Benefits Enrollment Process

Welcome to Pitt! As a new employee to the University or a current employee new to benefits, this page will help you understand the benefits enrollment process, including step-by-step instructions, summary guides, and information about the types of benefits available to you.

Vendors for medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and retirement savings are described below, but more information can be found on the Health and Wellness Benefits page. Additionally, benefits summary guides for full- and part-time staff, retirees, and students can be found on the Benefits homepage.

Medical Benefits

Medical benefit plans are offered by UPMC Health Plan, including a health maintenance organization (HMO) plan and three preferred provider organization (PPO) plans, to meet your specific health care needs. These medical plan options provide flexibility and a range of comprehensive benefits to you, including wellness and preventative care, and the Prescription Drug Program. You can enroll in a medical plan via Pitt Worx.

Dental Benefits


Dental benefit plans are offered by United Concordia Dental (UCCI), including a dental health maintenance organization (DHMO) plan and a traditional indemnity program with two flex plans. These dental plan options provide access to a broad network of dentists, as well as full coverage of preventative services and access to University Dental Health Services on campus. Students without private dental health coverage may purchase University-sponsored coverage through United Concordia. University-related providers are located on campus in Salk Hall. You can enroll in a dental plan via Pitt Worx.

Vision Benefits

Vision benefit plans are offered through Davis Vision, one of the nation’s largest vision care providers, including comprehensive eye examinations and an allowance for frames or contact lenses. The University offers two vision plans with flexible options to meet your needs. Members can use the Davis Vision network online to find a list of participating providers and services, as well as access additional resources. You can enroll in a vision plan via Pitt Worx.

Life Insurance

Life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance plans are offered through The Hartford. Through the University, basic term life and accidental death and dismemberment coverage is available at no cost to you. Optional life insurance, AD&D coverage, and dependent term life insurance can also be purchased at group rates. You can enroll in a life insurance and AD&D plan via Pitt Worx.

Retirement Savings Plan

The University offers a robust retirement savings plan option, serviced by TIAA. Employees can contribute 3-8% of their monthly base salary, which is 100% matched by the University. After vesting, the University matches 150% of an employee's contributions. You can enroll in or make changes to your contributions via TIAA; you cannot enroll or make changes to your retirement savings plan contributions in Pitt Worx.

Retirement Plans Summary Flyer


Additional Services

Supplementary resources, including health and wellness, financial, and occupational services, are offered to faculty and staff online and on campus. These services assist Pitt employees in achieving a better work-life balance, learning how to manage stress, and gaining more financial clarity for their future. All programs, resources, and services can be found on the Work-Life Balance homepage.

Health and Wellness Services

The UPMC MyHealth@Work Center is an onsite Health and Wellness Center that treats a variety of health issues and common conditions, as well as provide wellness and preventative screenings, at no cost to Pitt faculty and staff, regardless of insurance coverage.

The Wellness for Life program is also available to Pitt employees who would like to focus on proactive healthcare management. Services are offered to promote positive lifestyle activities and choices, including the Dimensions of Wellness, health coaching, and the annual wellness incentives program.

WorkLife Services

Life Solutions, the University’s Faculty & Staff Assistance Program, provides a wide range of services to Pitt employees with a UPMC Health Plan and their family/household members, including personalized counseling and coaching services, 24-hour support, online webinars and tools, Disability and Family Medical Leave Outreach, and more. Care services and resources are offered online, over the phone, and in person.

Financial Services

TIAA is available for one-on-one appointments with licensed financial counselors for faculty, staff, and retirees who would like to discuss investment strategies, IRA options and mutual funds, retirement income plans, and more. Monthly live webinars are also offered for faculty and staff to learn more about saving, investing, and preparing for retirement. Services and consultations are offered online, over the phone, and in-person at your workplace or at a TIAA office near you.

Voluntary Benefits (PittPerks)

PittPerks is a value-added benefit for the University of Pittsburgh’s faculty and staff. It provides special pricing on a variety of voluntary benefits including auto, home, and pet health insurance, as well as identity theft protection, all through a convenient payroll deduction. Faculty and staff can also obtain University, local, and national discounts on various products and services. These discounts have been negotiated especially for the University of Pittsburgh. Visit the PittPerks website for more information. For more information, please visit the PittPerks page or visit the PittPerks website.

Provided through PittPerks by MetLife, eligible faculty and staff can enroll in the MetLife Legal Services program for a variety of legal matters, such as real estate matters, family law, document preparation, and more at an affordable monthly rate. Enrollment for legal plan coverage takes place during the Open Enrollment period or new hire enrollment. For more information, please the MetLife Legal Services page.


Enroll in Your Benefits Today

As of January 4, 2021, all new hires and rehires enroll in benefits via Pitt Worx, the University's human resources and payroll system.

Please follow the step-by-step instructions on the benefits enrollment process :

Before You Enroll in Your Benefits

You will need the following information and documentation available prior to enrolling:

  • If adding a dependent to your coverage, you need your dependent's full name, date of birth, gender, and social security number (if available).
  • Supporting documentation based on your relationship to the dependent being added:  
  • Depending on the Medical and Dental plan that you select, you may need to have your primary care physician (PCP) and dentist selected. This is only required if you select the Panther Gold HMO medical plan or the United Concordia Plus Managed Care plan. The initial designation of your PCP and dentist should only be done through the enrollment process. Future changes to your PCP and dentist must be made by calling UPMC or United Concordia directly.  Review doctor directories so that you can obtain the doctor's name, specialty, and practice code:

You must then follow these steps in order to elect your benefits if you are a new hire/rehire. These steps must be completed before selecting the "Make Changes" button from within Pitt Worx.

  1. Log in to Pitt Worx (via Pitt Passport) through my.pitt.edu
  2. Select Benefits from the Me page (homepage)
  3. If you are adding dependents: add your dependents in Before You Enroll (to do this, select the Before You Enroll card)
    • You must complete the following fields to submit your enrollment changes:  Last name, first name, relationship, relationship start date, gender, date of birth, and national ID (Social Security number) if available. When entering a social security number, do not enter dashes.
    • The relationship start date can only be as early as your hire date. If your marriage, domestic partnership, or birth/adoption of your child occurred prior to your hire date, please enter your hire date as the relationship start date. 
    • If your marriage, domestic partnership, or birth/adoption of your child occurred after your hire date, please enter the actual date of marriage, birth, etc. in the relationship start date field.
  4. If you have added dependents in Before You Enroll: add the appropriate Document Records (to do this, select the Document Records card)

Please note: You cannot enroll in or make changes to your retirement savings plan contributions via Pitt Worx. Learn how to enroll in or manage your retirement contributions.

Enrolling in Your Benefits

  1. Log in to Pitt Worx (via Pitt Passport) through my.pitt.edu
  2. Select Benefits from the Me page (homepage)
  3. Select the Make Changes button
    • Note: You must update/add your dependents (if you have them) in Before You Enroll and upload any related documentation in Document Records prior to starting the enrollment process.
  4. Follow the on-screen directions for enrolling in medical coverage, dental coverage, vision coverage, flexible spending/health savings accounts, life insurance coverage, AD&D coverage, dependent life coverage, and short- and long-term disability coverage.
    • Detailed instructions about enrolling in each of these coverage types can be found on the Pitt Worx hub (via Pitt Passport).

Please note: You cannot enroll in or make changes to your retirement savings plan contributions via Pitt Worx. Learn how to enroll in or manage your retirement contributions.

If you have difficulties accessing Pitt Worx, enrolling in your benefits, or just have general questions about your benefits options, contact the Benefits Department by submitting an online inquiry.

For more information and resources regarding benefits and enrollment, please contact the Benefits Department.

Need help understanding terminology you see throughout these pages? Visit the glossary of terms for a list of commonly used terms and definitions, as well as the frequently asked questions for answers regarding benefits and insurance, retirement savings, and more.