V. Benefits and Personnel Policies

Voluntary Programs

Voluntary benefit programs include the following:

--Health care: Faculty/staff members may choose to participate in a Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), or a traditional hospital/surgical major medical plan (Plan A). Availability of the different medical plans is determined by the county in which participants reside. See www.ohr.psu.edu/benefits/benefits.htm for medical plan choices by county and information about the various health plans. The decision about choice of health care coverage plan can be changed annually.

--Dental and vision

--Group Term Life Insurance: Premiums based on age and amount elected

--Voluntary Accidental Death and Dismemberment (VADD) (in addition to the group life insurance program)

--Long-term Disability (LTD) (provides salary protection)

--Annuity Premium Benefit (APB) (provides retirement protection in conjunction with LTD)

--Flexible benefits: Flexible spending accounts for out-of-pocket medical expenses or work-related dependent care expenses. Premiums for health, dental, vision and the first $50,000 of life insurance are automatically excluded from federal, social security and state income tax.

--Tax-deferred annuities, available as a result of section 403(b) of the Internal Revenue Code. Both 403(b) and 457(b) Deferred Compensation plans are available.

--Educational privileges for faculty/staff and dependents

--Maintenance prescription drug plan

--Employee Assistance Program

Details about these options may be obtained from the human resources representative in your unit or from the director of business services at each campus. See www.ohr.psu.edu/benefits/benefits.htm for additional information. 

Continuation of Medical Benefits under COBRA

Medical, dental, and vision coverage may be continued by employees or dependents, as appropriate, under the following circumstances:

--Termination or layoff--coverage may be continued for up to eighteen months

--Death or divorce--coverage may be continued for up to thirty-six months

--Dependent child reaches maximum age--coverage may be continued for up to thirty-six months

Continuation of Benefits at Retirement

Faculty and staff members may continue medical coverage and $5,000 of life insurance into retirement upon reaching:

a.    Their sixtieth birthday, and have at least fifteen years continuous of regular full-time employment, and participation in a University-sponsored medical plan immediately preceding retirement, 

                        -OR-

b.    Twenty-five years of regular full-time University employment, with ten years of continuous participation in a University-sponsored health care plan immediately preceding retirement.