New hires have 31 days to enroll in benefit services from date of hire.  If the employee does not elect benefits within the 31 days, he or she must wait until open enrollment or a family status change or qualifying life event, such as a marriage, divorce or birth/adoption of a child. Please click the Qualifying Life Event tab for more information. New hires are not eligible to participate in the Gators Helping Gators program, until after one year of service. Please see the Gators Helping Gators guidelines for eligibility questions.

The Consolidated Omnibus Reconciliation Act (COBRA) entitles all covered participants to continue their health coverage for up to 18 months after terminating employment with the district.  This option requires the employee, or the employee's dependents, to pay both the employee's and the district contribution for group premiums.  For questions regarding COBRA Continuation of Coverage (Medical Only), please call 1-833-682-8972.

The Family Medical Leave Act is an unpaid leave regulated by the U. S. Department of Labor.  Employees are eligible to take FML if they have worked for their employer for at least 12 months and have worked for at least 1,250 hours over the previous 12 months.  If you qualify for FML, you may take up to 12 work weeks (60 days) of leave.  Please see Employee Handbook for more information and qualifying reasons.  You may also contact Dominique Ameigh, Benefits/Risk Management Coordinator at 281-229-6050 for questions regarding family medical leave.

Temporary Disability Leave is an unpaid leave regulated by the Board of Education.  All active full-time employees needing leave because of their own serious health conditions are eligible for TDL.  Leave needed for a family member with a serious health condition is not eligible for TDL.  SBEC certified employees are eligible for up to 180 calendar days of TDL, and non-certified/auxiliary employees up to 60 calendar days.  Please see Employee Handbook for more information.  You may also contact Dominique Ameigh, Benefits/Risk Management Coordinator at 281-229-6050 for questions regarding temporary disability leave.

Employees injured on the job must report such injuries to their employer by notifying the campus nurse or his/her supervisor immediately or within 30 days of the date they were injured or first knew their injury/illness might be work-related and complete the required documentation. The supervisor or designee must complete the Accident Investigation Report with as much information as available to help determine what action/prevention measures should be taken. This information should then be forwarded to Human Resources the same day of the accident or as soon as the incident is reported. Regardless if the employee seeks medical treatment or not a report must be completed and sent to HR.  If medical treatment is needed, the employee or supervisor must notify HR and may go to one of the approved clinics.  The employee may also go to the doctor of their choice, as long as the doctor accepts workers' compensation claims and is willing to file any necessary forms.  The District's workers' compensation insurance is with Claims Administrative Services and they can be reached at 1-800-765-2412 or www.cas-services.com.  You may also contact Dominique Ameigh, Benefits/Risk Management Coordinator or Morgan Ester, Benefits Specialist for questions regarding workers compensation.

An Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is an employee benefit program offered to help employees manage personal and professional problems that might adversely impact their work performance, health, and well-being.  Employee Assistance Programs generally include short-term counseling and referral services for employees and their household members.  Mutual of Omaha can be reached by calling 1-800-316-2796 , 24/7 or at  www.mutualofomaha.com/eap. Mutual of Omaha is made available to you by the District.  There is no charge to you for using Mutual of Omaha EAP services.  Employees are eligible to receive six sessions per year (per issue, per family member) conducted by either face-to-face counseling or video telehealth via a secure, HIPAA compliant portal.

The purpose of the Gators Helping Gators program is to aid employees who experience a catastrophic medical condition for themselves or for an immediate family member and who have insufficient leave to meet those circumstances extending beyond five consecutive work days.  Employees must be employed for a minimum of one calendar year and exhaust all available leave before utilizing the program.  Please visit the Gators Helping Gators guidelines located in the Benefits HUB. 

The IRS 2022 Maximum Allowable Contribution (MAC) limits for 403b and 457 plans are listed below.  The elective deferral limit for 403b/457 plans is $22,500.  Employees age 50 and over are entitled to contribute an additional $7,500 to their 403b/457 plans thereby increasing the elective deferral limit to $28,000. Contact a TCG Retirement Specialist today at 1-800-943-9179 for more information regarding these additional retirement benefit plans.

For information regarding (TRS) Teacher Retirement System of Texas please call 1-800-223-8778.  A TRS representative is available to assist regarding your retirement eligibility, account balance and beneficiary changes. Please update your TRS beneficiary information separately from the District's information as they are separate entities.  You can also visit their website to create and/or access your MyTRS account at www.trs.texas.gov.  If you are considering retirement, contact TRS directly to discuss the retirement process. If needed you can schedule a virtual or in-person appointment with a TRS Benefits Counselor to review your retirement estimate and guide you through the paperwork. Please click the following link to view a general example timeline of the TRS retirement process. TRS Planning For Retirement Guide

Changes in benefit elections can occur during the school year only if you experience a qualifying life event.  You must provide proof a qualifying life event to us within 31 days of the qualifying event. Please contact Morgan Ester, Benefits Specialist for more information at 281-229-6073 or mester@dickinsonisd.org.
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Marital Status includes marriage, death of a spouse, divorce or annulment.
Change in Number of Tax Dependents due to a birth, adoption or when a dependent gains eligibility as a result of a valid change in status/event. 
Change in Status of Employment Affecting Coverage Eligibility for employee, spouse or dependent of the employee, that affects individuals eligibility under an employer's plan includes commencement or termination of employment.
Gain/Loss of Dependents' Eligibility Status an event that causes an employee's dependent to satisfy or cease to satisfy coverage requirements under an employer's plan may include change in age, student, marital, employment or tax dependent status.
Judgement/Decree/Order from a divorce, annulment or change in legal custody that requires you to provide accident or health coverage for your dependent child.
Eligibility for Government Programs such as a gain/loss of Medicare/Medicaid may trigger a permitted election change.