Your benefits are an important part of your overall compensation. We are pleased to offer a comprehensive array of valuable benefits to protect your health, your family and your way of life This guide answers some of the basic questions you may have about your benefits.
• PPO and High Deductible Medical Plans
Confidential Counseling Services
• Preventive and Buy-up Dental Plans
• Vision Plan
• Basic Life and AD&D
• Voluntary Life and AD&D
• Short-term and Long-term Disability
Health Savings Account • Flexible Spending Accounts
Accident
Critical Illness • Hospital Indemnity
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
We are proud to provide a confidential program dedicated to supporting the emotional health and well-being of you and your family. An Employee Assistance Program is provided at NO COST to you through Impact Solutions. The EAP can help with situations involving mental health, relationships, substance use, child and eldercare, grief and loss, legal or financial issues among others. Up to 5 in-person or virtual sessions are available for you and your household members
Benefit Spot
We’ve gone mobile! To help you access your benefits information even when you’re away from work and need it most we’ve launched a mobile benefits app.To get started, Download “Benefit Spot” on the Apple App Store or Google Play and enter company code: CoRichmond (case sensitive)
BENEFIT ELIGIBILITY
Who is Eligible
The following individuals are eligible to participate in the City’s benefits program:
• Active, full-time employees on the first of the month following
• 30 days of employment for medical, dental, vision, life, HSA, FSA, accident, critical illness, and hospital indemnity
• 6 months of employment for disability (excludes police and fire)
• Retirees with at least 20 consecutive years of service shall remain in eligible until the Retiree attains age 65 or is eligible for Medicare, whichever occurs first
• Your legally married spouse
• Your dependent children up to age 26
• Your unmarried children aged 26 or older who are mentally or physically disabled and who rely on you for support and care
BENEFIT ENROLLMENT
Enrollment Periods
New Hire and Newly Eligible Enrollment
Newly hired or newly eligible employees must complete their online enrollment within 60 days of the date they become eligible.
2025 Annual Open Enrollment
October 25, 2024 through November 8, 2024
Every year, the City conducts an Open Enrollment. This is the time for you to re-evaluate your needs and elect benefit options for the new plan year.
Open Enrollment is an opportunity to make changes to your benefits without a qualifying life event
Between Enrollment Periods
You may make changes to your benefit elections outside of the annual Open Enrollment ONLY if you experience an IRS Qualifying Life Event (QLE). Benefit changes must also be consistent and made within 30 days of the QLE. Qualifying life events (QLEs) that may allow you to make benefit changes:
• Change in legal marital status
• Change in your eligibility
• Change in the number of eligible children
• Gain a benefit option or lose coverage
Dependent Information
• To enroll your eligible dependents in benefits, you must provide their full legal names, Social Security numbers and dates of birth, so keep this information handy when making your benefit elections online.
Enroll Online through eBE
Enrolling in benefits is easy! eBenefits Edge (eBE) is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so you can visit the site anytime and anywhere you have computer access
Step 1:
Go to www cityofrichmondinbenefits com/ From the home screen, click on the Benefits tab and select “Start Your Enrollment”.
Step 2:
Confirm your personal information as well as any family members who will be named as a dependent and/or beneficiary.
Step 3:
Continue through each section to elect or waive your benefits. Don’t forget to elect beneficiaries where applicable!
Step 4:
IMPORTANT! Click “Submit” to lock in your elections and review your Enrollment Summary thoroughly to ensure your benefit elections have been recorded correctly Report any errors to the Finance Department immediately. Print/Save your Enrollment Summary for future reference.
You may log back into your enrollment and view or update elections as many times as you wish during your enrollment period NOTE: With every change, you must click “SUBMIT” to lock in your elections.
MEDICAL/Rx COVERAGE
New Member ID Cards
You will receive a new medical insurance card from UMR only if you are newly electing coverage or changing plans They will likely arrive in plain white envelopes Please do not discard!
PPO (Plans A and B)
The Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan, provided through UMR, gives you the freedom to seek care from any provider of your choice However, you will maximize your benefits and lower your out-of-pocket costs if you choose a provider who participates in the network
High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) (Plan C)
The HDHP + HSA (High-Deductible Health Plan + Health Savings Account) is an insurance plan that offers lower premiums and higher deductibles The highlight of this plan is that it allows you to open an HSA, which is a taxadvantaged personal savings account that lets you save pre-tax dollars to pay for any qualified health-related expenses (state taxation rules may apply) This includes most medical care and services, prescriptions, dental, vision and expenses related to meeting the plan’s deductible For a complete list of qualified health-related expenses, visit IRS Publication 502 (https://www irs gov/forms-pubs/about-publication-502)
The High Deductible Health Plan features a Health Savings Account (HSA). The HSA lets you set aside pre-tax dollars to help offset your annual deductible and pay for qualified health care expenses. This savings account can be at any bank that offers a qualified HSA, but you must complete a direct deposit form and return it to Payroll before any deposits can be made.The direct deposit forms are available on eBenefits.
FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNTS
The flexible spending accounts (FSAs), provided through UMR, are tax-advantaged accounts that can help you cover certain qualified out-of-pocket expenses. Each account works in much the same way but has different eligibility requirements, list of qualified expenses and contribution limits. You may choose to enroll in the following accounts.
Eligibility Requirements
Examples of Qualified Expenses
You must be benefits eligible; enrollment in an FSA disqualifies you from making or receiving HSA contributions
• Coinsurance
• Copayments
• Deductibles
• Dental treatment
• Eye exams/eyeglasses
• LASIK eye surgery
• Orthodontia
• Prescriptions
Important FSA Rules
You must be benefits eligible and enrolled in a qualified highdeductible health plan (HDHP)
• Dental and vision coinsurance only
• Dental and vision deductibles only
• Dental treatment
• Eye exams/eyeglasses
• LASIK eye surgery
• Orthodontia
You must be benefits eligible
• Care of a dependent child under the age of 13 by babysitters, nursery schools, pre-school or daycare centers
• Care of household members who are physically or mentally incapable of caring for themselves and who qualify as your federal tax dependent
$5,000 per family (or $2,500 each if you are married and file separate tax returns)
FSAs must be administered according to specific IRS rules:
• FSAs must be actively elected each year.
• Keep all FSA claim itemized, detailed receipts. Supporting documentation is required by the IRS for FSA claims. If a claim is unable to automatically substantiate based on plan design or debit card transaction, additional documentation will be requested Please promptly submit itemized receipts to UMR
• FSA: Unused funds up to $640 may carry over from the current plan year to the following plan year. Carryover funds will not count against or offset the amount that you can contribute annually Unused funds greater than $640 will not be returned to you or carried over.
• LFSA: This type of account can be used with the High Deductible Health Plan and applies toward eligible dental and vision expenses only. The Carryover Provision applies to the LFSA as well.
• DCFSA: Unused funds will NOT be returned to you or carried over to the following year
*The IRS may increase the 2025 annual maximum after Open Enrollment elections end. If you elect the maximum, you will be contacted and have the opportunity to increase your election to the increased amount.
DENTAL COVERAGE
Good oral and dental hygiene can help prevent bad breath, tooth decay and gum disease which will help you keep your teeth as you get older It may also help you ward off medical disorders Note, the Annual Maximum is the highest benefit you will receive during the benefit year, not to be confused with the medical out-ofpocket maximum (the most you will pay during a benefit year).
Principal’s Dental Network
Deductible (Resets each calendar year)
participant, excluding orthodontics)
Orthodontia Lifetime Maximum
per participate
Preventive & Diagnostic Covered in Full Subject to Annual Maximum
Basic Services (Fillings, steel crowns) None Deductible, then 20% Subject to annual maximum
Major Services (Root canal, simple extractions, periodontal, crowns, onlays, bridges, dentures, implants) None Deductible, then 50% Subject to annual maximum
Orthodontic Services (Dependents up to Age 19)
*The Buy-Up Plan includes Maximum Accumulation. This allows for a portion of unused dollars to roll over to next year's maximum benefit amount. To qualify, a member must have had a dental service performed within the calendar year and use less than a maximum threshold. The threshold is equal to the lesser of 50% of the maximum benefit or $1000. If qualification is met, 50% of the threshold will be carried over to next year's maximum benefit. Individuals with fourth quarter effectives will start qualifying for rollover at the beginning of the next calendar year. A member can accumulate no more than four times the carry over amount. The entire accumulation amount will be forfeited if no dental service is submitted within a calendar year.
VISION COVERAGE
Your eyesight is an integral part of your overall health and a key component of safety. This plan gives you the freedom to seek care from the provider of your choice. If you decide to use an out-of-network provider, you will pay the provider in full at the time of your appointment and submit a claim form for reimbursement up to the amount allowed by the plan.
Principal’sVSP Choice Network
Exam (1x every 12 months)
$10 Copay Frames (1x every 24 months)
to $150 Allowance plus additional 20% off balance $80 Allowance at Walmart/Costco/Sam’s Club (no additional discount)
Lenses (1x every 12 months)
$25 Copay Contact Lenses (1x every 12 months in lieu of glasses) Contact Fitting and training Disposable Medically Necessary
$60 Copay
to $150 Allowance
Covered in full Lens Add-Ons · Polycarbonate Lenses Other Lens Options
In-Network Only
Covered in full for children under age 18 30% off Retail
LIFE & DISABILITY INSURANCE
Life insurance provides your named beneficiaries with a benefit following your death, while accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance provides a benefit to you following a covered accident that leads to dismemberment (such as the loss of a hand, foot or eye). Should your death occur due to a covered accident, both the life benefit and the AD&D benefit would be payable.
Basic and Supplemental Life and AD&D
The City provides a Basic Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment benefit for you at no cost to you.
If you determine you need more than the basic coverage, you may purchase supplemental insurance for yourself and your eligible family members During your initial eligibility period, you can secure coverage up to the Guaranteed Issue limits without the need for Evidence of Insurability (EOI) or answering health questions During Annual Open Enrollments, you may increase your election one increment (up to Guaranteed Issue limits) without the need for EOI Please note, coverage amounts requiring EOI will only go into effect once the insurance carrier approves them Benefits reduce beginning at age 70 See certificate for details
Disability
1 Benefit amount reduces to 67% of original coverage when the employee reaches age 70 and 55% at age 75.
2 BAE = Base Annual Earnings
3 Spouse/dependent election may not exceed 100% of employee’s election
Disability insurance provides benefits that replace part of your lost income when you cannot work due to a covered illness or injury (does not apply to Police and Fire).
VOLUNTARY BENEFITS & PERKS
Our voluntary benefits are designed to complement your health care coverage and allow you to customize our benefits to you and your family’s needs You can enroll in these plans during your initial enrollment period or during Open Enrollment. They’re completely voluntary, which means you are responsible for paying for coverage at affordable group rates.
Accident, Critical Illness and Hospital Indemnity Insurance
Accident insurance can soften the financial impact of an accidental injury by paying a benefit to you to help cover the unexpected out-of-pocket costs related to treating your injuries With critical illness insurance, you’ll receive a lump-sum benefit if you are diagnosed with a covered condition. Hospital indemnity insurance can help reduce costs by paying a benefit to help cover your deductible, coinsurance and other out-of-pocket costs due to a hospitalization.
George’s Family Pharmacy
Low/NO-cost Durable Medical
Equipment1 (DME) with FREE delivery!
Northwest Radiology
Low/No-Cost Imaging Service1
Quest Diagnostics
Low/No-Cost Lab Work1
Wellness Reimbursement
Earn $25 each month reimbursement towards wellness programs and services such as gym membership, weight loss program, fitness equipment, massage therapy, acupuncture, etc. Incentives are paid quarterly in January, April, July, and October following the last month of the previous quarter in which the incentive is earned. Request for reimbursement must be submitted to the Finance Department by the 15th of the month following the quarter end
1IRS guidelines prohibit first-dollar coverage for High Deductible Plans with HSAs. The full deductible must be met before discount can apply for Plan C enrollees. Please see list of the full DME that is subject to the low/NO cost.
PREMIUM DISCOUNTS
Wellness Premium Discount
The City of Richmond’s Wellness Program consists of 3 parts: 1) A free biometric screening during the annual Health Fair*, 2) a visit with your Primary Care Physician to review the results from your biometric screening, and 3) a signed form from your physician confirming your visit (results are not shared) If you choose to participate in this voluntary program and complete all three steps, you will earn a discounted medical premium for the next calendar year. More details will be released closer to the date of the event.
*If unable to participate in the Health Fair, reach out to the Finance Department for a reasonable alternative
• Medical rates are based on participation in this voluntary program.
2 Tobacco Premium Differential
If you choose to use any type of tobacco product, a $12 per pay period Tobacco Premium Differential will apply to your medical premium. You must attest and certify that you are not a tobacco-user during the online enrollment process or complete the Reasonable Alternative Standard (Smoking Cessation Program) to have the tobacco surcharge waived
• For more information about the Tobacco Premium Differential or Smoking Cessation Program, contact the Finance Department
PLAN PREMIUMS
Your contributions toward the cost of benefits are automatically deducted from your paycheck. The amount will depend on the plan you select and if you choose to cover eligible family members.
