ACC offers a variety of insurance benefits to eligible employees through the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS), also known as the Group Benefits Program (GBP). You can choose to enroll in or decline any of the available insurance plans.
Enrolling as a New Employee
New employees can select their insurance coverage — for themselves and their eligible dependents — during New Employee Orientation with the Office of Human Resources.
When coverage begins:
- Health insurance and TexFlex Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA): Begin the first of the month after a 60-day waiting period from your hire date.
- Optional coverages (like dental or life insurance): May start on your hire date.
Enrollment deadlines:
- You have 60 days from your hire date to choose health insurance.
- You have 31 days to select optional coverages.
After that, you can only make changes during the annual enrollment period or within 31 days of a qualifying life event (QLE) such as marriage, birth, or loss of other coverage. Some coverages may also require Evidence of Insurability (EOI) when you enroll.
Important Note
Employee and retiree insurance benefits are funded by the State of Texas. The Texas Legislature sets the level of funding each year and may change or discontinue benefits based on available resources.
Employee Coverage Categories
Active employee benefits and the amount of the ACC and/or state contribution to help pay for certain coverage, are based on the number of hours worked per week and fall into the following four groups:
| Contribution Tier | Hours/Week | ACC Contribution Percentage for Health Coverage |
|---|---|---|
| Self-pay (adjunct faculty only) | ≤ 19 | 0% – employee must pay full cost |
| Part-time | 20 – 29 | 50% for employee only, plus 25% for covered dependents |
| Part-time | 30 – 39 | 100% for employee only, plus 50% for covered dependents |
| Full-time | ≥ 40 | 100% for employee only, plus 50% for covered dependents Also, ACC pays the cost of: employee only Dental coverage, 1x salary for Optional Life insurance, $55,000 of AD&D insurance, and UNUM Long-Term Disability insurance. |
Refer to the ERS annual enrollment guides, contact ERS online at www.ers.texas.gov or submit a Mojo ticket for a more detailed explanation.
Insurance Plan Materials:
- ERS New Employee Benefits Guide
- ERS Dependent Eligibility Chart
- ERS Customer Service Contact Information
- ERS website
- Subscribe to ERS News Updates