the plans, you can visit an optometrist within the VSP network or you may choose to visit an out-of-network provider, which may result in higher out-of-pocket costs.
MetLife Vision Provider Flyer
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Healthcare and dependent daycare Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) are reimbursement accounts that can decrease the amount of taxes you pay on your income by allowing you to set aside pre-taxed income for eligible expenses. 

  • A healthcare FSA reimburses you for out-of-pocket expenses, meaning those expenses that are not covered by your medical, dental, prescription or vision programs. These expenses include deductibles, co-pays, coinsurance and certain over-the-counter (OTC) expenses.
  • A dependent daycare FSA reimburses you for expenses you incur to allow you and, if married, your spouse to work. These expenses include day care, before-and-after school programs, nursery school or preschool, summer day camp and even adult day care.
ConnectYourCare Web Portal
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) Members enrolled the HDHP medical insurance plan will have a health saving account (HSA) to which employees and employers can contribute pre-tax money. To be eligible for an HSA, you must meet the following requirements, as defined by the IRS:

  • You must be covered under a qualifying high-deductible health plan (HDHP) on the first day of the month.
  • You have no other health coverage except what is permitted by the IRS.
  • You are not enrolled in Medicare, TRICARE or TRICARE for Life.
  • You can’t be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return.
  • You haven’t received Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits within the past three months, except for preventive care. If you have a disability rating from the VA, this exclusion doesn’t apply.
  • You do not have a health care flexible spending account (FSA) or health reimbursement account (HRA). Alternative plan designs, such as a limited-purpose FSA or HRA, might be permitted.

Other restrictions and exceptions may also apply. We recommend that you consult a tax, legal or financial advisor to discuss your personal circumstances.
You can see more on the HSABank website.

Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) AD&D coverage is inexpensive and provides a benefit in the case of dismemberment as a result of an accident or an untimely death. You can purchase increased levels of coverage and dependent coverage. The university contributes to the premiums for benefits eligible employees.
Life Insurance Life insurance provides a benefit in the case of death. You can purchase increased levels of coverage and dependent coverage. The university contributes to the premiums for benefits eligible employees. 
Long-Term Disability Long-term disability coverage provides long-term income if you've been off work for longer than six months because of illness or injury.  
Short-Term Disability Short-term disability coverage provides a short-term source of income in the case of illness or injury. 

    

Sooner Credits

The university pays a portion of the insurance premiums for benefits eligible employees as part of their total compensation package. These contributions are called "Sooner Credits" and are used for the core insurance programs: medical, dental, life insurance, and accidental death & dismemberment. 

Full and part-time employees classified to work between 20 and 40 hours per week are eligible for benefits. The Sooner Credit amount contributed for each employee is prorated based on their full-time equivalency (FTE) as shown below.

 FTE  % of Sooner Credits
 .5-.59  50%
 .6-.74  75%
 .75-1.0  100%

Affordable Care Act

Review information about the ACA Health Insurance Marketplace and how it affects OU employees.