Group Health Insurance:
The Village offers various choices for group health insurance including several medical plan options, a vision plan and a dental plan.
Eligibility:
All full-time employees become eligible to participate in all group health insurance plans on their first day of the month following their date of hire. Dependent coverage is also available.
Cost:
Regular Full-time Non-Union hired after 01/01/2018 and Fire Union Full-Time after 01/01/2016: The Village will contribute the equivalent of 88% of the lowest cost of either the HMO or PPO $750.00 health insurance premium. Employees can select to participate in any of the insurance plan options but are responsible through payroll deductions to pay any additional premium expense on the plan selected.
Regular Full-time Non-Union prior to 01/01/2018 and Fire Union Full-Time prior to 01/01/2016: The Village will contribute the equivalent of 95% of the lowest cost of either the HMO or PPO $750.00 health insurance premium. Employees can select to participate in any of the insurance plan options but are responsible through payroll deductions to pay any additional premium expense on the plan selected.
Police Union Full-Time: For employees hired prior to May 2016, the Village will contribute 95% of the cost of the HMO health insurance plan. The employee is responsible to pay any additional premium expense. For employees hired after January 2016, the Village will contribute 88% of the cost of the HMO health insurance premium. The employee is responsible through payroll deductions to pay any additional premium expense. Employees hired after January 2016 are only eligible for HMO health insurance.
Clerical Union Full-Time: For employees hired prior to May 2018, the Village will contribute 95% of the cost of the HMO health insurance plan. The employee is responsible to pay any additional premium expense. For employees hired after January 2016, the Village will contribute 88% of the cost of the HMO health insurance premium. The employee is responsible through payroll deductions to pay any additional premium expense. Employees hired after January 2016 are only eligible for HMO health insurance.
Part-time 1560 employees: Employees are eligible to enroll in the PPO group medical insurance offered for the period during the applicable "stability period" during which the employee remains actively employed with the employer. If an employee's hours are measured over a standard measurement period, the applicable "stability period" will be the "standard stability period" following the standard measurement period. The standard stability period is the Village's Health Insurance Benefit Year which is November 1st through October 31st of the following year. If an employee's hours are measured over the employee's initial measurement period, the applicable "stability period" will be the "initial stability period". The initial stability period will be the twelve-month period beginning on the first day of the second month following expiration of the employee's initial measurement period.
The monthly cost of health insurance for any 1560 Part-time Employee who enrolls in the Single, Employee Plus One or Employee Family plan will pay the total premium. The total premium is subject to an annual increase or decrease based on the Village of Romeoville health care experience.
Coverage begins the first day of the month succeeding your 1560 hours works. The Human Resources Manager shall act as Plan Manager. Any additional information regarding insurance is available from the Human Resources Office.
Employees enrolling more than thirty (30) days after they or their dependents become eligible for coverage will be required to complete an Evidence of Eligibility form. If approved, coverage will be effective on the first of the month after the date that the application for coverage and the Evidence of Eligibility is approved.
Waiver Incentive:
Full-time employees who elect to waive health coverage are eligible for an incentive payment. It will be given bi-weekly to the employee and is based on coverage the employee is eligible to enroll within.
Employee Only - $1,000 annually
Employee Plus Children - $1,250 annually
Employee Plus Spouse - $1,500 annually
Family Coverage - $2,000 annually
Employees are required to prove eligibility for the waiver and sign the waiver document annually during open enrollment.
Basic Life Insurance:
Life insurance is provided for all full-time employees in the amount equal to the employee's annual salary. The full cost for life insurance is paid by the Village. Coverage begins one (1) month from the date of employment. Employees are also covered for accidental death and dismemberment. In the event of the employee's death, the benefit shall be paid to the designated beneficiary.
Dental and Vision Insurance:
All regular full-time employees are entitled to dental and vision insurance. The full cost for individual or family coverage is paid by the Village. Dental and vision insurance coverage begins the first day of month preceding the date of hire.
Flexible Spending Accounts:
Unreimbursed Medical Spending Accounts and Dependent Care Accounts are available to full-time employees at their expense. The amounts to be placed in the account will be withheld from paychecks on a pretax basis with an employee's prior written authorization.
Health Savings Accounts:
HSAs are tax advantaged member-owned accounts that let you save pre-tax dollars for future qualified medical expenses. Employees can only contribute to an HSA account if enrolled in the High Deductible Health Insurance Plan. The Village will use a vendor to administer the Village's HSA accounts for employees. Your HSA account is portable, which allows you take the funds in your HSA with you when you leave your employment with the Village of Romeoville.
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act:
Portability Requirements:
The federal Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA") is designed to help employees who change or lose jobs to maintain health insurance coverage by requiring subsequent employers to accept them into their health insurance plans. To achieve this, the law: prohibits group health insurance plans from establishing eligibility rules based on health status; limits the duration and extent to which group health insurance plans may exclude preexisting conditions; and requires special enrollment periods for individuals losing other coverage under certain circumstances. The law also requires group health insurance plans to track and provide certification of an individual's coverage when the individual leaves the plan so that he or she may gain access to another plan with reduced or no preexisting condition limitations.
As a general rule, HIPAA protects the privacy of an employee's health information by prohibiting health care providers and group health insurers from disclosing such information to anyone, except with the employee's specific consent and authorization. The Village may request consent to obtain health information about an employee in order to determine whether he or she is fit to return to duty after an illness or injury, in order to obtain results of drug or alcohol testing, in order to comply with the requirements of the Family and Medical Leave Act or the Americans with Disabilities Act, and for other, appropriate reasons.
Continuation of Coverage Under COBRA:
The federal Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act ("COBRA") gives employees and their qualified beneficiaries the opportunity to continue health insurance coverage under the Village's health plan when a "qualifying event" would normally result in the loss of eligibility. Some common qualifying events are resignation, termination of employment, or death of an employee; a reduction in an employee's hours or a leave of absence; an employee's divorce or legal separation; and a dependent child no longer meeting eligibility requirements. Under COBRA, the employee or beneficiary pays the full cost of coverage at the Village's group rates. The Village provides each eligible employee with a written notice describing rights granted under COBRA when the employee becomes eligible for coverage under the District's health insurance plan. The notice contains important information about the employee's rights and obligations.
Continuation of Coverage Under State Law:
Under the Illinois Insurance Code (215 ILCS 5/367;), municipal employees and/or dependents may be eligible for continuation of group health benefits at the employee's expense for a period beginning at the time an employee is removed from payroll due to retirement, disability or death.
(Ord. 23-1853, passed 5-3-23)