Benefits

NEW EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PACKAGE
Part-time Teacher

Union Affiliation: BTF
 

BENEFITS CHECKLIST 

THERE ARE FOUR (4) REQUIRED FORMS THAT YOU MUST COMPLETE AND SUBMIT TO THE BENEFITS OFFICE

WITHIN 30 DAYS OF HIRE TO ESTABLISH YOUR BENEFITS.  

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO COMPLETE AND SUBMIT ELECTRONIC FORMS HERE

1. Health Insurance Enrollment Form
2. Payment Responsibility Acknowledgement
3. Group Life Insurance Enrollment Form  
4. Employee Notification Acknowledgement
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Optional Benefits

• Pre-Tax Retirement Savings - 403(b) and/or 457(b) Deferred Compensation 
• Employee Assistance Program
   
  Failure to return all required forms, completed in their entirety, will result in a processing delay. 

 
Health Insurance

There are 4 premium Blue Cross Blue Shield of WNY plans for you to choose from. You may choose to have single or family coverage.  View the eligibility guidelines to determine who can be considered a dependent for family coverage.

The effective date of the insurance coincides with your hire date, unless you submit your completed enrollment forms more than 30 days post your hire date.  Then, your effective date is the first of the following month.

*Important: If you are a Temporary Teacher and are hired any time after the 15th of January, please contact Benefits@Buffaloschools.org to discuss eligibility for summer health insurance. Temporary Teachers must be employed for a minimum of 100 days and be on the payroll at the end of the school year to qualify for summer benefits.

We are unable to advise in choosing a health insurance plan.  A summary is listed below and a health insurance comparison chart is available for your review.

Traditional Insurance - There is no network to choose from, so this plan provides flexibility of going to any medical provider.  (It is imperative that I go to Doctor X, no matter what!)

Plan A may work for an employee/dependent(s) who travels extensively, especially internationally or for someone/dependent who has a unique medical situation for which they need specialized services and/or equipment.  This plan has a $150 single, $300 family deductible (in addition to bi-weekly payroll contribution), which the employee must meet before insurance kicks in.  Please review the services on page 3 & 4 of the detailed chart that follows, as those tend to require a 20% co-insurance of the cost of the service/procedure/equipment.  This means, the District pays 80% of the bill, and the employee is responsible for 20% of the bill (out of pocket maximum is $500 single and $1000 family).

Point of Service (POS) Insurance – Enrollees must choose from doctors enrolled in the network, or be required to pay co-insurance for the cost of their service.  (It is not imperative that I go to Doctor X, I can find another highly qualified doctor, in my area, that is enrolled in the BCBS network).

Plans B, C and D may work for an employee/dependent(s) who generally remains in the Western New York region for the majority of their time, and are not experiencing unique medical situations that need specialized services and/or equipment.  These are generic POS plans, with the majority of services requiring a $15 co-pay, which helps an employee/dependent(s) budget for medical costs for the year (x number of doctor’s visit/year x $15 = out of pocket expenses). 

Differences between these three plans are Durable Medical Equipment, Prosthetic Devices, Diabetic Supplies, Skilled Nursing Facilities, and Out of Network (travel and specialization).  You are greatly encouraged to review these differences in the comparison chart (above) and ask yourself questions about your current and future health insurance needs in an effort to decide among the three.

To find out if a doctor is in the BCBS of WNY network, visit:

https://www.bcbswny.com/content/wny/find-a-doctor.html.

2021 - 2022 Health Contributions
There is no difference in the bi-weekly payroll contribution based on the plan you select. Health contributions are based on your FTE (% of full-time employment) and will be taken pre-tax over 18 payrolls during the school year only.  The chart below illustrates what a typical bi-weekly deduction will be for the various plans based on 12 months of insurance.

Your application will be processed when your appointment is approved by the Board and all completed paperwork and required documentation is received in the Benefits Office.

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Group Life Insurance

Life Insurance is provided at no cost to you.  You are required to have a form on file to identify your beneficiaries. It is also advisable to update this form periodically as you experience life changing events.  Life insurance is only provided for the employee, and ceases upon separation from the District.

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Employee Notifications

Learn more about your rights to health insurance and benefits, including detailed information on Employee's Responsibility for Health Insurance, Open Enrollment, Summary of Benefits and Coverage, COBRA, HIPAA, the District's Grandfathered Status of the ACA, the Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act, Newborns' and Mothers' Health Protection Act, and Exchange Notice.  Retain this Employee Notification for your records.

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These supplemental benefits are provided by your union. More information is available on the BTF website. Contact the union with to enroll or with any questions at 716-881-5400. 

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OPTIONAL BENEFITS OFFERED:

Tax Shelter Annuities

403(b) Tax Shelter Annuity or 457 NYS Deferred Compensation Account - All employees are eligible to contribute pre-tax dollars to one or both plans. Contact the company of your choice from the attached list of participating providers.

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Employee Assistance Program 

 
Employee Assistance Program - a free and confidential service provided to employees and their families that provides support in resolving personal and professional issues.