Eligibility Requirements

• Employees - faculty and staff occupying permanent full-time positions who work at least 30 hours a week are eligible for insurance benefits.

• Eligible Dependents - you may cover your lawful spouse, or a former spouse required to be covered by a divorce decree or court order, but not both. If a spouse is also an employee of a South Carolina state-covered entity, the spouse cannot be covered as a dependent and must carry their own coverage, and only one of you may carry coverage for dependent children.

Children - you may cover an unmarried child under 19 years of age (or under age 25 if a full-time student) and who is principally dependent upon you for maintenance and support, provided the child is:

• the natural or adopted child, stepchild, foster child or child for whom the subscriber has legal custody and who resides in the subscriber's home in a parent-child relationship; or

• for whom the subscriber provides support and maintenance due to a court order.

Other children - An incapacitated unmarried child who is incapable of self-sustaining employment because of a disability and who is principally dependent on you for support (incapacity must be established prior to age 19) may also be covered.

Effective Dates

Coverage begins on the first day of the month the employee commences active employment if the employee commences active employment on the first working day of the month. Otherwise, coverage commences on the first day of the following month.

Enrollment Changes

Eligible employees have 31 days from your date of hire to enroll yourself and eligible dependents in the College's insurance plans. After 31 days from your hire date, you may make changes only on the following occasions:

• Qualified Events: You may make certain changes throughout the year within 31 days of a qualified event. Qualified events include: marriage, birth, adoption or placement, loss of group health plan coverage, divorce/legal separation, death of the covered employee, loss of dependent's eligibility for coverage, etc. Documentation is required for certain events.

• Annual Enrollment: Every year during the month of October, you may change from one health plan to another, enroll in, or cancel the MoneyPlu$ premium feature. You must enroll or re-enroll each year in the MoneyPlu$ Medical Spending Account or the MoneyPlu$ Dependent Care Spending Account in order to take advantage of this benefit. Changes made during the annual enrollment period are effective January 1 of the following year.

• Open Enrollment: Open Enrollment is held during October in odd years (2003, 2005, etc.) In addition to the changes allowed during annual enrollment, you may make these changes:

1. enroll yourself and/or eligible dependents in a health/dental plan without providing medical evidence of good health, subject to an 18-month pre-existing condition waiting period;
2. drop health coverage for yourself or dependents;
3. enroll or drop dental coverage for yourself or dependents.

Changes made during Open Enrollment are effective January 1 of the following year.

Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act 1985 (COBRA): If you lose health and/or dental coverage due to termination of employment or reduction in hours, or your dependents are no longer eligible for coverage, coverage for you and/or your dependents may be continued under COBRA. A spouse or dependent of an active or retired employee may continue coverage if the termination of coverage falls within COBRA guidelines. You will receive information on COBRA when you initially enroll in a health and/or dental plan.

Certificate of Creditable Coverage: Terminated subscribers will receive a certificate of creditable coverage unless they are eligible for coverage in another classification such as transferring to another state-coverage entity. This certificate may be used to reduce the preexisting period of your next employer's health insurance plan. If you and/or your dependents are enrolling in a state health plan for the first time, you are responsible for obtaining and submitting a certificate of creditable coverage with your enrollment form.Preexisting Condition Definition Use by Plans

Health: Any medical condition, regardless of the cause of the condition, for which medical advice, diagnosis, care or treatment was recommended or received by a licensed health care provider or practitioner in the six months preceding the covered person's enrollment date under the plan. Benefits for the preexisting condition ar payable only for treatment rendered 12 months (18 months for a late entrant) after the enrollment date of a covered person. If you have been insured previously, you may reduce the preexisting condition period by providing certification of prior health insurance coverage provided the break in coverage is 62 days or less.

Basic Life Insurance - The employer provides $3,000 group term life and accidental death and dismemberment coverage to all eligible employees under age 70 and $1,500 to eligible employees age 70 or older at no cost if you are enrolled in a health plan offered by the state.

Optional Life Insurance - New employees can elect coverage in $10,000 increments up to three times your basic annual earnings without providing medical evidence of good health. You can select a higher benefits level in increments of $10,000 up to a maximum of $500,000 by providing medical evidence of good health. The state's Optional Life Insurance rates are on the following website: http://www.eip.sc.gov/publications/2008ACTIVERATES.pdf

Dependent Life Spouse - If you are currently enrolled in Optional Life, you may cover your spouse in increments of $10,000 for up to 50 percent of your Optional Life coverage or $100,000, whichever is less. Medical evidence of good health is required for coverage amounts greater than $20,000. Premiums are the same as the Optional Life premiums, based on the employee’s age.

Dependent Life Child - You can cover your eligible dependent children for $15,000. Medical evidence is not required for child coverage even if late entrant. The monthly premium is $1.24 regardless of the number of children covered.

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Basic Long Term Disability (BLTD) is provided at no cost when you are enrolled in the state group health plan of your choice. If approved, 90 days from the onset of a disability BLTD provides a benefit of 62.5 percent of monthly base earnings, less certain offsets, up to a maximum benefit of $800 per month.

Supplemental Long Term Disability (SLTD) is a voluntary, employee-pays-all program. This benefit pays 65 percent of gross monthly salary, with certain offsets, up to a monthly maximum of $8,000. If offsets exceed 65 percent of monthly income, the plan will pay a minimum of $100 per month. See the following link to view the plan options and see the rates: http://www.eip.sc.gov/publications/2008ACTIVERATES.pdf

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Long Term Care (LTC) Insurance

The Long Term Care (LTC) Insurance is a voluntary, employee-pays-all program.  This benefit is what an individual may need when he or she requires regular assistance with day-to-day functions like bathing, eating and/or dressing or supervision due to cognitive impairment. LTC insurance helps pay for care at home, in an adult day-care, assisted-living facility, nursing home or hospice--it's your choice. See the following link to view the plan options and see the rates: http://www.aetna.com/group/southcarolina/ltc_index.htm

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MoneyPlu$

You can get more out of your paycheck with MoneyPlu$, a flexible benefits program.

Pretax Group Insurance Premium Feature - You may elect to enroll in the plan that allows you to pay your payroll deducted health plan, dental plan and Optional Life (for coverage up to $50,000) premiums before taxes are taken out of your paycheck. This means you do not have to pay taxes on the dollars you use to pay these premiums. The monthly administrative fee for deducting medical, dental and Optional Life premiums before taxes is $0.28, which is deducted from your paycheck before taxes are deducted.

Dependent Care Spending Account - This allows you to pay for dependent-care expenses with your pretax income. You may set aside up to $5,000 annually to pay your dependent-care expenses. The monthly administrative fee is $3.50, which is deducted from your paycheck before taxes are deducted. You may enroll within 31 days of your date of hire. You must, however, re-enroll during the enrollment period (October 1-31) to continue for the next plan year.

Medical Spending Account - To be eligible for the Medical Spending Account, you must have completed one year of continuous state service by January 1 following an enrollment period. With this feature, you may set aside up to $5,000 annually to pay for your and your family’s out-of-pocket medical and dental expenses. The monthly administrative fee is $3.50, which is deducted from your paycheck before taxes are deducted. Enrollment and re-enrollment must be done during the enrollment period (October 1-31) for the next plan year.

Health Savings Account - The HSA is available to subscribers enrolled in the SHP Savings Plan and can be used to pay healthcare expenses. Unlike money in a MoneyPlu$ Medical Spending Account, the funds do not have to be spent in the year they are deposited. Money in the account accumulates tax free, so the funds can be used to pay qualified medical expenses in the future. An important advantage of the HSA is that you own it. If you leave your job, you can take the account with you and continue to use it for qualified medical expenses. The montly adminstrative fe is $2.50.

http://www.eip.sc.gov/publications/2008ACTIVERATES.pdfFor more information on these MoneyPlu$ programs, visit the EIP website:

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Vision Care Program

Anyone enrolled in the South Carolina Health Plan or an HMO may take advantage of this program; however, you do not have to subscribe to the SHP or HMO to take advantage of discounted vision care services. Participating ophthalmologist and optometrists throughout the state have agreed to charge no more than $60 for a routine, comprehensive eye examination.

If you are fitted for contact lenses, you may have to pay additional charges. The fitting of contact lenses usually requires additional services.

Participating providers, including opticians, have agreed to give a 20 percent discount on all eyewear. The discount does not apply to disposable contact lenses.

Participating providers are listed in the Vision Care Program Directory available on the EIP website at https://www.eip.sc.gov/SCEIP/vision/State.jsp

The Vision Care program is not associated with any state group health coverage. There are no claims to file and no reimbursement of fees.

RETIREMENT PLANS

Membership Overview

South Carolina Retirement Plan (State Traditional Plan) http://www.retirement.sc.gov/

Contribution: Mandatory employee contribution of 6.25% of pre-tax salary. Employer contributes 10.95% of which 7.55% goes toward retirement, the remaining 3.40% goes toward group life and retiree insurance surcharge. These contributions will be placed in an account in your name that earns 6 percent interest per year. However, if you terminate employment and receive a refund or rollover of your contributions, your employer’s contributions will not be refunded to you.

State Optional Retirement Plan (State ORP) http://www.retirement.sc.gov/

Contribution: Mandatory employee contribution of 6.25% of pre-tax salary. In addition, employer contributes 5% directly to the investment provider and an additional 3.40% goes toward group life and retiree insurance surcharge.

Four Investment Choices

• AIG VALIC Investments
• Metlife Investments
• The Hartford Life
• TIAA- CREF

South Carolina Police Officers Retirement System (PORS) http://www.retirement.sc.gov/

Retirement Eligibility: Age 55 with at least 5 years of earned service; or, 25 years of service credit, 5 years of which must be earned service

Contribution: Mandatory employee contribution of 6.5% of pre-tax salary. Employer contributes 14.12% of which 10.3% goes toward retirement, the remaining 3.72% goes toward group life, accidental death and retiree insurance surcharge. These contributions will be placed in an account in your name that draws 6 percent interest per year. However, if you terminate employment and receive a refund of your contributions, your employer’s contributions will not be refunded to you. 

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