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Benefits for Faculty
With the exception of government mandated benefits that apply to all faculty and are outlined at the end of this brochure, all other benefits summarized below are provided to full-time faculty only at Barnard College.
Health Care The complete Barnard health care program for faculty has four components: Medical Services, Drugs, Dental, and Flexible Spending. It is available on the first day of the month following 30 days of employment.
Medical Services:
The Oxford Freedom Plan is a point of service plan that supplies medical benefits in one of two ways depending on where, and from whom, the covered faculty member seeks services.
On one hand, the Freedom Plan can function as an HMO that provides 100% coverage less a modest co-payment for some services such as prescriptions and office visits. Since care under this option is provided by Oxford’s extensive network of doctors, there are no deductibles nor are there any claim forms. This is called “in-network.”
On the other hand, the Freedom Plan can function as traditional indemnity insurance allowing the participants to use doctors of their own choosing with reimbursement subject to the usual controls, such as annual deductibles and reasonable and customary limitations. The claimant must complete claim forms. This is called “out-of-network.”
In addition, faculty may choose between two Oxford payment plans, both of which allow in-network and/or out-of-network providers. Plan A is offered to the faculty member at a modest cost. Plan B requires a higher faculty member contribution, but it has a lower deductible and out-of-pocket maximum for out-of-network providers. Dependents may be carried on either payment plan with a faculty member contribution.
Oxford insures both same sex and opposite sex domestic partners. Employees interested in this coverage should contact Sollette Baker at 854-7345.
Drugs:
On the Oxford Prescription Drug Program the employee pays $10 for generic and $20 brand drugs and $35 preferred brand drugs at participating pharmacies. A mail order program is available for maintenance drugs.
Dental:
Aetna Freedom of Choice (FOC) Dental Maintenance Organization, is available at a cost of $14 per month for individual and $38 per month for family coverage. The plan allows employees to switch monthly from the DMO
to the Preferred Provider Organization (PPO).
Flexible Spending:
The Barnard College Flexible Spending Account enables participating faculty members to pay for their unreimbursed health and/or dependent care expenses with pre-tax income. Brochures explaining this plan are available from the Human Resources Department.
Additional Considerations:
Senior Care - Active faculty at age 65 should apply for Medicare benefits. These benefits will be coordinated with the College’s medical plan as the law provides. Active faculty submit claims first to the College’s medical carrier before submitting any remaining unpaid charges to Medicare. Additional information about how to apply and who qualifies is available from the Human Resources Department.
Adjustment of Coverage - Subsequent to initial enrollment, additions to, or adjustments in coverage may occur only during open enrollment periods (usually the first calendar month of the year) or if there has been a life status change such as marriage, birth of a child, or loss of a spouse’s job. Dependents may be dropped from coverage at any time.
Termination of Coverage - Termination provisions for unmarried dependent children, students and non-students age 19 and above vary under the several plans (medical/drug, dental and flexible spending) that make up the complete health care program. Specific information is available in the individual plan documents or from the Benefits Manager in the Human Resources Department. Finally, for faculty whose employment is terminating, coverage ends on the last day of the month in which their final working day falls.
COBRA and Conversion Privileges - Under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985, faculty who terminate employment under conditions other than gross misconduct may elect to remain in the group medical plans, at their expense, for 18 months from their termination date, or 29 months if termination is due to disability under certain conditions. The faculty member must notify
COBRAsource,
Inc. at (847) 223-1011 or
benefitrelations@cobrasource.com of such election within 60 days of termination and must make insurance payments retroactive to the first date of COBRA coverage within a period ending forty-five days after such election. Subsequent payments must be made monthly. In addition, eligible dependents covered by the plans may remain in the group for a period of up to 36 months if continuation coverage is due to the death of the faculty member, divorce or legal separation, or loss of eligibility due to reaching maximum plan age or becoming entitled to and applying for Medicare.
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Disability Insurance
Long Term Disability Insurance:
Long Term Disability coverage is provided by The Hartford Insurance Company. This coverage is available after one year of service. However, this waiting period will be waived upon certification of coverage under a group long term total disability plan with the faculty member’s prior employer if coverage was in effect within 30 days of the Barnard date of hire.
After a waiting period of 180 days, the policy will pay 60% of the disabled faculty member’s salary up to a maximum of $5,000 per month for the period of total disability. These payments will be reduced by any benefits payable from Social Security and/or Workers Compensation. Benefits continue up to age 65 if the disability commences prior to age 60. If the disability commences after age 60, the period will depend on complex provisions the details of which are available from the Human Resources Department.
In addition, The Hartford will make appropriate contributions to the faculty member’s Basic Retirement Annuity (see below) during the period of total disability.
Life Insurance Faculty members are covered by a CIGNA group term life policy that includes an Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) rider. The face amount of the faculty member’s coverage equals annual base salary rounded up to the next highest thousand dollars. The most important feature of the AD&D rider is that it provides the beneficiary (ies) double the face amount of the policy if the covered faculty member dies as a result of an accident.
Additional Considerations:
Inception - The life insurance benefit begins on the first day of the month following completion of one full month of employment.
Beneficiaries - Faculty members designate the beneficiary (ies) and may change that designation at any time.
Seniors - For active faculty over age 65, the amount of life insurance will be reduced in compliance with current plan provisions. The plan provides for additional reductions after age 70.
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Retirement Plans
Barnard College provides two retirement plans: the Basic Retirement Annuity Plan and the Supplemental Retirement Annuity Plan. Both of these plans
may be administered by Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association - College Retirement Equity Fund (TIAA-CREF)
or Fidelity Investments.
Basic Retirement Annuity:
Eligibility - Contributions to the Basic Retirement Annuity plan are made by Barnard. All eligible faculty at the rank of Assistant Professor or above begin participation immediately. Those eligible faculty below the rank of Assistant Professor will begin participation on the January 1st or July 1st following their two-year anniversary date. However, faculty with two years of full-time service at an institution of higher education during the 24 month period directly preceding their date of employment as a full-time faculty member at the College may begin participation in the plan immediately. Faculty are requested to notify the Human Resources Department if this exception applies.
Contributions - For faculty below the rank of Full Professor, the College contributes 10% of gross annual salary. For Full Professors, the College contributes 15% of gross annual salary. Supplemental Retirement Annuity:
Full-time faculty may also elect to put additional money away in a tax-deferred annuity. These contributions are made pre-tax and require that the faculty member execute an authorizing Salary Reduction Agreement, which is available from the Human Resources Department. Faculty members can elect to contribute any amount up to an allowable maximum set by regulation and calculated by TIAA-CREF in each specific case. There is no waiting period. The plan includes a loan provision. Details are available from the Human Resources Department.
Tuition Assistance
Eligible dependent children of full-time faculty who have completed one full year of continuous employment may receive full undergraduate tuition to Barnard or Columbia for a maximum of eight semesters within six years. In addition, for schools other than Barnard or Columbia, Barnard pays an amount equal to 25% of its own tuition, or up to 100% of the other institution’s tuition, whichever is less, for dependent children of full time faculty hired after December 31, 1983. Children of deceased, full-time faculty
and faculty who retire from the College may also be eligible.
Eligibility, for Fall and
Spring semesters, depends upon several factors. Further information is available through the Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration. return to top
Paid Time Off
Holidays - There are eleven scheduled holidays per year. These are: New Year’s Day; Martin Luther King, Jr. Day; Memorial Day; Independence Day; Labor Day; Election Day; Thanksgiving Day; Day After Thanksgiving; Christmas Eve; Christmas Day; and New Year’s Eve.
Alternative Maternity Leave and Child Care Leave -- The College offers to both male and female faculty an alternative to the Family & Medical Leave Act provisions for maternity and child care leave (see Mandated Benefits below) in the form of a semester off at half pay. There are additional provisions for reduced teaching load for infant care. Details may be found in the Barnard College Faculty Handbook.
Other Leaves - Refer to the Faculty Handbook for information about other types of leave.
Commutation Benefit Program
The College offers faculty the opportunity to use pre-tax dollars to pay certain commuting costs. Faculty who join the program can exclude up to $115 per month pre-tax for the purchase of TransitChek Metrocards and vouchers. For those who drive or car-pool, the program can be applied to the lesser of the actual authorized parking costs or $215 per month. Complete details on the commutation program are available from Human Resources.
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Mandated Benefits
There are four mandated programs available to all Barnard faculty and employees. These are:
Family and Medical Leave:
The Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 requires that eligible employees be given up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job protected leave during any 12 month period for the birth and first-year care of a child; the adoption or foster placement of a child; the serious medical condition of the employee’s spouse, child, or parent; or the employee’s own serious medical condition. Both the employer and the employee have certain rights under the act. The Human Resources Department can be contacted for further information.
Social Security:
Social Security is a federal program of retirement, disability, survivor and health related benefits covering most staff. Contributions to Social Security are shared by the College and the employee.
Worker’s Compensation:
Income protection, medical benefits and survivor benefits are provided for job related illnesses and injuries. This mandated coverage is provided to the college by
CNA Insurance Company and is independent of the health care coverage provided by Oxford. For this reason, among others, any job related injury or illness must be reported immediately to the responsible supervisor, department chair or director and to the Human Resources Department.
Unemployment Insurance:
Staff and faculty who become unemployed through no fault of their own and are able and available to work, but unsuccessful in finding employment, may be eligible to receive a weekly benefit.
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Voluntary Benefits:
Barnard offers faculty and staff several voluntary benefits packages. Further information is available from Human Resources.
Backup Care:
Through the Work Options Group, the College offers
discounted Backup Child and Elder Care services for those
times when an employee would otherwise miss work to care for
a loved one. The program is designed to provide care either
in a childcare center ($2/hour) or in a private residence
($4/hour) when regular care for a child or dependent adult
is unavailable on a temporary basis. Employees can visit
the website at
www.workoptionsgroup.com or call 800-557-0847 for more
information.
MetPay: Offers discounted insurance rates for auto and home through Metropolitan Life Insurance Company. Call 1-800-Get-Met8 for further information and a no-obligation quote.
Citibank at Work: Special banking services and discounts are available to Barnard employees, including direct deposit of pay into a Citibank Checking Account, free checking/savings accounts with no minimum balance, ATM card, and other financial services.
Chase Banking: Chase checking and savings with no balance required, fee waived banking, when you set up direct deposit. Benefits include debit card, on-line banking, credit cards, access to mortgage and home equity loans and other banking services.
Health Club Membership: Faculty and staff can secure discounted health club memberships through GlobalFit Corporate Fitness.
Healthcare While Traveling
Because of the merger of Oxford and
United Healthcare, employees have access to the United
Healthcare Choice Plus national network. This offers
expands in-network physician options for employees who are
traveling. The Oxford website at
www.oxfordhealth.com (click on "Member" then click on
the "Search" tab) provides updated physician listings.
Domestic Travel
(including Canada, Mexico and U.S. Possessions)
Emergencies:
If you are
traveling domestically or are in a temporary domestic residence,
medical services for medical emergencies and urgent care will be
covered as an in-network benefit. Oxford requires notification
within 48 hours of an emergency hospital admission. All urgent
care requires pre-certification. Please call "Oxford on-Call,"
at 800-201-4911, available 24 hours a day/7 days a week.
Routine Medical Care:
Routine
Medical Care.
If you are
traveling domestically or are in a temporary domestic residence
and decide to seek non-emergency medical care, any covered
services will be processed in-network if you use an Oxford or
United Healthcare Choice Plus physician. If you use a physician
not affiliated with either network, the charges will be
processed as an out-of-network benefit up to the Usual,
Customary and Reasonable Charges, subject to coinsurance and
deductibles.
Please note:
Oxford policies and procedures, including referrals and
precertification for some procedures, remain in effect, so you
should continue to seek appropriate referrals and
precertification as necessary when using an Oxford physician.
If you obtain care without appropriate referrals for an Oxford
in-network service, any covered services will be processed under
your out-of-network benefit up to the Usual, Customary and
Reasonable Charges, subject to coinsurance and deductibles. If
you want to use a United Healthcare physician, a referral is not
required but precertification for certain procedures
is still required. If
you have questions about referrals and precertification, please
phone the Oxford customer service number on the reverse side of
your membership card.
International travel
(except for Canada, Mexico and U.S. Possessions)
Emergencies:
If you are
traveling or in a temporary residence abroad, medical
services for medical emergencies and urgent care will be
covered as an in-network benefit. Oxford requires at least
48 hours notification after an emergency hospital
admission. All urgent care requires pre-certification.
When calling internationally, phone Oxford at
001-813-558-2447, or "Oxford on Call" at 001- 203-459-7980,
regarding pre-certification. The 800 number is not
available for international calls.
Routine Medical Care:
Oxford is not licensed to insure for
routine, non-emergency medical care abroad. Employees will
not be reimbursed for the costs of any routine care incurred
while abroad. An employee planning to live and work abroad
on a grant or sabbatical leave should be aware that health
coverage through Oxford is limited to emergency care.
Routine healthcare may be available through institutional or
governmental plans in the host country, and employees are
encouraged to explore this option in advance of their trip.
Barnard now also offers Gateway Premier international
medical coverage; information is available in Human
Resources.
Prescriptions are not covered by insurance
while an employee is traveling or living abroad. To assure an
adequate quantity of any medication before traveling, phone
Medco Pharmacy Member Services at, 800-905-0201, (available 24
hours a day/ 7 days a week, except Thanksgiving and Christmas),
and request a "vacation override renewal." The prescription
will be available for pickup at the employee’s local pharmacy
before the trip.
Employees who have any questions about medical
services while traveling or in a temporary residence, should
phone Oxford directly at the 800 number on the back of the
insurance membership card. (If traveling or in residence
abroad, phone 011-1-813-558-2447). Employees may also phone the
Human Resources Office during the work week and speak with the
Benefits Manager, Sollette Baker, at 212-854-7345.
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Emergency International Insurance
The College now maintains a policy with WorldNet International Insurance to provide certain kinds of protection to both faculty and administrators pursuing international educational activities. This insurance can provide for emergency medical evacuation and other kinds of emergency assistance. A web link explaining the benefits is provided below. If you anticipate being out of the United States for international study or work please contact the Benefit and Compensation Manager at extension 47345 with the date of your departure and which country you will be traveling.
http://www.studyabroadinsurance.com/GlobalStudyAbroad/WorldNetInternational.html
It is important to note: This is not medical insurance. Emergency medical care while traveling is covered under our Oxford policy.
If you have enrolled in WorldNet International coverage and need to activate it while traveling, the contact information follows:
For medical evacuation, repatriation or other assistance services call Worldwide Assistance at 1-800-368-7878 (inside the U.S. or Canada) or call direct or collect to 202-659-7815 (from outside the U.S.) or email ops@worldwideassistance.com.
When you call, please be prepared with the following information:
1) name of caller, phone #, fax# and relationship to insured;
2) insured's name, age, sex and the policy number for your insurance plan, which is GLMN00175341
3) a description of the insured's condition;
4) name, location and telephone of the hospital or other service provider; and
5) other insurance information including health insurance, worker's compensation, or auto insurance, if the insured was involved in an accident.
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More comprehensive information is available on all these matters through the Human Resources Department. In the event of any discrepancy between this web site and the underlying plan documents, the underlying documents shall govern. The College may modify benefits at any time without prior notice.
New faculty are urged to review and understand their first pay stubs to assure themselves that their elections of benefits have been correctly recorded. Questions may be referred to the Human Resources Department. (REV.
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