Medical Insurance

New hires and new entrants into the State Health Benefit Plan (SHBP) may choose from four options at initial enrollment:

     CIGNA Healthcare

• Standard Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)

• Standard High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)

     United Healthcare

• Standard Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA)

• Standard High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)

At the next Open Enrollment members can choose from all options available.   

Each plan has various levels of coverage tiers based on the dependents you choose to cover.   

Flexible Benefits Package

Vision coverage is available with two plan options, Select Plan or the Select Plus Plan.

Health Care Spending Account (HCSA): The HCSA helps employees save tax dollars on various health related treatments not covered by health, dental, or vision insurance such as co-pays, etc.

Dependent (Child) Care Spending Account (DCSA): The DCSA provides you with the opportunity to use tax-free dollars to pay for the care of your children under age 13 or other IRS eligible dependents which may include dependents of any age (including elderly dependents such as parents) who are unable to care for themselves because of a physical or mental handicap while you and your spouse work or go to school full time.

Long Term Disability (LTD):
Works with other income benefits to replace 60% of your Benefit Salary up to $4,000 per month. These benefits will begin after you have been disabled for 180 calendar days and end when you are no longer disabled or reach age 65. (Some exceptions may apply.)

Annual Leave:  Employees accrue paid Annual Leave (vacation) starting with 10 hours per month, increasing to 12 hours per month after 5 years and then 14 hours per month after 10 years. Leave begins accruing at 5 hours per pay period, for a total of 10 hours per month.

Sick Leave:  Employees accrue paid Sick Leave at a rate of 10 hours per month.  Leave accrues at 5 hours per pay period.

All employees are required to participate in a retirement plan as a condition of employment unless certain criteria are met.   

Depending on your work status, the following plans are available through the Employees’ Retirement System of Georgia (ERS):  

Georgia State Employees’ Pension and Savings Plan (GSEPS): Employees hired on or after 01/01/09. 

GSEPS Pension:

• A defined benefit where employees contribute 1.25%

• Vested with 10 years of creditable service

• Guaranteed annuity for vested members with a benefit factor of 1%

• Eligible for Disability Retirement with 15 years of service

GSEPS 401(k) Savings Plan (Optional):

• Employer Match dollar for dollar on the first 1% of contributions

• For contributions 2% thru 5%, match is 50% on the dollar

• Only first 5% of contributions will be subject to employer match

• Total match will not exceed 3% of compensation

• Employees may contribute more subject to plan maximums 

ERS New Plan (Employees hired on or after 07/01/82 and/or before 01/01/09):

• A defined benefit where employees contribute 1.25%.

• Vested with 10 years of creditable service

• Guaranteed annuity for vested members with a benefit factor of 2%

• Eligible for Disability Retirement with 13 year 4 months of service

ERS Old Plan (Employees hired before 07/01/82): 

Minimum qualifications for retirement for all three plans are:

• Age 60 with at least 10 years of service

• 25 years of service, under age 60 with penalties

• 30 years of service at any age

• 34 years of service at any age (Old Plan ONLY)

ERS Group Term Life Insurance (GTLI):  Automatically included with your ERS benefits under the Old and New Plans only, active members are covered under the GTLI at 18 times their monthly salary.  You contribute .25% of your pay towards GTLI.

Georgia Defined Contribution Plan (GDCP):  Temporary, seasonal, and part-time employees participate in GDCP.  You contribute 7.5% of your pay.

Employer Match available only for employees hired on or after 01/01/09 that fall under the Georgia State Employees’ Pension and Savings Plan (GSEPS) retirement plan.