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Benefits for Contracted Employees

Benefits for Contracted Employees
LBCC provides a comprehensive benefit package designed to provide employees and their eligible dependents, including domestic partners, with a broad range of employer and employee paid benefit options. All contracted employees are eligible to enroll in Medical, Dental and Vision insurance. Employees may choose to opt out of coverage on LBCC's medical, dental and vision plans if they are covered under another employer-sponsored, comprehensive group health plan. To discuss this option, please contact the Benefits Specialist at 541-917-4424 or on campus at ext. 4424.

Eligible dependents include the employee's legal spouse or domestic partner if he or she meets the eligibility criteria on the Domestic Partner Affidavit, provided by Oregon Educators Benefits Board (OEBB). The employee's children or the qualified domestic partner's children, if they are under age 26, and meet all dependent eligibility criteria; or if a court or administrative order requires you to provide health insurance.

Effective Date
If the first day of employment, in a benefits eligible position is on the 15th of the month or before, benefits become effective the first day of the following month. If the first day of employment, in a benefits eligible position is on the 16th of the month or after, benefits become effective the first day of the second month following employment. Example: A contracted employee hired August 15th will be eligible for benefits effective September 1st. A contracted employee hired August 16th will be eligible for benefits effective October 1st.

Notice of Qualifying Events
All covered employees are required to notify Human Resources within 31 days of "life change or qualifying events." These are changes that may affect your benefits, such as marriage, domestic partnership, birth, or adoption of a child, dependent loss of eligibility, divorce, and end of domestic partnership, etc. Failing to provide notice of life change or qualifying events may affect eligibility for coverage.

LBCC provides the following benefits for all eligible Classified, Confidential, Faculty, and Management/Exempt staff:

Benefits
Medical Insurance	Dental Insurance
Vision Insurance	Long-Term Disability Insurance
Group Life Insurance	Supplemental Life Insurance
Flexible Spending Accounts	Direct Deposit
Employee Assistance Program	Family Connections
Long-Term Care Insurance	Emergency and Personal Leave
Paid Holidays	Leaves of Absence
Paid Leave & Sick Leave	Pools for Sick Leave
PERS/OPSRP Retirement System	Social Security
Tax Sheltered Annuities	Tuition Waiver
Workers' Compensation Insurance
Additional Benefits
Athletic Events Discounts	Bus Pass
Educational Software Discount	Library Card

Pro-ration of Health Care Benefits
Classified
LBCC pays 100% of employee-only medical, dental and vision insurance premiums for all contracted classified employees who were:

hired prior to July 1, 2005
hired on or after July 1, 2005 and work greater than a .50 FTE workload

LBCC pays 90% of dependent medical, dental and vision insurance premiums for all contracted classified employees that were:

hired prior to July 1, 2005
hired on or after July 1, 2005 and work a 1.0 FTE workload

Contracted employees hired on, or after, July 1, 2005, who work .50 FTE of a regular work load, or less, are eligible for employee-only insurance benefits. The College shall pay fifty (50) percent of the premium cost to provide employee-only insurance benefits to these employees.

Contracted employees hired on, or after July 1, 2005, who work less than 1.0 FTE of a regular work load are eligible for two-party and family insurance benefits, but the premium costs for this coverage (that part of the premium in excess of employee-only coverage) will be subject to a pro-rated contribution to premium; pro-ration shall correspond to the percentage a contracted workload bears to a 1.0 workload (e.g., a .60 FTE employee will pay forty (40) percent of the college contribution to the premium for two-party and family insurance coverage. However, .50 FTE employees, and below, pay one-hundred (100) percent of two-party and family coverage). Employees working .50 FTE and below, who desire to "opt out" of insurance coverage shall have that option provided such options are approved by the insurance carrier, the College and the Association.

Faculty
LBCC pays 100% of employee-only medical, dental and vision insurance premiums and 75% of dependent medical, dental and vision insurance premiums for all contracted faculty.

Management/Exempt and Confidential
LBCC pays 100% of employee-only medical, dental and vision insurance premiums for all contracted management/exempt staff.

LBCC pays 75% of dependent medical, dental and vision insurance premiums for all contracted management/exempt that were:

hired prior to July 1, 2005
hired on or after July 1, 2005 and work a 1.0 FTE workload

Insurance Rates For information on premium rates and employee costs see Insurance Rates

OREGON EDUCATOR'S BENEFITS BOARD (OEBB)
LBCC is a member of the Oregon Educator's Benefits Board. All group health insurance plans are provided under the rules and provisions governing OEBB. You may access member information at http://egov.oregon.gov/DAS/OEBB/index.shtml

Medical Insurance
Eligible employees may choose from three medical plans offered by Oregon Educators Benefits Board. Choices include ODS Medical Plan 3-A, ODS Medical Plan 6-A and Kaiser HMO Plan 2. Plan summaries, booklets, and provider directories can be accessed from the carriers websites at http://www.odscompanies.com/oebb/ for ODS Plans; or at http://my.kp.org/nw/oebb/ for Kaiser HMO Plans.

All prescription drug plans include mail order prescription services. You can access the preferred medication lists at the websites listed above.

Open Enrollment
The college's annual Open Enrollment event is your only opportunity to add eligible dependents to medical coverage (unless you have a qualifying event during the plan year). You may delete dependents from medical coverage at any time (some exceptions may apply).
In the event your dependents lose their medical coverage as a result of termination of employment or involuntary termination of another plan's coverage, you may enroll the dependents under your medical plan provided you do so within 31 days of the date the other coverage ends.

Dental Insurance
Eligible employees may choose from plans offered by ODS Companies or Kaiser Permanente (available to Kaiser medical subscribers only). You may view the dental plan summaries and booklets by visiting the websites at http://www.odscompanies.com/oebb/; or at http://my.kp.org/nw/oebb/ for Kaiser HMO Plans.

Classified staff who choose ODS dental will be covered under ODS OEBB Plan 2
Faculty, Confidential and Management/Exempt staff who choose ODS dental will be covered under ODS OEBB Plan 3

Open enrollment is your only opportunity to add or delete eligible dependents to/from dental coverage (unless you have a qualifying event during the plan year).

Vision Insurance
Eligible employees may choose ODS Vision Plan 4 or Kaiser Permanente (available to Kaiser medical subscribers only). You may view the vision plan summaries and booklets by visiting the websites at http://www.odscompanies.com/oebb/; or at http://my.kp.org/nw/oebb/ for Kaiser HMO Plans.

After initial enrollment you may add or delete eligible dependents to/from vision coverage only during the annual open enrollment period (unless you have a qualifying event during the plan year).

Long-Term Disability Insurance
Long-term disability insurance provides employees and their families with financial protection in the event the employee becomes disabled. Subject to medical certification and approval, the disability insurance benefit pays up to 60% of base earnings, after a 90-day wait period. In an effort to make your benefit program more comprehensive and responsive to your needs, LBCC is providing this insurance to you at no cost.

Life and Accidental Death Insurance
The college provides life and accidental death and dismemberment coverage for eligible staff. Premiums are paid by the college with no cost to the employee. Both Life and AD&D insurance coverage provides a $50,000 benefit. To ensure coverage, please be sure you have listed your eligible dependents, domestic partners & domestic partner's dependents with Human Resources, even if they are not covered under the group health insurance plan.

Optional Life Insurance
The college offers supplemental (optional) life insurance for employees and their eligible dependents who wish to purchase insurance in addition to the group life insurance provided by the college. Premiums are paid on an after-tax payroll deduction basis.

You may apply for optional life coverage when newly hired or with evidence of insurability during the college's annual open enrollment period. After your initial new hire enrollment opportunity, you may only apply for new coverage or increase the amount of coverage during the college's annual open enrollment period (unless you have a qualifying event to add dependent coverage during the year).

If you are currently enrolled, you may increase your amount of insurance up to the guarantee issue amount of $200,000 at open enrollment without evidence of insurability. You may also increase the amount of insurance on your dependents during open enrollment if they are currently enrolled (up to $30,000 for spouse/domestic partner and $10,000 for child). You may decrease or cancel the amount of optional life coverage at any time.

Flexible Spending Accounts (Section 125 Plans)
Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code allows for establishment of individual, non-taxable accounts to pay for expenses associated with certain types of health and dependent care expenses. Enrollment in Section 125 is offered to College employees on a plan year basis for qualified health care and dependent care expenses incurred between October 1st and September 30th of the following year. Employees must re-enroll each plan year to participate in Section 125. Human Resources will facilitate an open enrollment process for Section 125 each year, in conjunction with Open Enrollment for all other employee benefit plans.

All reimbursements must be submitted to OEA Choice Trust by December 31st for eligible expenses incurred from October 1st through September 30th of the previous plan year. The Flexible Spending Accounts offered through OEA Choice Trust allow you to reduce your taxable income by utilizing the following three options:

Insurance Premium Contribution - This option allows you to pay your qualified health insurance premium contribution on a pre-tax basis.
Dependent Care Expense Account - This option allows you to have a pre-tax payroll deduction for dependent childcare or eldercare expenses.
Healthcare Expense Account - This option allows you to pay for unreimbursed healthcare expenses, including over-the-counter drugs that alleviate or cure an illness or injury, with pre-tax dollars.

The Health Care Reimbursement Account annual minimum is $120 and the maximum is $3,600. The Dependent Care Reimbursement Account maximum is $5,000 per family, per plan year ($2,500 if married filing separate Federal Income Tax returns).

For a list of qualifying expenses for the Healthcare FSA (section 125) plan see Covered Expenses. If you have an item that is not on the list and would like to find out if it is covered under your plan, please contact OEA Choice Trust at 1-800-452-0914.

Enrollment in the Insurance Premium Contribution Account renews each year unless you waive participation during open enrollment. Enrollment in the Dependent Care and Healthcare Expense Accounts will not automatically renew. Enrollment is required each plan year. The plan year is October 1st through September 30th.

Employees cannot change their FSA elections until the next Open Enrollment period unless there is a qualifying event. Domestic partner and domestic partner dependent expenses are not eligible. For answers to common questions about flexible spending accounts view the FSA Frequently Asked Questions on the OEA Choice Trust page. Consult your tax professional for tax related questions.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a no-cost, confidential assistance program to help address the personal issues you and/or members of your household are facing. This service, staffed by experienced counselors, is available to all contracted employees at Linn-Benton Community College. Contracted employees and members of their households are allowed up to five free sessions per family member, per calendar year.

To contact the Employee Assistance Group call (866) 750-1327. The website for the EAP contains plan information and helpful mental health related information: http://reliantbh.personaladvantage.com.

Family Connections
LBCC contracts with Linn and Benton Counties Family Connections to provide eligible employees with access to referral services in the areas of childcare, child development, parenting and elder care. There is no charge for these services. Contact Family Connections at (541) 917-4899 or (800) 845-1363 for information or visit their website at: LBCC Family Connections.

Tuition Waiver
A tuition waiver benefit is provided for all contracted employees and eligible dependents. For information on this benefit go to Tuition Waiver

Retirement System
LBCC offers retirement benefits through the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS). 6% of a member's monthly gross salary is contributed to an Individual Account Program. LBCC also contributes a percentage to PERS or OPSRP. For contracted Faculty and Classified employees, the 6% member's contribution is paid by the college.

If you have questions about retirement benefits, you may contact PERS at (888) 320-7377 or (503) 598-7377. PERS also has a website with of helpful information at http://oregon.gov/PERS.

Tax Sheltered Annuities
As an LBCC employee, you may deposit a percentage of your earnings in a 403(b) TSA account and shelter it from federal and state income taxes. You may enroll for this benefit at any time. LBCC has adopted the services of Carruth Compliance Consulting, Inc. (CCC), an independent third party administrator, to provide compliance and administration services for its 403(b) plan.

Comprehensive information about LBCC's TSA Plan is available on the web at www.ncompliance.com, including enrollment procedures, a salary reduction agreement form, and information about Vendors eligible to receive contributions, exchanges, transfers and rollovers. If you are starting contributions to a new Vendor, you must provide documentation that you have established an account with the Vendor. At any time, by submitting a new salary reduction agreement, employees may increase, decrease or stop their contributions to the TSA Plan or change the Vendor receiving contributions.

For questions regarding LBCC's TSA Plan please contact CCC at:
Carruth Compliance Consulting, Inc. 11515 SW Durham Road, Suite E-10 Tigard, OR 97224 Phone: 503-968-8961 Toll-Free: 877-222-3090

Direct Deposit
Electronic direct deposit is the process by which the College deposits your paycheck directly into your checking or savings account. It is available to all employees who receive a paycheck and required for all newly hired employees. For more information and to obtain the necessary forms go to Direct Deposit

Workers Compensation Insurance
The college provides coverage under Special Districts Association of Oregon (SDAO) for work related accidents. Contact Human Resources to assist you with the Workers' Compensation claim forms within 24 hours of seeking medical attention. In addition, it is important you complete a college General Accident Form available on the Risk Management website.

Social Security Insurance
The district matches your contribution toward Social Security benefits. The employee's share is 6.2 percent of gross salary up to a maximum salary set by the SSA for Old Age benefits. There is no limit on the wages subject to the Medicare tax; therefore, all covered wages are subject to the 1.45 percent tax.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Who can I cover on my medical, dental and vision insurance? You may cover your spouse or domestic partner (Affidavit of Domestic Partnership required), your dependent children, stepchildren, and domestic partner's children, adopted children (Certificate of Placement required); and other dependent children related to the subscriber (e.g., grandchildren) if the subscriber has legal custody (Certificate of Dependency and copy of guardianship papers required). Eligible dependent children may be covered until the end of the month in which they turn 26 years of age. Parents and grandparents are not eligible for coverage.

I am a new employee, when will my benefits become effective?
If your first day of employment, in a benefits eligible position is on the 15th of the month or before, your benefits become effective the first of the following month. If your first day of employment, in a benefits eligible position is on the 16th of the month or after, your benefits become effective the first of the second month following employment. Example: A contracted employee hired August 15th will be eligible for benefits effective September 1st. A full-time faculty employee hired August 16th will be eligible for benefits effective October 1st.

I am a new employee and I don't work full-time. Will the college pay for my dependents' insurance?
The college pays 90% of dependent insurance for eligible classified employees and 75% for confidential, faculty and management/exempt employees.

Classified, confidential and management/exempt employees hired on or after July 2005, who work less than a 1.0 FTE load, are required to pay an additional prorated amount of dependent insurance coverage. This amount is determined based on the employee's work load. Contact the benefits specialist in Human Resources, at ext 4424, to determine your specific out-of-pocket cost for dependent insurance coverage.

When can I add or drop dependents to my medical, dental or vision insurance?
You may add dependents when newly hired, during open enrollment or within 31 days of a qualifying event (such as marriage, birth, adoption, loss of other coverage, etc). Contact the benefits specialist in Human Resources, 541-917-4424, immediately to confirm the event qualifies you to add dependents. Changes are effective either on the day of the qualifying event or the first of the month thereafter.

You may voluntarily drop dependent medical coverage at anytime (restrictions may apply for divorce or legal separation). You may also drop dependent medical coverage during open enrollment or within 31 days of a qualifying event (such as divorce, overage dependent, or obtaining other group coverage).

You may only drop dependent dental & vision coverage during open enrollment, or within 31 days of a qualifying event. Contact the benefits specialist to determine if your event allows you to drop dependent coverage. Most changes are effective the first of the month following the qualifying event.

When can I add other benefits?
You may apply for optional life insurance and enroll in the health care and/or child care flexible spending account programs when first eligible as a newly benefited employee and during open enrollment. You may enroll anytime in a tax sheltered annuity plan (403b).

I have a qualifying event and need to add a dependent to my insurance. What is the process?
Contact the Benefits Specialist in Human Resources, College Center Building, Room CC-108, 541-917-4424. You may need to provide additional information before changes become effective and complete any forms that may be required. Please be sure to sign and date all required forms; list yourself and all of your dependents you wish to cover, along with each person's gender, birth date and social security number if required. Indicate which medical, dental and vision plans you want. If you are adding coverage for yourself or dependents due to loss of other coverage, you must also fill in the previous coverage information and may be required to submit a letter from the previous insurer stating who was covered on medical, dental and vision and the date that the coverage ended.