Employee Eligibility for Insurance

HRMS

This message has been approved by Shelley Lopez, Program Director, Communications/Special Projects, for distribution to all Department Representatives.

It is important to remember that transferring or holding multiple appointments at the University or within a state agency impacts both employee eligibility for health insurance and enrollment options for state plans.

Considering the recent lift on the hiring freeze, below are some helpful reminders regarding the transference of state plans between appointments for OPS and salaried employees (USPS, A&P, and Faculty):

Part-time OPS position with prior state employment - less than 0.75 FTE

  • Employees hired to a part-time, less than 0.75 FTE OPS position will have state coverage transfer to this position if previously eligible and enrolled in benefits in a prior state appointment(s). An employee’s position determines the initial eligibility status for state insurance, and the period between appointments determines transference of benefits.

Salaried position to an OPS position

  • An employee who transfers from a salaried position to an OPS position will have all OPS-eligible insurance benefits* transfer to the OPS position. An OPS employee can keep benefits at the full-time rate until the end of the calendar year the transfer occurs. People First will determine eligibility for the next calendar year during the Open Enrollment Measurement Period (OEMP). 
  • An employee that separates from a salaried position and has an OPS position not terminated in Job Data will have all OPS-eligible insurance benefits* transfer to the OPS position. Benefits will transfer regardless of FTE or funding status. Insurance premiums will continue at the full-time rate until the end of the calendar year or until separated from all records, whichever comes first.

Full-time position to part-time FTE

  • A full-time employee who reduces hours to a part-time, less than 0.75 FTE position will remain enrolled in insurance benefits at the full-time rate for the remainder of the calendar year.  Hours worked are measured during People First's OEMP. At the end of the calendar year:
  • A salaried employee's coverage will continue; however, the OEMP determines the health insurance premium for the following year.
  • OPS employee coverage would continue to the following year if the hours worked during the OEMP averages 30 or more a week. Coverage will be suspended at the end of the current calendar year if they average less than 30 hours per week during the OEMP.

Benefit-ineligible OPS position to full-time salaried position

  • A benefit-ineligible OPS employee who transfers to a salaried position experiences a qualifying event and is eligible to enroll in all benefits.

Benefit-eligible OPS position to full-time salaried position

  • State insurance benefits will transfer positions when a benefit-eligible OPS employee transfers to a salaried position.
  • It is not a qualifying event for a benefit-eligible OPS employee who is not enrolled to elect coverage transfers to a salaried position. The employee is unable to elect coverage until Open Enrollment or until they experience a qualifying event.

Benefit Coverage Termination

  • If an employee enrolled in benefits terminates employment but is not terminated in OMNI HR Job Data timely, the department and employee can be responsible for the premiums until the month following the termination date in OMNI HR.
  • Transfer of coverage
    • If an employee transferred from other State employment to FSU and enrolled in insurance benefits, then the insurance benefits transfer to FSU. This happens whether the position at FSU is OPS eligible, OPS ineligible, or salaried.

Rehiring OPS and salaried employees – Break in Service

  • An OPS employee must be separated from FSU or another State university for at least 26 weeks to be considered a new hire. Any employee transitioning from OPS to salaried, OPS to OPS, or salaried to OPS and rehired within six months from their termination date are automatically re-enrolled into previously held coverage if enrolled before terminating employment.
  • An OPS or salaried employee must be separated for 13+ consecutive weeks to be considered a new hire if transferring from agency to University or University to agency.
  • To be considered a new hire, a salaried employee who is rehired into another salaried position must be separated from FSU or other State employment for at least one full calendar month.

Additional information is available on the HR Benefits website in the Employee Insurance Eligibility section.

Questions? Contact the Benefits Office at insurance@fsu.edu or at (850) 644-4015.

*Optional Life insurance plans are not available to OPS employees.

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