Benefits Package

The Evergreen State College offers a generous state benefits package through the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) to all benefits eligible faculty and staff members. The benefits package includes a choice of comprehensive medical and dental plans as well as an employer paid basic life insurance and basic long-term disability insurance.

Tobacco Use and Spousal Coverage Surcharges may apply to your premiums.

New Employees

The Payroll and Benefits Office offers benefits orientations to newly hired benefits eligible employees. In the orientation you will receive details on the state benefits package and retirement plan choices, and how to complete the enrollment forms. We are connecting with new hires and observing COVID-19 precautions by offering an all online Canvas based benefit orientation. Please contact us to enroll yourself or your new hire. If you are unable to utilize the Canvas platform we are happy to send the materials, or answer specific questions. You may also review the Health Care Authority’s PEBB Enrollment page.

Eligibility

• Employees are benefits eligible when appointed to a classified, exempt, or temporary position that is at least 50 percent appointment with duration of more than six consecutive months.
• Continuing Faculty are benefits eligible when appointed for at least a 50 percent contract and duration of three or more academic quarters consecutively.
• Part-Time Faculty can become eligible for insurance benefits in one of two ways:
  1. If your appointment is quarter-to-quarter, you will become eligible when you achieve a second consecutive quarter of 50% Full-time Equivalent (FTE) or greater. In this case, your coverage begins the first of the month following the beginning of the second-quarter appointment.
  2. If your appointment is for one quarter only and is paid at a 50% FTE or greater, and at any time in the last 12 months you were eligible for benefits coverage under faculty eligibility here or at any other WA state higher education institute.

View adjunct faculty member benefits eligibility and payroll information for the Academic Year.

Eligible family members

• Your lawful spouse
• Your Washington State-registered domestic partner (See impacts of Referendum 74)
• Eligible children up to age 26

See who qualifies as an eligible family member and verification requirements.

Medical

Eligible employees may choose one of the PPO, Managed Care, or Consumer-Directed Health Plans found in the Employee Enrollment Guide (PDF).

Note: Eligible employees who do not submit enrollment forms on time will be enrolled in UMP Classic as a single subscriber.

Waiving Employee Medical Coverage

Employees may waive health plan enrollment if they have other employer-based group medical insurance. If you waive coverage on yourself or dependents, your enrollment forms still need to be completed. If we do not receive your enrollment forms, you will default to Uniform Medical and be responsible for the premiums effective on your eligibility date.

Dental

Dental premiums are paid in full for you and your qualified dependent(s). You can select from the managed-care or preferred-provider plans found in the Employee Enrollment Guide (PDF).

Note: Eligible employees who do not submit enrollment forms on time will be enrolled in Uniform Dental Plan as a single subscriber.

Health Savings Account

PEBB offers consumer-directed health plans (CDHPs) with health savings accounts (HSAs) to eligible members. You can use your HSA to pay for IRS qualified out-of-pocket medical expenses like deductibles, copays, and coinsurance, including services that may not be covered by your health plan. You can spend HSA funds on qualified expenses for your spouse or other tax dependents, even if they aren't covered on your plan. The plans' HSA trustee is HealthEquity, Inc.

Note: You must meet certain eligibility requirements to enroll in a CDHP/HSA. If you (the subscriber) are not eligible for a CDHP/HSA and enroll, you may be liable for tax penalties.

Flexible Spending Account

The Medical FSA is an employer-sponsored benefit that allows you to set aside money from your paycheck on a pre-tax basis to pay for out-of-pocket health care costs like deductibles, copays, coinsurance, dental, vision, and more. You can use your Medical FSA for you, your spouse or your qualified tax dependent's health care expenses, even if they are not enrolled in your PEBB medical or dental plan. The Health Care Authority contracts with Navia Benefit Solutions (formerly Flex-Plan Services, Inc.) to provide this benefit.

Note: Medical FSA participation is only valid for the plan year in which you enroll and does not continue automatically. You must enroll or re-enroll each year before the end of the PEBB annual open enrollment period to participate in a Medical FSA.

Dependent Care Assistance Program

The DCAP allows you to redirect a portion of your salary on a pre-tax basis to pay for your qualified day care costs for your dependents (e.g. preschool, babysitting, before/after school care, in-home care for a disabled dependent). The Health Care Authority contracts with Navia Benefit Solutions (formerly Flex-Plan Services, Inc.) to provide this benefit.

Long Term Disability Insurance

Long-term disability (LTD) insurance pays a portion of your monthly salary if you are unable to work due to serious injury or illness. The PEBB Program offers two kinds of LTD insurance: employer-paid and employee-paid.

You will be automatically enrolled in employee-paid LTD Current and new employees will be automatically enrolled in an employee-paid LTD plan that covers 60 percent of your pre-disability earnings.

You can reduce to a lower-cost 50-percent coverage level or decline the coverage at any time. If you later decide to enroll in or increase coverage, you will have to provide evidence of insurability and be approved by the insurer.

Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance

PEBB’s full employee benefits package includes basic life insurance at no cost to you. It provides:

• $35,000 for death from any cause.
• An additional $5,000 in case of accidental death or dismemberment.

You can build on your basic coverage with supplemental options. You may need to provide evidence of insurability, depending on what coverage you apply for and when.

Marketplace Benefit Exchange

Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance coverage will be required for most individuals beginning in 2014, and every state must have a health insurance Marketplace to help people buy health insurance. The Marketplace offers assistance to help you find and compare medical health insurance options offered by private companies, and will also help you find out if you qualify for premium tax credits or other financial assistance. Washington Healthplanfinder is the Marketplace serving Washington residents. If you are an employee (benefits eligible or ineligible) and are interested in finding out more about the Marketplace and Healthplanfinder please read this Employer Notice of Benefit Exchange (PDF).