Eligibility for Benefits

Who is Eligible?

You are eligible for the full benefit package if you are a faculty member with at least a .75 full-time equivalent (FTE) or a staff member who works at least 30 hours per week.

The full benefit package includes medical, vision, dental, life, AD&D, disability, flexible spending, and the retirement supplemental and annuity plans.

You are eligible for the partial benefit package if you are a staff member who works at least 20 hours per week or a faculty member with at least .50 FTE. The partial benefit package includes medical, vision, dental, flexible spending, and the retirement supplemental and annuity plans. If you are an adjunct faculty member with at least .50 FTE, you are eligible for the partial benefits package with the exception of the retirement annuity plan. Benefits are not extended to temporary employees.

New Employee Eligibility

If you are a new employee, you may enroll in benefit plans within 31 days of your date of hire or appointment. When you enroll, your effective date of benefit coverage is the first day of the month following your date of hire.

For example, if your hire date is on September 8th, your benefits will begin on October 1st. In order for your benefits to become effective, you must complete and submit all of the required enrollment forms to the Human Resource Office with 31 days of your date of hire. If your forms are not returned within your initial 31 days of employment, you must wait for the annual Open Enrollment period or a qualifying event to enroll in your benefits.

Dependent Eligibility

You can enroll your spouse/domestic partner and your dependent children up to age 23 for medical and dental coverage. There are no full-time student requirements for dependents over the age of 18. However, a signed Affidavit of Marriage/Domestic Partnership is *required* to enroll spouse or domestic partner. The affidavit will be kept in the employee’s benefit file and a copy will be supplied to the benefit provider(s) for documentation of benefit eligibility.

Per IRS guidelines, unless the Spouse/Domestic Partner and his/her children qualify as the employee’s legal dependent for tax purposes, the following will apply:

• The premium portion paid for an unmarried partner and his/her covered children may not be paid on a pre-tax basis through the Personal Choice Account; however, the portion of the premium paying for your own coverage and for your own children may be paid on a pre-tax basis.
• Out-of-pocket expenses for health care or dependent care for Domestic Partners and his/her dependents cannot be paid with pre-tax funds through the Personal Choice Account, per IRS guidelines.
• Employees will pay taxes on the additional amount Lewis & Clark College pays toward coverage for a Domestic Partner and his/her covered children.