LACCD Health Benefits Program for Adjunct Faculty. Presented by Amy Roberts JLMBC Adjunct Faculty Resource & Treasurer, LA College Faculty Guild

Transcription

1 1

2 LACCD Health Benefits Program for Adjunct Faculty Presented by Amy Roberts JLMBC Adjunct Faculty Resource & Treasurer, LA College Faculty Guild

3 What Health Benefits Does LACCD Offer Adjunct Faculty? If you are eligible, you may choose medical, dental and/ or vision. Under these plans, your premium payments will be deducted from your paycheck on a pre-tax basis. District contributes a portion of your individual medical premium. Under certain circumstances, the District pays for one s individual VSP vision and half of one s employee only dental plan. Employee may purchase coverage for dependents by paying the entire premium. 3

4 How is Eligibility for Health Benefits Determined? Eligibility for health benefits is dependent on percentage of load you teach (per semester) in the entire Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD). Also called Full-time Equivalent (FTE) Load. 4

5 How to Calculate Your Full- Time Equivalent (FTE) Load First locate your Discipline s standard teaching hours for full-time faculty: The Standard Teaching Hours per Week for your Discipline may be found in the AFT Contract Article 13, Table A beginning on page 28. Now take the number of hours YOU are teaching per week and divide it by the Standard Hours for your Discipline. = FTE % Your Hours Standard FT per Week Hrs for Discipline 5

6 Location of Standard Teaching Hours in a Discipline Contract (CBA) Table A in Article 13 6

7 Percentage of FTE Example 1: History has 15 Standard Teaching Hours John teaches one 3-hour class. John s FTE is 3 15 =.20 FTE (20% of a load) When John teaches two 3-hour classes, then his FTE is 6 15 =.40 FTE If John has a third class, then 9 15 =.60 FTE x 15 = FTE Your Hours Standard FT per Week Hrs for Discipline 7

8 Percentage of FTE Example 2: English has 12 Standard Teaching Hours Keisha teaches one 3-hour class Her FTE is 3 12 =.25 FTE (25% of a load) When Keisha teaches two 3-hour classes, then her FTE is 6 12 =.50 FTE x 12 = FTE Your Hours Standard FT per Week Hrs for Discipline 8

9 Percentage of FTE Example 3: Dance has 18 Standard Teaching Hours Martha teaches one 3-hour class Her FTE is 3 18 =.17 FTE (17% of a load) However, if Martha teaches two 3-hour classes, then her FTE is 6 18 =.33 FTE The maximum Martha can teach is.67 FTE (67% of a load), which she would reach if she teaches four 3-hour classes: =.67 FTE. x 18 = FTE Your Hours Standard FT per Week Hrs for Discipline It is very important that hours rather than course units be used to calculate FTE. 9

10 Percentage of FTE Example 4: CAOT Computer Applications & Office Technologies has 15 Standard Teaching Hours Encore (older adult program) has 25 Standard Teaching Hours In CAOT, Amy teaches one 5-hour class: Her FTE is 5 15=.33 FTE (33% of a load). In Encore, Amy teaches two 2-hour classes: Her Encore FTE is 4 25=.16 FTE (16% of a load). So, Amy s total FTE is =.49 (or 49%) It is very important that you know the standard hours of the discipline(s) in which you teach. 10

11 What are the Eligibility Requirements for LACCD Benefits? Having taught a.20 FTE for 3 semesters out of the last 8 semesters Any of the nine colleges in the LA district Seniority not required Currently employed and carrying.33 FTE load in a semester Timely enrollment 11

12 Medical, Dental, and Vision You can buy into any of the District s group plans: Medical (3 PPOs and 8 HMOs) Dental (2 plans) Vision (VSP) MEDICAL: You will receive a monthly District $ contribution towards medical if you carry a.33 FTE load. Of course, you may buy two-party or family medical coverage; however, the District contribution does not currently cover dependents. 12

13 CalPERS Offers 11 Medical Plans CalPERS PPOs PERS Choice PERS Select PERSCare CalPERS HMOs Anthem HMO Select Anthem HMO Traditional Blue Shield Access+ Blue Shield NetValue Health Net Salud y Más Health Net SmartCare Kaiser CA United Healthcare 13

14 How is the District s Medical Contribution Calculated? District s monthly contribution is 50% of the mathematical average of single-party monthly premiums for five most popular LA area medical plans: Excludes PERSCare PPO (and newer, less used plans) 2016 individual plan average = ~$566.62/month Monthly contribution amount (half of average): 2015 = $269/month 2016 = $283/month +$14 = 5.2% District subsidy increase limited to 110% of previous year s contribution +10% = ~$27 or $296/month 14

15 2016 CalPERS Monthly Medical Plan Rates For your monthly cost, subtract the 2016 District's Monthly Contribution $283 from the rate: 15

16 Vision: District pays 100% of individual VSP premium with.50 FTE assignment Dental: District pays half of individual dental premium with.50 FTE assignment Adjunct faculty pays entire premium for two-party or family 2016 MONTHLY RATES: Contributions at.50 FTE: Improvement! 16

17 Upcoming Improvement to Premium Deduction Method Newly or re-eligible faculty coverage period: Fall Assignment Eligibility Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec, & Jan (5 months) Spring Assignment Eligibility Feb, Mar, Apr, May, Jun, & Jul (6 months) Only continuing enrollee received August coverage Fall Assignment Sept to Feb (6 Months) Spring Assignment Mar to Aug(6 Months) Good News from AFT & LACCD 17

18 Sounds Great, When Can I Start? Usually takes adjunct faculty 2 to 4 years to qualify for District health benefits plans. 3 semesters in previous 8 semesters with.20 FTE.33 FTE in semester obtaining benefits Adjunct faculty must be aware and proactive about entering health benefits plans. Usually NOT at typical Open Enrollment time period Special enrollment dates may occur when school is not in session, specifically the months: January August 2016 Annual Open Enrollment was Sept 14 to Oct 9. 18

19 Life Status Change* aka Qualifying Life Event Adjunct faculty who gain eligibility (did not participate in the District s health benefits program during the preceding semester) may qualify to enroll into the health benefit plans mid-year as a result of gaining eligibility for coverage. You may or may not be notified by the District that your upcoming semester s assignment qualifies you for health benefits. Adjunct faculty must be aware and proactive. Important enrollment dates may occur when school is not in session, specifically the months of January and August. If adjunct faculty elected vision or dental at a.50 FTE but loses an assignment the next semester (and remains at least.33 FTE), he/she is required to stay in plan and pay the entire premium until end of plan year Dec 31 st. 19

20 *What is a Life Status Change? A Life Status Change (LCS) is a qualifying life event such as a marriage, divorce, the birth or adoption of your child, or an employment status change that allows you to apply for or change your benefits outside of Open Enrollment. For more information visit: HumanResources/healthbenefits/Documents/ Qualified-Life-Events.pdf Or call Health Benefits Unit at (888)

21 Recent Improvements to Adjunct Faculty s Benefits 2014: District contribution for individual vision coverage 2015: obtained half of individual dental premium contribution (subsidy) 2016: premium deduction method: AFT and District worked diligently to improve and simplify payroll deduction method. Your LACCD health benefits will provide coverage 6 months of coverage with 5 payroll deductions from your semester paychecks. 2017: what would YOU like to see improved? 21

22 District Contribution History District increases to adjunct faculty medical benefits over last 10 years: 22

23 What is Age Rating? The Affordable Care Act limits the factors that can be used to charge consumers greater health insurance premiums. For insurance coverage effective January 1, 2014, health insurance issuers in the individual and small group markets are allowed to vary premiums based on age (within a 3:1 ratio for adults), tobacco use (within a 1.5:1 ratio and subject to wellness program requirements in the small group market), family size, and geography. Source: 23

24 Covered California LA Region16* Good news, CalPERS not age rated Example of age rating 25 Year Old 40 year Old *Tentative 2016 Rates LACCD s CalPERS medical plans are not age rated. 24

25 What Happens When I Retire? General Notice of AB 528 Eligibility If you are currently receiving a CalSTRS pension, but have not vested in LACCD benefits, you may be eligible to purchase medical and dental insurance for you and your spouse or domestic partner under the provisions of AB 528. Source: healthbenefits/pages/ab528.aspx 25

26 What Happens if I Retire but Continue Teaching? If you opt (chose) to be covered by District benefit plans under AB 528, CalPERS no longer considers you to be an active member. Therefore, if you are under 65, and not Medicare eligible, you will be required to pay the entire premium. At the age of 65, you may purchase the District (CalPERS) Medicare Supplemental plans. No District contribution as currently stated in our Contract: Master Benefits Agreement (MBA) Article 27. If one is not in a CalPERS medical plan prior to retirement, it appears that adjunct faculty do not qualify to opt into the plan(s) upon retirement. 26

27 What Happens When I Reach Medicare Age? If you are retired from CalSTRS and opted to continue medical plans via AB 528, you may purchase the Medicare Supplemental plans offered by the District. Must pay for Part A and Part B Medicare coverage. No District contribution will be made. If you have not yet retired from CalSTRS at age 65, you may not access the Medicare Supplement plans offered by the District. However, you may continue in the non-medicare plans and the District contribution will continue because you are considered to be active. 27

28 Need More Information about AB 528? Please see separate handout. Source: healthbenefits/documents/ab528-info.pdf For more information about benefits under the provisions of AB 528, please contact the LACCD Health Benefits Unit at (888) You have just 30 days to elect this coverage. Only 30 days 28

29 Ideas to Improve Benefits? Questions? Thank you! 29