Employee Benefits

MEDICAL - Major medical insurance is health care coverage that provides benefits for a broad range of medical expenses that may be incurred either inpatient or outpatient. Allen ISD contributes to the cost of coverage for benefit-eligible employees.

TELEHEALTH - Employer-provided telehealth provides 24/7/365 access to board-certified doctors via telephone or video consultations for a $0 copay! Dependents must be enrolled to be eligible.

HOSPITAL INDEMNITY - An affordable supplemental plan that pays if you are in-patient hospital confined. Benefits are paid regardless of what is covered by medical insurance and the plan has no pre-existing condition limitation.

DENTAL - Dental insurance is a coverage that helps defray the costs of dental care. It insures against the expense of routine care, dental treatment, and disease.

VISION - Vision insurance provides coverage for routine eye examinations and can help cover some of the costs for eyeglass frames, lenses, or contact lenses.

DISABILITY - Disability insurance protects one of your most valuable assets, your paycheck. This insurance will replace a portion of your income if you become physically unable to work due to sickness or injury for an extended time. Pre-existing conditions limitations may apply. Short Term and Long Term options are available.

CANCER - Cancer insurance offers supplemental insurance protection if you or a covered family member is diagnosed with cancer. It pays a cash benefit directly to you. 

CRITICAL ILLNESS - Supplemental plan that pays you a lump sum cash benefit when diagnosed with covered critical illness. Coverage choices from $10,000 to $50,000.

ACCIDENT - Do you have kids playing sports, are you a weekend warrior, or maybe accident-prone? Accident plans pay you a scheduled benefit for medical costs associated with accidents. 

FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT (FSA) - A FSA allows you to pay for eligible healthcare expenses with pre-tax contributions on a front-loaded debit card. You choose the amount to set aside from your paycheck. This money is use-it or lose-it within the plan year, balances under $610 will roll into the new plan year. Elections are evergreen, rolling year-to-year unless waived during Open Enrollment.

HEALTH SAVINGS ACCOUNT (HSA) - A HSA is a personal savings account where the money can only be used for eligible medical expenses. Unlike a flexible spending account (FSA), all unused funds roll over year-to-year however, only deposited funds may be used. You must be enrolled in a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) to be eligible to contribute to an HSA.

LIFE INSURANCE OPTIONS - Basic Life is provided by AISD for eligible employees. Be sure to name a beneficiary. Group Term Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) is the most inexpensive way to purchase life insurance during working years. Permanent Life with Texas Life covers a single person and is intended to meet the beneficiary's financial needs, in the event of the insured’s death. Rates lock at the date of issue, coverage is portable and can continue after you leave employment or retire.

MEDICAL TRANSPORT - Medical Transport covers emergency transportation to medical facilities by covering out-of-pocket costs not covered by insurance. This can include emergency transportation via ground or air.

LEGAL AND ID THEFT PROTECTION - Legal support and three-bureau Identity Theft protection for Individual or family coverage is available. EAP An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a program that assists you in resolving problems such as finding child or elder care, relationship challenges, financial or legal problems, etc. Your employer provides this program at no cost to you.

RETIREMENT PLANNING - Payroll deductions are available for 403(b) and 457 plans. AISD also offers a ROTH 457 Retirement Plan. The district does not make contributions to plans. Written information on how to set this in place is available from the Benefits Office.

What's New For 2024

Employee Benefits Guide

 Existing Employees

1.  All employees must log in and accept or decline benefits by August 9. 

2.  All existing benefits have been rolled into comparable plans be sure to review your options. 

3.  Dependent SSNs are required to enroll dependents in benefits, please have information available. 

4.  Beneficiary designation is needed for employer-provided Basic Life, be sure to add the beneficiary’s phone or address. 

5.  Review your Flexible Spending Account (FSA) elections closely as the election now rolls from year to year as of Sept. 1, 2024. Changes if needed, must be made during the Open Enrollment walk-through. 

6. The  FSA maximum for 2024 is $3,200. Higginbotham is the New Administrator beginning Sept. 1, 2024. All employees will receive a new debit card. 

7.  (NEW Benefit) Health Savings Account (HSA) individual maximum for 2024 is $4,150 and Family $8,300, plus $1,000 if over 55. Enrollment in TRS-ActiveCare HD plan is required to make HSA contributions. 

New Employees

1. You are required to log in THEbenefitsHUB and enroll or decline medical coverage for yourself and/or eligible dependents. 

2. Enroll by 8/9/24 to ensure your September paycheck correctly reflects your elections. 

3. If your date of employment is before August 1st, you will be required to complete two enrollments. The first is for New Hire Benefits through 8/31. The second enrollment is for benefits effective 9/1. If you are coming from another district, you may be covered through August and may want to waive benefits until you see offerings for 9/1. 

4. All Dependents should be listed in the HUB even if not enrolling in benefits. Dependent’s SSN and Date of Birth are needed to complete enrollment. 

5. Choose your PCP before you enroll and have the PCP ID number ready. Go to: Doctors and Hospitals - TRS Active Care | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (bcbstx.com) 

6. Be sure to have your beneficiary’s contact information available to finalize enrollment. 

• TRS-ActiveCare - If enrolled by Aug. 12, 2024, ActiveCare ID Cards will arrive in mid-September. You may access ID information after Sept. 1, 2024, by calling (888) 378-1633. 

• Contact Express Scripts for Prescription Cards at (844) 367-6108. 

• BCBS Dental - Access online after Sept. 1, 2024, by www.bcbstx.com or call (877) 442-4207. Group # 391481 Network: BlueCare Dental PPO 

• VSP Vision – ID cards are not needed for services but may be downloaded after 9/1 at vsp.com or call (800) 877-7195. Group # 40160448 Network: Advantage 

Benefits Rates

Benefit Presentations, Benefit Guides, Plan Summaries, Provider Searches, and more are on the Higginbotham Benefits website. The Higginbotham Benefits website is also where you will go to complete your online open enrollment. The Benefit website may be accessed by the QR Code below or at www.mybenefitshub.com/allenisd. 

Open enrollment for 2024-2025 begins July 15, 2024. Our plan year is from September 1 to August 31. For complete plan information, rates, and forms, please go to www.mybenefitshub.com/allenisd .

Once Open Enrollment closes, changes will only be allowed if you experience a qualifying life event. Call your Benefits Administrator within 31 days of the event to make changes. Examples of a life event include birth, adoption, divorce, or involuntary loss of benefits. 

What are the requirements for a mid-year change?

1. You have 30 days from the date of the event to notify the AISD Benefits Dept. to request for a mid-year change.

2. You are required to complete and turn in a Benefits Change Form within 30 days of the event.

3. You are required to provide supporting documentation within 30 days of the event:

• Marriage — Marriage License or Certificate

• Divorce — Certified copy of divorce decree

• Birth — Verification of Birth Facts issued by hospital or Birth Certificate

• Adoption — Placement for adoption paperwork or Legal documentation of the adoption

• Involuntary loss or gain of coverage — Proof of enrollment or termination of benefit coverage. Proof must contain effective or termination dates of coverage, type of coverage (medical, dental, vision) and the names of the dependents affected.

Family Medical Leave Eligibility, do I qualify? (DECA Legal Policy)
To be eligible for leave under the Family Medical Leave Act, you must have worked for Allen ISD for at least 12 months and at least 1,250 hours in the 12 months before the leave begins, and be employed at a worksite at which Allen ISD employs at least 50 Allen ISD employees within a 75-mile radius.

What does Family Medical Leave Cover?
Family Medical Leave allows you to be off for 12 work weeks due to a qualifying event.

Will I be paid during my Family Medical Leave?
Family Medical Leave is unpaid leave and runs concurrent with the use of earned leave, extended leave (if meets eligibility requirements-DEC Local Policy), and sick leave pool (if meets eligibility requirements-DEC Local Policy).

Will I have to use my leave days first?
You must substitute any accrued, unused paid leave or temporary disability leave, if applicable, during your otherwise unpaid FML-covered absence.  Allen ISD requires you to use FML leave concurrently with paid leave and with temporary disability leave, if applicable.  Once all earned leave is exhausted, you will be docked for any remaining days absent.

What if I don’t qualify for Family Medical Leave?
The district offers Temporary Disability Leave.

What is Temporary Disability Leave?
Any full-time employee whose position requires educator certification by the State Board for Educator Certification or by the District shall be eligible for Temporary Disability Leave (DEC Local Policy).  This is for the employee’s medical condition.

What do I need to do to request any of these types of leave?
Employees who expect to be absent for an extended period exceeding five consecutive days should call the Director of Employee Services in Human Resources for information on applicable leave benefits.