ACC offers eligible employees insurance plans provided by the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS) through their state-mandated plan referred to as the Group Benefits Program (GBP). An employee may choose to enroll or decline any insurance coverage with ERS.
New employees may select insurance coverages for themselves and their eligible dependents at an orientation program conducted by the Office of Human Resources. Medical insurance and TexFlex Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) may be subject to a waiting period of 60 days. For most new employees, this means that your GBP health insurance coverage and TexFlex FSA will not be effective until the first of the month following a 60-day waiting period from your date of hire. However, optional coverages may be effective on the date of hire.
New employees have 60 days to elect health insurance and 31 days to select optional coverages. Thereafter, an employee may only make changes to their coverage during an annual enrollment period or within 31 days of a qualifying life event (QLE). Evidence of Insurability may be required for certain coverages at the time of enrollment.
Health and other insurance benefits for ACC employees and retirees are subject to change based on available state funding. The Texas Legislature determines the level of funding for such benefits and does not have a continuing obligation to provide those benefits beyond each fiscal year.
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 contact the ACC Benefits office at hrbenefits@austincc.edu 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