The union and the College negotiate the benefit available to PT/VL faculty. For each semester you perform bargaining unit work, the College will make a contribution toward your medical premium. You earn six (6) months of premium contributions for each Spring or Fall semester, or three (3) months for each Summer semester, beginning the month after you commence working (e.g., if you begin teaching in September, the College will pay its share for benefit coverage starting in October. However, you may not earn more than twelve (12) months of coverage per academic year.

When you have earned a contribution from the College, the amount of that contribution is determined as follows: Employees in seniority Pools I and II receive a contribution equal to 50% of the Personal Choice premium. Employees in seniority Pools III and above receive a contribution equal to 75% of the Personal Choice premium.

Adjunct faculty who teach non-credit courses or do other bargaining unit work for fewer than twenty three (23) clock hours per semester will have their contributions pro-rated accordingly. For example, if you teach non-credit courses for ten (10) clock hours during the Fall term, you would be entitled to 10/23 of the contribution for your pool for each of the six months of contributions earned that semester. Under the terms of the 2006-2011 contract, employees hired the first time on 09/01/07 or later are required to perform 69 clock hours per semester of non-teaching bargaining unit work to be entitled to full contributions of medical benefits. For those individuals, 10 clock hours would earn 10/69 of contributions.

Note: Adjunct faculty newly hired for the Spring term will be enrolled in coverage
effective April 1. This will allow such employees to have subsidized coverage through the remainder of the plan year (April through September). Payments will be collected from February through May for these employees). This does not affect continuing employees who enroll in benefits in Spring due to a life event change, regardless of work status.

Spousal Equivalents

Coverage is offered to spousal equivalents of the opposite sex, provided they meet the same definitions (other than gender) specified in the PT/VL contract. Full-time employees such as Visiting Lecturers, fully paid benefits to spousal equivalents, either in same sex or opposite sex pairings, may be taxable under Federal law. Benefits to married spouses are not taxable. Benefits to spousal equivalents which you pay yourself are not taxable. You may wish to consult your accountant for further information on this issue.

Medicare Part “D”

Our free-standing prescription plan is considered “creditable” under the Medicare Part “D” rules (that is, our plan is as good as or better than Medicare Part “D”) such that those enrolled in our prescription plan will not be penalized for failing to sign up for Medicare Part “D” when they would normally become eligible. Such individuals who subsequently drop or lose coverage under our prescription plan would then have to sign up for Medicare Part “D” to avoid penalties. For more information, contact Human Resources.

Medigap

Federal law prohibits the College from offering MediGap plans to adjunct faculty, or from reimbursing them for participation in MediGap plans obtained elsewhere.

Loss of Seniority and Continuation of Benefits

Those who do not teach for thirty (30) consecutive months lose all seniority and are no longer regarded as active employees. Under insurance law, they are considered to have no further connection to the College. As such, they are not eligible to continue coverage under our plans except as indicated under applicable COBRA laws.

Medical Insurance Age 26 Dependent coverage

Employees who have a dependent child under the age of 26 will be able to enroll (or re-enroll) the dependent child under the parent’s College medical benefits plan. The following summarizes the Age 26 Dependent coverage:

• The dependent child may enroll for medical and prescription coverage only (no dental coverage).
• The dependent child will be covered until the end of the month he/she turns age 26 (child will then be eligible for 36 months of COBRA).
• There is no student, residency or marital requirement.
• Employees (parents) must provide a copy of the dependent’s birth certificate or adoption papers.
• Coverage will start on October 1.