Summary of Employee Benefits

2023 Amherst College Benefits Guide PDF2023 Guía de los Beneficios PDF
2023 Amherst College Benefits Guide Flipbook
 
2023 Guía de los Beneficios Folleto Animado

Need Help Choosing Your Benefits? Use ALEX, the official Amherst benefits counselor, who will walk you through the process of picking your best benefits and provides easy-to understand explanations for any questions you have along the way. Visit https://www.myalex.com/amherst/2023 to give ALEX a try.

Quick Reference Guide for new hire benefits in Workday.

Health and Dental Insurance              
Vision Insurance              
Flexible Spending Plan (The Amherst Plan)              
Life Insurance              
Long Term Disability Insurance            
Voluntary Long Term Disability Insurance         
Voluntary Long Term Care Insurance              
Retirement Plan       
Retiree Health Program       
Leave Provisions              
Educational Assistance Program     
Grant-in-Aid   
Care.com               
BenefitHub              
Employee Assistance Program    
Death in Service Benefit              
Calm              
Savi


Health and Dental Insurance

All regular employees are eligible to elect coverage under a health plan offered by the College.

Enrollment must occur within 30 days of hire and is effective the first of the month following or coincident with the date of hire. Employees may select individual or family coverage. Employees enrolling in a health care plan will also be included in the dental plan in a corresponding individual or family contract. Enrollment and changes are completed using Workday.

Health and Dental Insurance Premiums

Employee Only

Health Insurance Premiums

Employee Only

Dental Insurance Premiums

Employee and Spouse/Domestic Partner

Health Insurance Premiums

Employee and Spouse/Domestic Partner

Dental Insurance Premiums

Employee and Child(ren)

Health Insurance Premiums

Employee and Child(ren)

Dental Insurance Premiums

Family

Health Insurance Premiums

Family

Dental Insurance Premiums

Part Time Premiums (for regular employees working 20 to 29 hours per week)

 

 
Health Plan Information -- the SBC, the Summary of Benefits and Coverage is detailed, good for side-by-side comparisons. The Summary of Benefits is a readable, succinct guide to the plan.
HMO Blue New EnglandSBCSummary of Benefits
HMO Blue New England $500 DeductibleSBCSummary of Benefits
Blue Choice New EnglandSBCSummary of Benefits
Blue Care Elect Preferred (out-of-state residents, only)SBCSummary of Benefits
Blue Care Elect Saver 90 (high deductible plan)SBCSummary of Benefits
Dental Plan Information
Dental Blue FreedomSummary of Benefits
Dental Blue Freedom with OrthodonticsSummary of Benefits

A word about networks

Our health plans use the terms in-network and out-of-network to describe coverage. For three of our health plans, HMO Blue New England, HMO Blue New England Deductible and Blue Choice New England, the network is the HMO Blue New England network, which covers most of the doctors and facilities in the six New England states. Urgent and emergency care is covered anywhere in the world with these plans, but conventional coverage is considered in-network when it is provided within the HMO Blue network. The high deductible plan, Blue Care Elect Saver Plan with Co-insurance, uses the PPO or EPO network, which is much larger. In-network with this plan means participating doctors and facilities nationwide.

Helpful Links

Domestic Partnership Certification

Dental Benefit Maximum Rollover

Find a Dentist, Doctor or Other Practitioner in the Blue Cross Networks

Medication Lookup (choose the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Formulary)

Register or login at MyBlue

Emergency Room Alternatives

Telehealth

HSA Factsheet

Employees should review the insurance certificates issued for each plan for detailed information on covered services and other important information. To review your coverage, download a certificate or find a network doctor or dentist, please visit bluecrossma.com. You have the right to designate any primary care provider who participates in our network and who is available to accept you or your family members. For children, you may designate a pediatrician as the primary care provider. You do not need prior authorization from BCBS or from any other person (including a primary care provider) in order to obtain access to obstetrical or gynecological care from a health care professional in our network who specializes in obstetrics or gynecology. The health care professional, however, may be required to comply with certain procedures, including obtaining prior authorization for certain services, following a pre-approved treatment plan, or procedures for making referrals. For information on how to select a primary care provider, and for a list of the participating primary care providers, including participating health care professionals who specialize in obstetrics or gynecology, contact BCBS at bluecrossma.com or call the Physician Selection Service at 1-800-821-1388. 

Coverage may include a legal spouse or domestic partner, and dependents up to age 26 regardless of the dependent’s Internal Revenue Service tax qualification status, marital status, student status, or employment status. The Office of Human Resources will require confirmation of dependent status each year.

The College pays 80% of the total projected cost of the individual premiums and 70% of the total projected family premiums. The amount that the College contributes to each of the premiums is determined through the use of a weighted-average formula. The College contributes an equal dollar amount to a HMO or preferred provider plan.

Through a program referred to as "Sliding Scale" the  College will pay 82% - 90% of the total projected individual premium and 72% - 80% of the total projected family premium through a weighted-average formula for employees at certain levels of household income. The income levels at which higher contributions are made are subject to periodic review.

Changes in plan participation, other than within 30 days following a change in family status, may be made only during the annual open enrollment period held each spring for the plan year beginning July 1. During this period, employees may change health insurance carriers and/or enroll otherwise eligible dependents.

Employees insuring a spouse should submit a xerox copy of a marriage certificate with the Blue Cross application. Employees insuring a domestic partner should submit a certification of domestic partnership. Covering a domestic partner has tax implications; please contact Chris Casey or Philip Chapman-Bell to discuss the details.

Medicaid and Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)

If an employee is eligible for health coverage, but unable to afford the premiums, some states have premium assistance programs that can help pay for coverage. There are special enrollment rights related to these programs as well.  Use the following links to learn more.

Health insurance for active employees over age 65 and their spouses generally remains the same as it was prior to age 65. Those employees eligible for Medicare may elect to have either Medicare or the College health insurance plan as their primary insurer. It is usually advisable to elect the College coverage as primary. The College recommends that employees contact the Office of Human Resources three months before turning 65 to discuss Medicare coverage.

In certain instances where coverage under the group health plans would otherwise end (such as death of the covered employee, termination of employment or reduction of work hours, divorce or legal separation of the employee, or loss of dependent student status), the College is required, under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1986 (COBRA), to offer employees and their families the opportunity for a temporary extension of health coverage at group rates with the employee paying the full cost of coverage. The employee or family member must inform the Office of Human Resources of a divorce, legal separation or loss of child's dependent status within 60 days of the qualifying event in order to ensure continuation of coverage. Upon notification to the Office of Human Resources of the above event by the employee, or in case of other qualifying circumstances known to the employer, the Office of Human Resources will furnish notification of COBRA Continuation Rights and Responsibilities. Further information about continuation of coverage (under COBRA) is available in the Office of Human Resources.

Important Information About Your Prescription Drug Coverage and Medicare

Amherst has determined that the prescription drug coverage offered under each of its medical plans described on this page is, on average for all plan participants, expected to pay out as much as the standard Medicare prescription drug coverage will pay. You should compare the coverage available to you from Amherst, including which drugs are covered, with the coverage and cost of the plans offering Medicare prescription drug coverage in your area and determine which is best for you. If you decide to enroll in an Amherst medical plan, you will have the opportunity to enroll in a Medicare prescription plan when your Amherst coverage ends. A Medicare Part D creditable coverage notice is available here. More information about Medicare prescription drug coverage is available by calling 1-800-MEDICARE, visiting https://www.medicare.gov or contacting your state’s health insurance assistance program.


Vision Insurance

Note: Blue Cross medical plans come with one free basic vision exam per year. EyeMed provides one free vision exam (including a contacts exam), and co-pay benefits for glasses and contacts at participating vendors.

EyeMed Summary of Benefits

 


Flexible Spending Plan (The Amherst Plan)

All regular employees are eligible to elect coverage under the flexible spending plan offered by the College.

Enrollment must occur within 30 days of hire and is effective the first of the month following or coincident with the date of hire.  Through this salary-reduction program, an employee may pay for his or her share of health premiums, unreimbursed medical and dental expenses, and dependent care expenses.

Changes in plan participation, other than within 30 days following a change in family status, may be made only during the annual open enrollment period held each spring for the plan year beginning July 1. During this period, employees may change elections for eligible medical and dependent care expenses.

  • Your flexible spending reimbursement benefit is administered by WageWorks.  You can access your online account with WageWorks by visiting: www.wageworks.com.  Click on the log in/register button and select employee registration to create a set of unique WageWorks credentials.  You will be required to supply the last four digits of your Amherst employee ID number in order to register.

Amherst Plan Information

Log onto Workday for view enrollment details.


Life Insurance

The College pays the full cost of basic coverage for all regular employees (one and a half times the annual salary for employees under age 65; one times the salary between ages 65-69; and two-thirds times the salary age 70 or older). Additional coverage of one to five times the salary (up to three times the salary available without evidence of good health) is available at low group rates based on age. The plan allows a maximum total coverage of $750,000. Coverage is also available for IRS-dependent children and a spouse or same-sex domestic partner. Coverage is effective the first of the month following three months of employment.

Log into Workday to view enrollment or to make changes.


Long Term Disability Insurance

After a six-month absence, and approval by the insurance company, the benefit will pay 60% of the annual salary in effect at commencement of disability. The maximum benefit is $15,000 per month. The College pays the full cost of the insurance, no employee contribution required. Coverage for all regular employees is effective the first of the month following three months of employment.


Voluntary Long Term Disability Insurance

Voluntary long term disability insurance is not currently available for purchase through the College. Employees with existing coverage pay through payroll deduction.; the employee pays the full cost of coverage.


Voluntary Long Term Care Insurance

Regular full-time employees may purchase long term care insurance, in most cases with simplified underwriting, through a voluntary personal policy. The employee pays the full cost of coverage.


Retirement Plan

The College offers a defined contribution 403(b) plan that provides for immediate and full vesting. Employees are eligible for College contributions after two years of continuous regular employment. The service requirement may be satisfied with service at an educational institution immediately prior to Amherst College employment, or through enrollment in a similar employer-sponsored retirement plan immediately prior to Amherst College employment.

Important Points

403(b) Waiver of Waiting Period Form

The College will contribute 6.8% of annual salary up to one-half of the federal Social Security wage cap on July 1 each year ($80,100 in plan year 2023 - 2024) and 9% over the base. The College will match up to an additional 3% of annual salary contributed by the employee.  Employees may make contributions into tax-deferred options through salary reduction at any time after employment commences. The College has implemented the following enhancements to the 403(b) Defined Contribution Retirement plan:

  • Online Salary Deferral Option:  In addition to accessing your account at tiaa.org/amherst, you can now log in directly from the Amherst College website using your Amherst credentials. Once you are logged in, select Change your contribution under the MY ACCOUNT heading.
  • Auto Save Feature: Participate in a new Auto Save feature that will automatically increase your voluntary retirement plan contributions based on the criteria you set. You can set your contributions to increase in a timeframe that works best for you. You may select the amount of the increase, the frequency for that increase to occur (annually, bi-annually, or quarterly), and the date you want those changes to occur.

New employees, after their demographic information has been sent to TIAA, may enroll and make elections on the TIAA microsite for the College. For those who do not enroll at hire, after one month of employment at Amherst College, employees are automatically enrolled in a retirement plan at TIAA with a contribution of 3% on a pre-tax basis. Enrollment is automatic, but not mandatory: you can opt out of making contributions at any time. Please note, changes to your elections are not made through WorkDay, but through TIAA, best reached via the College's single sign-on page: https://amherst.edu/go/tiaa

TIAA Available Financial WebinarsTIAA offers a wide range of webinars that are available to all employees along with their dependents!

More information on the Amherst College Define Contribution Retirement Plan.


Retiree Health Program

Through this defined contribution plan, starting at age 40 the College sets aside a percentage of the current Medicare supplement for each eligible employee. Vesting of a participant’s account occurs with retirement from the College at age 62 or older and 10 years of service. At retirement funds are contributed to a health reimbursement account from which a retiree may receive reimbursement for eligible expenses. (Employees hired before July 1, 2003, please contact the Office of Human Resources for information about your retiree health program.)


Leave Provisions

Vacation

Non-Exempt
1 — 5 years12 days
5 — 10 years15 days
10 — 20 years20 days
20+ years25 days

 

Exempt
1 — 10 years20 days
10+ years25 days

Time is available as accrued. A maximum of one year’s accrual may be carried over each year. Time off should be arranged in advance with the approval of the employee’s supervisor. Vacation time is tracked and paid out at termination of employment. Accrued time can be reviewed on Workday.

Floating Holidays

4.5 days are available at the start of each fiscal year. These days may be used for personal, religious, or government holidays that are not observed as regular College Holidays. Floating Holidays do not roll over to subsequent years and are forfeited if unused. Use of Floating Holidays should be arranged in advance. They are not paid out at termination of employment.

Excused Time

Time equal to two workdays per year is available for personal emergencies or scheduled business such as a mortgage closing that cannot be conducted during regular business hours. If the reason is not an emergency, the employee should give the reason and advance notice for the use of excused time to his or her supervisor. Excused days are not carried over and are not paid out at termination.

Family and Medical Leave Act

The Family and Medical leave Act (FMLA) entitles eligible employees to take up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave in a 12 month period for specified family and medical reasons.  The National Defense Authorization Act of 2008 (NDAA) provides up to 26 weeks of combined FMLA leave in a 12 month period to care for specified service members, and up to 12 weeks to attend to a qualified exigency.  Please use this link for detailed information on FMLA rights and responsibilities.  Amherst College has contracted with Prudential to provide claim review and case management services for the College's absence programs.  Prudential will help assist Amherst College employees in obtaining both the initial and ongoing documentation needed to support a Family Medical Leave, Extended Family Leave or Military Duty absences, as well as utilizing clinical resources/expertise to manage these submissions on Amherst College's behalf.  The partnership with Prudential will help to streamline the employee experience. 

  • Prudential's Telephonic Absence Process: First, report your absence for leave to your Supervisor/Chair and then contact Prudential directly at 877-FOR-PRU1 (877-367-7781)              
     

Sick/Family Care Leave Days

Each fiscal year each employee receives one day of sick/family care leave for each month worked in that fiscal year. Sick/family care leave days may be used for the employee’s illness, ill family member, birth or adoption of a child, or to supplement Short Term Disability (STD). For this policy, "family member" includes a spouse/same-sex domestic partner, child, parent or other family members for whom the employee is the primary caregiver. Medical/family leave days may accumulate to 130 days with no replenishment (if used, they must be re-accrued). They may accrue, with carryover to following years, to a total of 130 days. The use of sick/family care leave days should be arranged in advance when possible for FMLA tracking. The balance of any unused sick/family care leave days is not paid out at termination.

Massachusetts Family and Medical Leave Benefit

In 2018, Massachusetts signed into law a statute that provides paid family and medical leave (PFML) benefits to all employees.  The PFML benefits are scheduled to start on January 1, 2021, and will provide all eligible employees, including casual employees, with up to 20 weeks of paid medical leave and 12 weeks of paid family leave.  Please review the Short Term Disability and Extended Family Leave benefits below for more information.

Massachusetts Earned Sick Time

The Massachusetts Earned Sick Leave program affords up to 40 hours of paid earned sick leave that can be used for a number of reasons.  The current Sick/Family Care leave program for regular employees provides accrual rates that exceed those provided under the Massachusetts policy.   Please review the provisions of the Medical/Family Care leave program for details.

Short Term Disability (STD)

We are pleased to announce that the College has filed and received approval for an exemption and we have enhanced our current Family and Leave benefits to match the new state provisions.  The College will also absorb the cost of the new MA wage tax!  The new Family and Medical leave benefits will go into effect on January 1, 2021.

After one year of service employees are eligible for paid time off due to the employee’s own disability. Short term disability pay begins after a one-week waiting period at the following schedule:

Length of ServicePercentage of Pay
1 — 3 years80% pay
4 — 6 years80% pay
7 — 9 years90% pay
10+ years100% pay

Any employee with less than 1 year of service will receive 80% of salary to a maximum of $1,129.82 per week for up to 20 weeks

Amherst College has contracted with Prudential to provide claim review and case management services for the College's Short Term Disability program.  Prudential will help assist claimants in obtaining both the initial and ongoing medical documentation needed to support a Short Term Disability claim, as well as utilizing clinical resources/expertise to manage Short Term Disability submissions on Amherst College's behalf.  The partnership with Prudential helps to streamline the employee claim experience. 

  • Prudential's Telephonic Short Term Disability ProcessFirst, report your absence for disability to your Supervisor/Chair, then call 877-FOR-PRU1 (877-367-7781)              
     

There is no accumulation of short term disability pay as the time is paid according to the schedule. Proper medical certification must accompany the request for use of STD. Payments continue until the staff member is: no longer disabled, eligible for long term disability benefits, and/or has been unable to work for six months. Health, dental and long term disability insurance continue as if the employee was receiving 100% pay but contributions to retirement and Social Security are based on actual pay. If the employee is released to return to reduced hour work, the STD will be offset by actual wages. Reserve bank (available only to staff and administrators employed before July 1, 2001) and medical/family leave days may be used to supplement wages if receiving less than full pay.

Extended Family Leave

Effective 1-1-2021, all benefit eligible employees may be eligible for up to 12 weeks of extended Family Medical Leave.  After a one week elimination period, weeks 2-5 are paid at 100% and weeks 6-12 are paid at 80% up to $1,129.82 per week.  Employees have the option to supplement with accruals, if applicable.   

All other non benefit eligible employees (casual/temporary) are now eligible for Extended Family Leave!  Non benefit eligible employees will receive 80% of salary to a maximum of $1,129.82 per week for up to 20 weeks

Extended family leave may be used when the employee is needed to provide care as the primary caregiver for more than 5 consecutive workdays. It may be used for the care of a newborn child, adoption, or serious illness of a family member. Family member include spouse/domestic partner as defined by the state's policies/guidelines, child, parent or other family members for whom the employee is the primary caregiver. When a spouse and partner are both employed by the College, combined paid leave under this policy will not exceed 4 weeks for any one reason. If one partner for any one reason has met the two-week wait, the second partner does not need to serve the waiting period.

Amherst College has contracted with Prudential to provide claim review and case management services for the College's absence programs.  Prudential will help assist Amherst College employees in obtaining both the initial and ongoing documentation needed to support a Family Medical Leave, Extended Family Leave or Military Duty absences, as well as utilizing clinical resources/expertise to manage these submissions on Amherst College's behalf.  The partnership with Prudential will help to streamline the employee experience. 

  • Prudential's Telephonic Absence Process:  First, report your absence for leave to your Supervisor/Chair, then call 877-FOR-PRU1 (877-367-7781)              
     

Educational Assistance Program

As an institution of higher education committed to academic achievement and lifelong learning, Amherst College supports the educational pursuits of its staff.  Regular full-time, and part-time staff and faculty, are eligible to receive reimbursement for tuition, certificate programs, registration and lab fees for approved courses, which are either job-related or non-job-related, but directly related to future career opportunities at the College. The maximum reimbursement per fiscal year is $3,000 after one year of continuous employment for job-related courses, or certificate programs, and 50% of the costs to a maximum of $1,500, for non-job-related courses after three years of continuous employment.

Upon prior approval, an advance payment of 75% of eligible course costs is available. Total reimbursements for all courses and programs may not exceed $3,000 per fiscal year.

For more information about the program, please visit the following link: 

To begin the application process, please follow the instructions below:
  • In Workday:
    • Go to Request Forms
    • Click Create Request
    • In request type - under all - select Educational Assistance
    • Click OK
    • Complete the form and hit submit

Amherst College Course Registration

Courses for credit may be taken at Amherst College after one year of continuous regular employment. 


Grant-in-Aid

After the full time equivalent of five years of continuous regular status employment, an employee's dependent child may receive up to $16,500 (effective 7-01-2023) per fiscal year of tuition cost for full-time, matriculated, undergraduate study at a two or four-year institution. The benefit is payable in equal installments for each semester, based on the semester structure of the institution. No more than $8,250 may be paid in a semester (less if the school has more than a two semester structure.) The benefit is also extended for attendance at accredited programs of training in a recognized occupation such as vocational or culinary schools. Employees with a full-time or part-time, regular appointment are eligible with the benefit being prorated for less than full-time appointment, based on the schedule in effect at the time of the semester's grant application.  Additional details on this benefit.


Death in Service Benefit

In case of death of a regular employee, in addition to TIAA-CREF Retirement benefits, if applicable, and life insurance benefits, the College will give to his or her spouse or partner, or if none, his or her dependent(s), a sum equal to one month's pay, if the deceased was employed by the College for less than five years; three months' pay, if employed between five and ten years; and six months' pay, if employed ten years or longer. Only time in regular employment at the College will be counted towards this benefit