2024 Full Time Employee Benefits

Health Benefits

The City of Columbus is committed to offering and maintaining a competitive Health Insurance benefits package to support employees and their families. These benefits are an important piece of a full-time employee’s total compensation. Full-time Employees covered by City insurance and covered dependents will have a Health Clinic at no cost: Employer Health Partners at NexusPark opening March 2024. The Clinic includes no cost formulary medications dispensed at the clinic.

The City of Columbus offers a variety of benefit options to full-time employees (Full-time employees are those who work 30 or more hours per week and are classified as full-time), which include:

Two (2) medical plan options (including prescription coverage);
Vision and dental plan options
Health savings account, which includes bi-annual City contribution for employees who choose the High Deductible Health Plan option;
Flexible spending accounts – health care, dependent, and limited options;
Deferred compensation 457(b) account option;
Fully funded defined pension plan through the State of Indiana (PERF) (Utilities employees have a different 403(b) plan that is also fully funded by the department and a defined pension);
A robust, comprehensive program of leave policies (Fire & Police have different leave policies) covering a variety of employee needs, including but not limited to:
- 80 hours of paid vacation leave after one year;
- 16 hours of paid personal leave available yearly;
- 48 hours of sick leave, which can accrue/carry over;
15 paid holidays, 17 on election years;
City-paid life insurance, with the option to buy more life insurance for employee, spouse, or children;
City-paid long-term disability insurance (non-sworn);
City-paid short-term disability insurance (non-sworn);
City-paid Employee and Dependent Health Clinic: available to employees covered by city medical insurance plan and covered dependents. Employer Health Partners (EHP) Clinic at NexusPark opening March 2024
Employee assistance program that allows for covered behavior health visits;
Qualified employer for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

Employer Health Partners

Opening March 31, 2024, Columbus Regional Health’s Employer Health Partners clinic will be free to City employees covered by City health insurance, as well as covered dependents.

How to Enroll

New full-time employees will meet with Human Resources on their first day of work. HR will guide employees through the online enrollment process quickly and easily through the Employee Self Services (ESS) portal. Employees will also use the ESS portal when requesting a Life Event Change of Benefits and during Open Enrollment. For help with Open Enrollment, please see the administrator for your department, or call (812) 376-2570 to make an appointment to meet with Amanda Hunter, the City’s Benefits Specialist.

Dependent Eligibility

The City has a “Working Spouse Rule” that restricts health coverage when a spouse has employer-sponsored, credible coverage. The purpose of the “Working Spouse Rule” is to share the cost of the medical expenses with other plans or insurance carriers when an employee’s spouse is eligible for medical coverage where the spouse is employed.

In order to cover a spouse who qualifies for health insurance on the employee’s plan, employees will need to complete the Spouse Employment Verification form annually.

Qualifying Life Events

It is important to make informed choices with benefits selections. Changing coverage during the year is limited to Qualifying Life Events as defined by IRS code Section 125. The rules do not allow for enrollment, additions, changes, or cancellations to most plans without a Qualifying Life Event.

Summary of Available Coverage (please click each link for additional information)

Medical
- The City offers a choice between two health insurance plans – the Preferred Provider Plan (PPO) and the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). City-paid Employee and Dependent Health Clinic: available to employees covered by city medical insurance plan and covered dependents. Employer Health Partners (EHP) Clinic at NexusPark opening March 2024
Employer Health Partners (EAP) Health Clinic at NexusPark, opening in March 2024 City-paid Employee and Dependent Health Clinic: available to employees covered by city medical insurance plan and covered dependents

Flexible Spending Accounts
- Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA also called Flex accounts) allow employees to save for qualified expenses before taxes are taken from their pay. There are three types of Flex accounts available:
  - Health Care FSA (for employees who sign up for PPO or have no insurance through the City)
  - Dependent Care FSA (for all employees who are caregivers for children under 13, dependents who have a disability, or who care for elderly relatives and have qualifying expenses
  - Limited Vision/Dental FSA for employees on the High Deductible Healthcare Plan (HDHP) with or without an HSA and want to save extra money for dental/vision; or have no health plan through the city.

Health Savings Account
- Health Savings Accounts (HSA) allow employees to save for qualified expenses before taxes are taken from their pay. The HSA is only available to employees on the High Deductible Plan. Effective 2024, the City contributes $1000 (split into two payments- January and July) to Employee Only and $1500 (split into two payments- January and July) for Employee + 1.

Prescription Drugs
- The prescription drug benefit is included as part of the medical coverage. Each health plan has different co-pays for prescriptions in the store and through the mail. Some maintenance medications are at no cost to employees. Beginning in March of 2024, medications available at the City-paid Health Clinic can be obtained at no cost by employees and dependents on City insurance.

Dental
- Employees have the option of two different dental plans – high and low. Each option has in-network and out-of-network providers.

Vision
- Employees have the option of two different vision plans – VSP and Davis. Each option has in-network and out-of-network providers.

Basic Life Insurance
- The City provides Basic Life and AD&D insurance to all full-time employees at no cost to employees.

Voluntary Life Insurance
- Employees can purchase additional life insurance on their first day of employment. Employees can choose $20,000 up to $100,000 with no medical questions asked. If Employees elect this supplemental life insurance, they can also choose spouse and/or child coverage as well.

Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
- The City pays for short-term and long-term disability insurance for all non-sworn employees.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
- The Employee Assistance Program offers employees and their families six (6) confidential, no-cost to employees sessions a year with certified counselors.