Healthcare Changes

The employer contribution to employee benefits is $994 from January 1, 2020 - June 30, 2020 and $1,056 thereafter for every school district employee in every district in the state. These contribution rates are set at the state level and do NOT change based on the employee's plan choice. If an employee waives their medical coverage or chooses the most expensive medical plan, the district contributions remains the same and payments go directly to SEBB. 

The state will default you in to specific medical, dental, and vision plans without your consent and you will be responsible for your out-of-pocket expenses. There will be no option to make changes or opt out of medical until the next benefit year. The state will also impose the $25 per month tobacco surcharge for anyone who “defaults” by not enrolling (See below). It is very important that every benefit-eligible employee complete the open enrollment process starting Oct. 1.

Yes, if you have other employer-based group medical insurance, such as TRICARE, or Medicare. If you have Medicaid (Apple Health), you have to sign up for SEBB Medical coverage through the district. If you’re eligible to waive medical you still have to take the mandatory coverage benefits – dental, vision, life insurance and long-term disability (LTD).

SEBB will replace our current medical, dental, vision, life insurance, accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D), salary insurance (long-term disability or LTD), Flex Spending (medical and dependent care) accounts, and HSA (health savings account).

Our medical options will include three Kaiser plans, two Premera/Blue Cross, and three Uniform Medical Plans (UMP). We’ll have three dental options—Willamette, Delta Care (managed care plan), and Uniform Dental Plan. The three vision options will be Davis Vision, EyeMed, and MetLife. 

Probably but not guaranteed. The Kaiser/Premera plans are different from what we currently have. Before picking a plan you may want to contact your doctor’s office to confirm that they’ll take the insurance you are considering.

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Before selecting a plan, you may want to contact your dentist’s office to confirm that they accept the insurance plan you are considering.  Willamette Dental will still be an option.  If you are not currently a Willamette patient but are considering switching to them, please contact them to make sure they’re taking new patients. Delta Care has only 6 locations in our area while Uniform Dental Plan is most like our current Sun Life dental plan.

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There will be three options for vision, it will depend on what plan you choose.

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If your orthodontics are being done through Willamette you’ll want to stay with Willamette, otherwise most of the orthodontists in our area should take Uniform Dental Plan.

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There will a mandatory life insurance policy of $35,000 but through MetLife you can get up to $500,000 in additional coverage for yourself and $100,000 and $25,000 for children from 2 weeks to 26 years old with no physical (this open enrollment period only.)

SEBB My Account is where you will be able to enroll or waive your benefits, enroll and verify your dependents, select your coverage plans and more. There are six steps to setting up your account:

1. Visit myaccount.hca.wa.gov and click the green “Login To SEBB My Account” button under Employee/Subscriber. This will take you to SecureAccess Washington (SAW), the state’s secure single-sign on portal.
    
2. Click “Sign up” to create a SAW account (if you already have a SAW account, enter your username and password and skip to Step 5). Enter your name, email address, a username and password. Remember to save your username and password in a safe place so you don’t forget it.
    
3. Check the box to indicate you’re not a robot, click “Submit” and follow the link to activate your account.
    
4. Check your email for a message from SAW. Click the confirmation link in that message then close the “Account Activated!” browser window that opens and return to your original window. Follow the instructions on the screen to finish creating your account.
    
5. You will be redirected to SEBB My Account. Enter your last name, date of birth, and last four digits of your Social Security number. Click “Verify My Information.”
    
6. Select your security questions and answers. You’ll then be directed to the SEBB My Account dashboard.

Getting Started With SEBB Guide

They will have your enrollment information (including verification of dependents) but there are optional choices as well, such as the new state wellness program.  HIPAA laws still apply. If you plan to take part in their Wellness Program, SEBB will only have the information you choose to share with them.

The cost will depend on what medical plan you pick and who you are covering on your insurance. Overall, for 2019-2020, full family and employee/child(ren) rates are lower than last year, while single-payer employee plans are a bit higher. This is not set by the district.

Medical, Life Insurance & Long-Term Disability Plan Rates

Pooling is still happening but now at the state level. The state estimates how many employees will waive coverage. Factoring in the expectation that some employees will waive medical coverage allows them to offer consistent, affordable employee monthly premiums throughout the year.

If you work 630 hours in a contract year, neither you nor your dependents will be able to have Apple Health.

Changes to insurance are a mandatory subject of bargaining. The district will be meeting with our various unions this fall to address impacts.

Through SEBB, you can get FLEX Medical and Dependent Care and a health savings account (HSA). You may also purchase additional long-term disability (LTD) and AD&D.

SEBB has a mandatory long-term disability (LTD) benefit of $400 per month. It is our understanding that you will have the option to purchase more as a payroll deduction.

SEBB will use the new Washington Family Medical Leave starting Jan. 1, 2020 for short-term disability (STD). We will no longer be able to offer STD through the district.

American Fidelity will still be offering most of their Section 125 (Cancer, Accident, etc.) However now that Flex (Medical and Dependent Care) Spending Accounts, HSAs, and life insurance are covered under the SEBB umbrella, we will not be able to offer as payroll deductions any similar American Fidelity plan. You can contact American Fidelity to continue your life insurance as a self-pay.

• Tobacco surcharge: A monthly $25 premium surcharge per account if the employee or any dependent (age 13 or older) enrolled on their SEBB medical plan uses a tobacco product.
• Spouse or State-Registered Domestic Partner coverage premium surcharge: A monthly $50 premium surcharge if the employee has a spouse or state-registered domestic partner enrolled on their SEBB medical plan, and the spouse or state-registered domestic partner has elected not to enroll in their employer-based group medical insurance that is comparable to PEBB’s Uniform Medical Plan

2019 Premium Surcharge Help Sheet

2020 Medical Benefits Plan Comparisons

2020 Dental Benefits Plan Comparisons

2020 Vision Benefits Plan Comparisons

Yes. If you reach 630 cumulative hours per year in one job or across multiple RSD jobs, the benefits office will contact you to set up benefits, just like everyone else.

You have to take dental, vision, life insurance and long-term disability benefits. Other benefits may be waived.

The state will require verification of all dependents you plan to cover. This will include proof of marriage, birth certificates, and/or tax returns. The district will have opportunities to help you with the verification process. This is required by the state for coverage.

How To Check Dependent Verification

If both employees work for school districts, charter schools, or ESDs in Washington State, no one will be allowed to have double coverage within SEBB.  However, if your spouse works elsewhere you and/or your dependents can be double covered (surcharges may apply.)