NEW EMPLOYEE INSURANCE AND BENEFIT PACKAGE

Union Affiliation: BEST

BENEFITS CHECKLIST 

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO COMPLETE AND SUBMIT ELECTRONIC FORMS HERE

New Hire Enrollment Forms

HEALTH INSURANCE

Plan B 204/204 Plus Point of Service (POS) Insurance –

A point-of-service plan requires the policyholder to choose an in-network primary care doctor and you may have to obtain referrals from that doctor if you or an eligible dependent require specialist's services. The plan still provides coverage for out-of-network services, but you will be required to meet a deductible and pay coinsurance for those services.  To review the services and equipment associated with this plan, view the complete Plan B Medical Document and the complete Plan B Prescription Document.

You may choose to have single or family coverage. View the eligibility guidelines to determine who can be considered a dependent for family coverage.  

BEST members are eligible for coverage of health insurance effective on the first day of the month following the completion and submission of their health insurance enrollment forms.

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

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

2022 - 2023 Health Contributions
Employees shall contribute to a 12-month health insurance subscription, over the course of ten (10) months, through pre-tax payroll deductions, based on your choice of family or single coverage.  Employees hired after July 1st shall contribute an annual amount pro-rated based on their date of enrollment in insurance.  

Coverage         Annual Limit          Bi-weekly Contribution
Single              $275                      $13.10
Family             $550                      $26.19

Buffalo Educational Support Team Contract- Article VIII-A states

“Any unit member hired after July 1,1985 who has comparable health insurance coverage or is entitled to health insurance coverage from any other source (this may include but is not limited to the following examples: spouse, former spouse, another employer or agency) shall not be eligible for coverage as provided in this Article of the agreement. The District reserves the right to question, investigate, and require documentation to verify a unit member’s eligibility for health insurance coverage.”

If applicable, documentation from a spouse's employer or a second employer stating if you are eligible for health insurance is required. The forms below can be given to the employer to verify.

Form to Verify Spouse's Insurance Eligibility

Form to Verify Second Employer Insurance Eligibility

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DENTAL & VISION BENEFITS

These supplemental benefits are provided by your union. Please contact Christel Kasprzak at best7127@gmail.com or 716-332-2378 to determine your eligibility and receive enrollment forms.  

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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. 

Group Life Insurance Enrollment Form  

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OPTIONAL BENEFITS OFFERED

Flexible Spending Account (FSA) 

The Flexible Spending Account program is a benefit that enables you to place pre-tax dollars in an account for unreimbursed healthcare or dependent care expenses. Employees determine the amount to contribute for the year via payroll deductions. 

• The plan year runs from January 1st through December 31st, 2022
• There are two types of FSA: Medical and Dependent Care
• Medical FSA - health care expenses that are eligible for reimbursement under the FSA plan include medical, dental, vision, and other expenses not covered under your health insurance (such as co-payments, deductibles, and prescription drugs). 
• Maximum annual election - $3,050 maximum 
• Minimum annual election - $200 minimum.
• Roll-over feature. Up to $610 in unused funds can roll from 2023 plan year to the 2024 plan year. Any excess funds in excess of $610 will be forfeited. Rollover funds will become available on your P&A Card in April even if you do not re-enroll for the next plan year. Separation from service is the only circumstance that would prevent you from utilizing the rollover funds in the future.
• All eligible expenses must be incurred by December 31st. If you choose to use paper Reimbursement Claim Forms they must be submitted by March 31st. 
• The IRS no longer allows employees who intend to retire during the middle of a plan year the ability to accelerate payments to the Health FSA to be used at a time after separation from their employer.  Your card will be deactivated upon separation. Should there be unspent funds in the Health FSA when separation from the District occurs prior to the end of the plan year (December 31st), you will be provided with COBRA information.   

• Dependent Care FSA - expenses that are eligible for reimbursement include such items as childcare and eldercare services.  The Dependent Care FSA can help you pay your eligible out-of-pocket dependent care costs. Expenses are limited to household services or the care of one or more qualifying individuals (i.e., a dependent child less than age 13 or a dependent adult), while you are at work.
• Maximum annual election - $5,000 (if single or if married and filing jointly)
• Maximum annual election - $2,500 (if married and filing separately) 
• Minimum annual election -  $200
• A grace period of 75 days to incur expenses in the new plan year and have those expenses be paid out of the previous years' contributions.  Unspent funds after the grace period expires are forfeited. 
• Reimbursement Claim Forms must be submitted by March 31st.  

Learn more about how a Health Care FSA works.

P&A Group Flexible Spending Account Brochure

ENROLLMENT FORM:

Initial enrollment must occur within 30 days of hire or during the open enrollment period (November 1st – November 30th).  Employees determine the amount to contribute for the year via payroll deductions. It is called your annual election. For 12-month employees, your annual election will be deducted over 26 pay periods and for 10-month employees, your annual election will be deducted over 19 pay periods. This will be pro-rated for newly hired employees or those who are enrolling due to life-changing events at a time other than the beginning of the calendar year.

FSA Enrollment Form 

COMMUTER BENEFITS PLAN

 
The commuter benefits plan allows you to set aside money – tax-free – for mass transit and parking expenses associated with your employment.  Participating in the Commuter Benefit Plan will enable you to save taxes on the money you use to pay for work-related mass transit and parking. You may elect to reduce your taxable pay by the amount you expect to pay for parking and or transit. The amount you elect is withheld from your paycheck. Your payroll withholdings are credited to an account that is available to pay the cost of your eligible expenses.  

Parking (tax shelter the cost of your Parking expenses)

• Maximum annual election -  $300 per month
• Minimum annual election -   $10 per pay

Mass Transit (tax shelter the cost of your Mass Transit expenses)

• Maximum annual election - $300 per month
• Minimum annual election -  $10 per pay

ENROLLMENT FORM

Commuter Benefit Enrollment 

 INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO COMPLETE AND SUBMIT ELECTRONIC FORMS HERE

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TAX SHELTER ANNUITIES

ALL EMPLOYEES ARE ELIGIBLE to save for retirement by contributing to a 403(b) Plan and/or a NYS Deferred Compensation 457(b) Plan, through payroll deductions.  There are two major benefits to participate in these tax shelter plans.

• You do not pay income tax on contributions until you begin making withdrawals from the plan, usually after you retire.
• Earnings and gains are not taxed until you make withdrawals.

403(b) Plan

This is an employer-sponsored retirement plan offered to tax-exempt and municipal employers.  It is very similar to a 401(k), with the main difference being the 401(k) is for private sector employers.  A 403(b) offers you the opportunity save money from your paycheck pre-tax, so you will defer paying federal and state income taxes on your retirement account savings and their investment earnings until you withdraw the money at retirement. 

To establish a 403(b) account, the employee contacts an advisor from one of the vendor's that the district does business with and he/she will help you put together a portfolio (see list below under Related Files).  The advisor will take into consideration many factors that include, but are not limited to:

• • What is your and/or your spouse’s age?
  • How many years will you continue to work before retiring?
  • What type of lifestyle do you want to live in retirement? Do you want to work part-time or not at all, travel or stay local?
  • How much risk are you willing to take?  You can invest conservatively with little to no risk, moderately invest with taking some risk or you can invest taking more risk. 

Once you make these determinations, your advisor can assist you in setting up an account structure that is right for you.

The District has contracted with The OMNI Group to administer the 403b Tax Shelter Program. Please visit their website at omni403b.com for further information or to download a Salary Reduction Agreement (SRA) to make changes to your existing account. (Please note that while the OMNI SRA has the availability to list multiple Service Providers, you may only choose ONE (1) provider for your payroll deductions.)  To open a new account, please refer to the list of Participating Service Providers that has been provided below for your convenience.

NYS Deferred Compensation 457(b) Plan 

This is a retirement plan, which is like a 401(k) for public service employees, that can help supplement your pension. It’s specifically designed for those who work for the state or local government, has the flexibility to adjust as your needs change, and can help you turn your salary into a more comfortable retirement.

There are three approaches to investing with this plan, based on your level of comfort in managing retirement assets.

• • Do It For Me: Retirement Date Trusts – Choose a T. Rowe Price Retirement Date Trust based on when you will reach age 65.
  • Do It Yourself: Create a portfolio of investment options based on your investment strategy and tolerance for risk.
  • Specialty Options: A selection of special interest options such as opportunistic growth, environmental, social, governance, and self-directed.

More information can be found at www.nysdcp.com or by calling the WNY Representative, Mark Wallace 1-716-903-7253.

If you already are enrolled in the Plan and wish to make changes to your bi-weekly contribution please contact NYSDCP.

Note: you may contribute to both a 403(b) and a 457 NYS Deferred Compensation Account.  

Informational video on what is a tax shelter annuity and how to choose the best one for you:

https://www.buffaloschools.org/Page/2090

2023 Maximum Allowable Contribution (MAC) limits

$22,500 or $30,000 if age 50 or older

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Employee Assistance Program

Access the Employee Assistance Program contact information to learn more. 

ComPysch also has incredible resources on its website, that includes articles, slide shows, and training on the following topics:

The District provides an EAP service that provides free & confidential services to our employees and their family members who may be experiencing personal &/or work-related issues.