Bee-Informed! MDCPS  Employee Benefits Open Enrollment 2024

Full-time and Part-time Food Service employees must enroll!

If you do not enroll, your benefits will terminate on:

December 31, 2023

Full-Time Employees

All full-time benefits-eligible employees are offered at no cost the following benefits:

  • Health Insurance (Board-paid): Cigna SureFit– Free Employee-only Option
  • Standard Short-Term Disability (STD) (Board-paid): Plan provides a benefit of 60 percent of your earnings up to a maximum of $500 per week. Benefits under this plan are paid up to 22 weeks.
  • Life Insurance (Board-paid): The School Board provides a Term Life & Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) program with Metropolitan Life Insurance Company for all full-time employees. The coverage amount is either one or two times your annual base salary rounded up to the next $1,000.00. Administrators and Confidential Exempt Personnel received two times the annual base salary.  All other employees receive one times their annual base salary. The minimum benefit for employees represented by AFSCME is $10,000. Additional life insurance may be purchased through payroll deductions to bring maximum benefits to an additional, one times the amount provided by the School Board. Employees are eligible to increase the life insurance amount to a maximum of five times the annual base salary after the first year of participation in the optional life program. Evidence of Insurability will be required for any increases in coverage. To find out more about Board-paid Term Life and AD&D, contact the MetLife representative at (305) 992-7029.

Full-Time Employees

This is a mandatory Employee Benefits Enrollment. If you do not enroll during this open enrollment period, your and your dependents’ current benefits will terminate on December 31, 2023. If you are currently enrolled in a Disability (STD buy-up and/or LTD) plan, those benefits will continue for the 2024 plan year.

If you are currently declining healthcare coverage, your opt-out election will terminate December 31, 2023. If you wish to continue your enrollment in this election, you must select it during this open enrollment period, submit the Declination of Healthcare Coverage Affidavit and proof current other group or state-funded healthcare coverage. Sole submission of these documents does not mean that you have elected to decline healthcare coverage.

If you are currently enrolled in a Disability (STD buy-up and/or LTD) plan, those benefits will continue for the 2024 plan year. If you elect to remove these benefits during the open enrollment period, you will be subject to the Evidence of Insurability (EOI) process when you reenroll.

We are here to support, guide and assist you with your enrollment: therefore, we are providing face-to-face, telephonic, and virtual enrollment assistance with a Benefits Educator. To schedule an appointment with a Benefits Educator and to select what type of enrollment assistance you would like, use one of the options below. 

For general questions regarding the 2024 open enrollment, please call the FBMC Service Center at 1 (855) 632-7748, Monday – Friday, 7 am to 7 pm.

 

Additional Information

Benefits Salary

  • Benefits Salary is defined by each union’s salary schedule and it is equal to the employees annual base salary
  • Benefits Salaries used was the employee’s annual salary as of June 30, 2023
  • Benefits Salary determines:
    • Employee & Dependent healthcare Board premium contribution
    • Employee cost share
    • Dependent healthcare premium
    • Board-paid Life Insurance amount- determined by your bargaining unit contract
    • Disability enrollment eligibility

    Salary Band

    • Benefits Salary determines your salary band
    • Salary band determines the Board contribution and the employee’s per pay deduction for employee & dependent healthcare cost
    • Salary bands will be reviewed for indexing on a cycle of three (3) years term, based upon an average of most recently published Consumer Price Index (CPI)

    NOTE: Employees may have experienced a change in salary band as a result of salary increase last June and may have resulted in an increase in both employee cost share and dependent premium.

    Declination of Healthcare Coverage:

    If you have other group or state-funded healthcare coverage, you can decline healthcare coverage through the School District (opt-out) by requesting a change in status. To request a change in status please contact FBMC at 1 (855) MDC-PS4U (1-855-632-7748), Monday – Friday, 7 am – 7 pm ET.

    In addition to submitting the completed enrollment form, you must complete the Declination of Healthcare Coverage Affidavit and submit it with proof of other group or state-funded healthcare to the Office of Risk and Benefits Management.

    Please click on the Learn More link below for the Declination of Healthcare Coverage Affidavit.

    Board Paid Life Insurance

    Board paid life insurance is one of the most valuable benefits provided to you by Miami-Dade County Public Schools (M-DCPS). This benefit enables you to plan for the future and provide security for your family.

    You can increase your Board paid life insurance amount by purchasing additional coverage and/or you can apply for dependent life insurance. For further information on how to enroll in these additional benefits please call our on-site MetLife representative at 305-995-7029. It is critical to keep your beneficiary information updated at all times to ensure the most up-to-date information is available at the time that is needed.

    Please click on the Learn More link below for step-by-step instructions on how to update your beneficiary designation.

    Dependent Verification:

    If you enroll a dependent in your benefits, you must submit proof of eligibility documentation (i.e., marriage certificate for spouse, birth certificate for natural children) for each covered dependent.

    • Dependent Social Security Numbers are required during the enrollment process.
    • Failure to submit this required documentation will result in termination of your dependent coverage.
    • Domestic Partner of the same-sex and legally married are able to be added on a tax-free basis with a marriage certificate.

    Please click on the link below for dependent eligibility requirements.

    Review and update personal information as needed:

    Your current mailing address and phone number are relevant information to ensure you receive important information, such as:

    • Your insurance card(s)
    • Statements
    • Benefits updates
    • Refunds, when applicable.

    It is your responsibility to ensure that M-DCPS has your most current personal information. Please click the Learn More link below for a step-by-step instructions on how to update your personal information.

    Your District Email:

    We will be sending time-sensitive information via email to all employees, if you haven’t accessed your district email within the past 30 days make sure your account is still accessible. If you are unable to access your email account, please click on the Learn More link below for instructions on how to reset your password.

    What You Need to Know

    Important Enrollment Information:

     This is a mandatory Employee Benefits Enrollment. The School Board continues to offer the current Cigna healthcare plans (OAP High, OAP Standard, and SureFit) and Flexible Benefits.

    Employee-only and dependent(s) rates remain the same for the Cigna SureFit and OAP Standard healthcare plans. Please note that if you experience a change in salary band, as a result of last year’s negotiations, you may have an increase in both employee and dependent healthcare deductions, regardless of what healthcare plan you elect. Additionally, the Cigna SureFit plan will no longer require you to obtain a referral from your Primary Care Physician (PCP) when needing access to a specialist. We strongly encourage you to select a PCP at the time of enrollment. To confirm and/or change your PCP selection, you must contact Cigna directly after January 1, 2024.

    There will be a slight increase in both the employee and dependent rates for the Cigna OAP High healthcare plan. We encourage you to review the Cigna OAP Standard plan, which provides you the same access to your current provider at a potentially lower out of pocket expense.

    We continue to offer the current Flexible Benefits. If you are selecting one of the UnitedHealthcare PPO dental plans, there will be a slight premium increase.

    If you do not enroll during the enrollment period, the following will occur:

    • Your and your dependent’s current Cigna healthcare coverage will terminate on December 31, 2023.
    • If you are currently declining healthcare coverage, your opt-out election will terminate on December 31, 2023. If you wish to continue your current declination of healthcare election, you must elect to opt-out by the enrollment deadline and submit the Declination of Healthcare Coverage Affidavit and proof of current other group or state-funded healthcare coverage. Sole submission of these documents does not mean that you have elected to decline healthcare coverage.
    • If you are being deducted the spouse/domestic partner annual surcharge, the deduction will terminate December 31, 2023.
    • You will be automatically assigned to the Cigna SureFit healthcare plan, which will be the free Board-paid option for all full-time benefits eligible employees. This plan requires the selection of a Primary Care Physician (PCP); therefore, Cigna will assign you a participating provider based on your zip code. Additionally, you must live in the tri-county (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach) service area.
    • If you are currently enrolled in a Disability (STD buy-up and/or LTD) plan, those benefits will continue for the 2024 plan year. If you elect to remove these benefits during open enrollment, you will be subject to the Evidence of Insurability (EOI) process when you re-enroll.
    • If you are currently enrolled in Flexible Benefits, those benefits will terminate on December 31, 2023.
    • If you are currently enrolled in a Medical FSA and/or Dependent Care FSA, your participation in these accounts will terminate on December 31, 2023.

    For additional information, please contact the FBMC Service Center at 1 (855) 632-7748, Monday – Friday, 7 am to 7 pm. The enrollment application will be available during the open enrollment period 24 hours/7 days a week. You must use Google Chrome web browser for the online enrollment application.

    Healthcare Plans:

    The School Board continues to offer the current Cigna healthcare plans (OAP High, OAP Standard, and SureFit).

      • Employee-only and dependent(s) rates remain the same for the Cigna SureFit and OAP Standard healthcare plans.
        NOTE: If you experience a change in salary band, as a result of last year’s negotiations, you may have an increase in both employee and dependent healthcare deductions, regardless of what healthcare plan you elect.
      • Employees enrolled in the Cigna OAP High plan will experience a slight increase in both employee and dependent premiums. We encourage you to review the Cigna OAP Standard plan, which provides you the same access to your current providers at a potentially lower out-of-pocket expense.
      • The Cigna SureFit plan will be the free option (employee-only) for full-time benefits eligible employees. Additionally, the Cigna SureFit plan will no longer require you to obtain a referral from your Primary Care Physician (PCP) when needing access to a specialist.
        • Selection of a Primary Care Physician (PCP) is required at the time of enrollment. If a PCP is not selected, Cigna will assign you a participating provider based on your zip code. To change your PCP, you must call Cigna directly after January 1, 2024.
        • You must live in the tri-county (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach) service area.
      • Dependent premiums for healthcare will continue to be subsidized for employees who are eligible for Board-paid benefits.

      Dependent Coverage:

      • If you enroll a dependent(s) in your benefits, the Social Security Number is required during the enrollment process for each dependent. You must submit dependent eligibility documentation (i.e., marriage certificate for spouse, birth certificate for natural children), for all covered dependents, upon request. If you do not provide the required documentation, coverage will be terminated.
      • If electing to cover your dependents, both you and your dependent(s) must be enrolled in the same healthcare and flexible benefits plans.
      • If you cover your spouse/domestic partner on your healthcare plan and your spouse/domestic partner has coverage available from their own employer, an additional annual surcharge of $800 will be charged. The annual surcharge will be deducted on a per pay basis bi-weekly according to your pay schedule. If you are in an inactive status, you will be billed. If your spouse/domestic partner does not have an employer sponsored healthcare plan available, please make sure to select the appropriate response on the online enrollment application and the spousal/domestic surcharge will not be applied.

        NOTE: If your spouse/domestic partner loses access to healthcare coverage during the plan year through their employer, the surcharge will no longer apply. You must contact FBMC at (844) 627-8273 to request to terminate the deduction for the surcharge. Additionally, you must provide proof of the termination of coverage. The surcharge will be terminated the first of the following month after proper proof of termination of coverage is received.

      Additional Information:

      Benefits Salary (annual base salary as of June 30 each calendar year) determines:

      • Your Benefits Salary will be updated in October 2023 using the base salary you had on June 30, 2022.
      • Board-paid life insurance amount.
      • Disability benefit, which is a percentage of your benefit base salary.

      Core Benefits

      Full-time benefits eligible employees will continue to be provided Board-paid Standard Short-Term Disability (STD) coverage.

      The School Board provides a Group Term Life & Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) program with Metropolitan Life Insurance Company for all full-time employees. The coverage amount is either one or two times your annual base salary rounded up to the next $1,000.00. Administrators and Confidential Exempt Personnel received two times the annual base salary. 

      All other employees receive one times their annual base salary. The minimum benefit for employees represented by AFSCME is $10,000. Additional life insurance may be purchased through payroll deductions to bring maximum benefits to an additional, one times the amount provided by the School Board.

      Employees are eligible to increase the life insurance amount to a maximum of five times the annual base salary after the first year of participation in the optional life program. Evidence of Insurability will be required for any increases in coverage.

      To find out more about Board-paid Group Term Life and AD&D, contact the MetLife representative at (305) 992-7029.

      FAQs

      Getting
      Started

      What is the Open Enrollment Period?

      The Open Enrollment period is a period of time during which you are allowed to make any changes to your current benefits. This year the open enrollment period is from October 16 – November 3. 2023.

      Note: No changes are allowed after the commencement of a new plan year unless you experience a qualifying Change In Status event. For further information visit https://mdcpsbenefits.com/dependents-change-in-status/.

      When are healthcare benefits effective and for how long?

      The benefits are effective January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2024 for employees represented by Unions that have successfully ratified their contact and the Board has approved it.

      Must all eligible employees enroll for benefits effective January 1, 2024?

      Yes. Everyone must enroll, including employees currently opting-out of healthcare coverage. If you do not re-enroll your current healthcare and/or flexible benefits will terminate December 31, 2023, with the exception of your Disability (STD buy-up and/or LTD) plans. Unless you elect to terminate these benefits during your enrollment period, these benefits will continue and premiums will be automatically adjusted based on your Benefits Salary change.

      What should all eligible employees do during this Open Enrollment period for benefits effective?
      • Log into the employee portal and during your open enrollment session, review and print your current 2023 Benefits Statement for reference during your enrollment.
      • Use the statement to evaluate if the plans you currently have still meet your needs.
      • In the Dependent and Beneficiary section of the enrollment application, you will see a list of the people you will be able to assign coverage and/or assign as a beneficiary. If their record does not exist, you will need to add one.
      • Review/Update your beneficiary designation (Name, Date of Birth and Social Security Number is required).
      • If you elect to cover your spouse or domestic partner in a medical plan, you will need to complete the spouse/domestic partner Acknowledgement form and check the applicable box on the online enrollment form that best describes the status of their coverage.
      • Complete your 2024 benefit elections by submitting your changes and print your Employee Benefits Confirmation Statement. Remember, you are able to make any necessary changes to your election during the open enrollment period.
      What happens if I do not re-enroll by the enrollment deadline?

      If you do not enroll during this Open Enrollment period, the following will occur:

      • Your and your dependent’s current Cigna healthcare coverage will terminate on December 31, 2023.
      • If you are currently declining healthcare coverage, your opt-out election will terminate on December 31, 2023. You will need to enroll in this option online during open enrollment.
      • If you are being deducted the spouse/domestic partner annual surcharge, the deductions will terminate December 31, 2023.
      • You will be automatically assigned to the Cigna SureFit healthcare plan (Employee only), which will be the free Board-paid option for all full-time benefits eligible employees.
        • Selection of a Primary Care Physician (PCP) is required at the time of enrollment. If a PCP is not selected, Cigna will assign you a participating provider based on your zip code.
        • You must live in the tri-county (Miami-Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach) service area.
      • If you are currently enrolled in Flexible Benefits, those benefits will terminate on December 31, 2023.
      • If you are currently enrolled in a Medical FSA and/or Dependent Care FSA, those benefits will terminate on December 31, 2023.
      • If you are currently enrolled in a Disability (STD buy-up and/or LTD) plan, those benefits will continue for the 2024 plan year.
        How will I know when I can access the online enrollment application?

        Emails will be sent to your Dadeschools email account, and the enrollment link is available through your Employee Portal. You will have access to the online enrollment application during the Open Enrollment Period, October 16, 2023 through November 3, 2023

        When is the last day to make a change for benefits effective January 1, 2024?

        If making changes to your 2024 election, you must complete your online enrollment selections by 11:59 p.m. on November 3, 2023.

        If I am hired during the Open Enrollment period, must I enroll during this period?

        No. You will receive an email 60-calendar days after your date of hire prompting you to enroll online for healthcare and Flexible Benefits. The email will provide you with your enrollment deadline.

        When is the online enrollment application available?

        The application is available during the Open Enrollment period 24 hours/7 days a week through the Employee Portal. However, we may experience some down time due to system updates.

        Coverage

        What if I enroll and I want to change my benefits selections?

        You may log into the enrollment site and change your benefits selections as many times as you want throughout the Open Enrollment period. Your last saved and submitted selections will be your benefits, effective January 1, 2024. Changes made to your benefits during the Open Enrollment period of October 16, 2023 through November 3, 2023, until 11:59 p.m., will be effective January 1, 2024. For full-time employees, the first deductions will be taken on the payroll date January 13, 2024.

        What elections can I make during Open Enrollment?

        During this period, you may decide to re-enroll in your current benefits or make changes to your current benefits, delete, or add eligible dependent.

        Can I select coverage for myself through one benefit plan and another for my family?

        No. You and your eligible dependent(s) must be covered with the same benefit plan and provider.

        Can I decline healthcare coverage?

        Yes. You may decline healthcare coverage. You must elect this option during your enrollment. Additionally, you must agree to the provision set forth in the online affidavit and you must provide proof of other group or state-funded program coverage. Enrollment in an individual healthcare plan does not qualify. Sole submission of these documents does not mean that you have elected to decline healthcare coverage.

        If I decline healthcare coverage, what happens to the Board contribution towards my healthcare coverage?

        In lieu of healthcare coverage, you will receive $100 per month paid bi-weekly through the payroll system, based on our deduction pay schedule (subject to withholding and FICA) as follows:

        • 10-month employees will receive their payments in 20 pay checks.
        • 11-month employees will receive their payments in 24 pay checks.
        • 12-month employees will receive their payments in 26 pay checks.

        If you do not provide proof of other group healthcare coverage or state-funded healthcare coverage, you will be automatically assigned to the Cigna SureFit (Employee-only) healthcare plan and standard Short-term Disability.

        If electing to decline healthcare coverage during this Open Enrollment, you are required to submit proof of enrollment in another group or state-funded program, even if previously submitted. Annually, proof of current active enrollment in another healthcare plan must be provided.

        What healthcare plans are being offered for the 2024 plan year?

        The Cigna Healthcare plans being offered are:

        • Open Access Plan - High
        • Open Access Plan - Standard
        • SureFit Plan
        Is there a free healthcare option being offered?

        Yes. The Cigna SureFit Plan, employee-only coverage, is being offered at no cost to all benefits eligible employees.

        How do I view the Cigna Healthcare directories?

        To view participating providers in Cigna: log in to www.mycigna.com and click on “Find a Provider”.

        How do I acknowledge that my spouse/domestic partner has or does not have group coverage available through her/his employer?

        During the online enrollment, the application will display acknowledgement form and you will be given the opportunity to click on the box that best describes the access your dependent's has to group coverage.

        • If you cover your spouse/domestic partner on your healthcare plan and your spouse/domestic partner has coverage available from his/her own employer, an additional annual surcharge of $800 will be charged. The annual surcharge will be billed on a bi-weekly basis according to your pay schedule.
        • If you cover your spouse/domestic partner on your healthcare plan and your spouse/domestic partner does not have an employer sponsored healthcare plan available to him/her, the spousal surcharge will not be applied.

        Dependent

        What do I need to submit to ensure that my dependent(s) will have coverage?
        • Covering Your Child(ren) – If you have previously submitted dependent documentation for your child(ren), and your dependent was flagged, you will not have to resubmit this proof. However, if you have not previously submitted and do not submit, your child(ren) coverage will be terminated.
        • Covering Your Spouse – If covering a spouse and you have not previously submitted dependent documentation since 2019, then you must submit the proof of eligibility this year. If documentation is not submitted, your spouse’s coverage will be terminated.
        • Covering Your Domestic Partner – Annually you are required to submit the proper documentation with a completed affidavit that can be found here.
        Will my current Adult Child dependent’s coverage continue?

        No. Your current adult child healthcare coverage will terminate December 31, 2023. If you wish to continue their participation in a sponsored group healthcare plan, you must re-enroll them for the 2024 plan year and resubmit your dependent documentation.

        If you want to add your eligible adult child, you can do so during this open enrollment period. You must submit the appropriate form and dependent documentation.

        Leave & Termination

        If I take a Board-approved leave of absence, whom do I contact about my benefit?

        Once your leave is approved and the SAP system is updated, FBMC receives a notification and you will be eligible for applicable benefits in accordance to your Bargaining Unit and type of leave. FBMC will bill you for employer-paid benefits in accordance with the type of leave and labor contact. Additionally, you will be billed for all employee-paid benefits.

        Miami-Dade County Public Schools implements the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 (FMLA) through provisions contained in the School Board Rules and collective bargaining agreements.

        For questions regarding your benefits while on leave, please call the Leave Billing Specialist at (844) 627- 8273, option 4.

        What happens to my benefits if I terminate employment?

        Your coverage will cease at the end of the calendar month in which employment terminates. Benefits will remain in effect through August 31st for 10-month employees who terminate employment during the last month of the school year.

        NOTE: An individual who loses coverage under the plan becomes entitled to elect COBRA. The individual has the right to continue his or her medical, dental, and vision coverage under COBRA law for a period of 18 months and/or Medical FSA deposits until the end of the plan year following termination of employment.