Welcome to the Colchester School District's Employee Benefits web site. The information on this site is designed as a resource for current and prospective employees. Please use the sections listed below to learn more about our benefits.

Reminder: Our employment/union agreements dictate an employee's benefit eligibility. If you have questions, please refer to your employment agreement or contact our Human Resources Department.

HIPAA Notice of Privacy

If you wish to enroll in the districts 403B plan, or make a change to a current plan, please contact the Human Resources department.

Northeast Delta Dental provides dental insurance coverage for school district employees who are eligible for participation in our dental plan. Delta Dental is a not-for-profit organization established and supported by dentists to make more dental care available to the general public.

Employees are encouraged to obtain dental care from a participating dentist to get the best value from the program. A substantial majority of dentists in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine participate in Delta Dental through Participating Dentist Agreements.

Dental Insurance Plan Information:

Outline of Benefits:

Colchester School District
Group Number 7777-0027

Contract Year Benefits: July 1st through June 30th

Eligibility Period: First of the month following date of hire.

Selected Benefits & Percentage* Paid by Delta Dental:

  • Coverage A - Diagnostic & Preventive: 100%
  • Coverage B - Basic: 80%
  • Coverage C - Major: 50%
  • Coverage D - Orthodontics: 50%

Maximum Contract Year Benefit: The maximum amount which your plan will pay is $1,000 per person per Contract Year. Coverage D (Orthodontics) has a separate lifetime maximum of $750 for each eligible subscriber and dependent.

Deductible: There is a $50 deductible per person per Contract Year with a family deductible maximum of $150 per Contract Year. This deductible is applied to Coverage B and C benefits.

*Benefit percentages shown are based upon the actual charge submitted to a maximum of the participating dentist's approved fees, or Northeast Delta Dental's allowance for non-participating dentists.

For your convenience, here's a list of frequently used telephone numbers, web sites, and mailing addresses for questions regarding our dental insurance. In addition to contacting Northeast Delta Dental, our Human Resources Department is always available to assist you.

Telephone Numbers:

  • Customer Service: 800.247.2583

Web Sites:

Mailing Addresses:

Northeast Delta Dental
One Delta Drive
P.O. Box 2002
Concord, NH 03302-2002

Colchester School District employees, who are eligible for health insurance, have a choice of four Blue Cross Blue Shield's health plans.

Health Insurance Plans and Information

Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) January 2024 – December 2024

Benefits Description Documents (BDD) (July 2023 – July 2024)

Prescription Drug Coverage and Medicare:

In 2006, Medicare prescription drug coverage became available to everyone with Medicare through Medicare Prescription drug plans and Medicare Advantage Plans that offer prescription drug coverage. Please read the message below concerning your current prescription drug coverage and prescription drug coverage which is available for people with Medicare.

An Important Notice About Your Prescription Drug Coverage and Medicare

Vision:

Employees and dependents who are enrolled in a medical plan, are eligible for one anual eye exam with a $20.00 copay when using a VSP provider. Please visit www.vsp.com to find a provider.

For your convenience, here's a list of frequently used telephone numbers, web sites, and mailing addresses for questions regarding our health insurance. In addition to the companies listed below, our Human Resources Department is always available to assist you.

Telephone Numbers:

  • BCBS VT Customer Service: 800.247.2583
  • Express Scripts for mail-order prescriptions: 877.493.1947
  • Vision Service Plan (VSP): 800.877.7195
  • Healthy Dollars: Phone: 877.900.6979
    • or service@healthydollarsinc.com

Web Sites:

Mailing Addresses:

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont
P.O. Box 186
Montpelier, VT 05601-0186

The Plan Administrator for the Colchester School District's Section 125/Cafeteria Plan is:

Healthy Dollars
PO Box 8592
Essex, VT 05451

877-900-MYRX (6979)
service@healthydollarsinc.com

What is the Cafeteria Plan? It is a plan set-up by your employer that allows you to save tax dollars on money deducted from your paycheck which is used to pay for health insurance premiums and to pay for out-of-pocket, non-insured health care and/or dependent day care expenses. The money that you have withheld will not be taxed. To see what type of expenses qualify for reimbursement, click on the list below:

Eligible and Non-Eligible Expenses

Healthy Dollars Online Account and Access

FSA Dependent Care Claim Form

FSA Health Care Claim Form

For more information on Colchester School District's Section 125 Plan, take a look at the Non-Licensed Plan and our Licensed Plan or our HIPAA Notice of Privacy Practices.

For more information on the Colchester School District's HRA Plan, take a look at the Licensed Plan Description and Non-Licensed Plan Description

Madison National Life provides Group Life insurance coverage for Colchester School District employees who are eligible for participation in these plans. Employees have the option of purchasing additional Life and Accidental Death & Dismemberment coverage upon hire or special enrollment periods.

Should any question ever arise about the nature and extent of these benefits, the plan documents will govern.

Please contact Human Resources for a copy of the Group Life and AD&D Insurance Policy.

Lincoln Financial Group provides Long Term Disability insurance coverage for Colchester School District employees who are eligible for participation in these plans.

Should any question ever arise about the nature and extent of these benefits, the plan documents will govern.

Please contact Human Resources for a copy of the Long-Term Disability Insurance Policy.

The Vermont Municipal Employees' Retirement System is a uniform, state-administered pension plan provided for municipal employees of the State of Vermont. It was established effective July 1, 1975 and is governed by Title 24, Vermont Statutes Annotated, Chapter 125.

Retirement coverage extends to the following classification of employees:

  • Employees of a school district who work on a regular basis for not less than 30 hours a week and for not less than 1040 hours for the school year.
  • All other municipal employees who work on a regular basis for not less than 24 hours per week and for not less than 1040 hours in a year.

Employees in these areas must join the system as a condition of employment immediately upon date of hire.

Support staff in the Colchester School District are members of Group A. Currently, Group A members contribute 3.5% of gross salary. In addition, the school district contributes 5% of the employee's gross salary.

For more information, please visit the State's Municipal Retirement Systems web site by selecting the link below.

https://www.vermonttreasurer.gov/content/retirement/municipal

If you were employed as a public school teacher within the State of Vermont on or before July 1, 1990, you are automatically a Group C member.

If you were hired before July 1, 1990 and were a Group B member in service on July 1, 1990, you are now a Group C member.

Group C members make annual pre-tax contributions into the trust fund, which is administered by the Board of Trustees. Earnings on trust fund investments provide a portion of your benefit, and the State of Vermont makes a contribution to pay the balance of your benefit.

For more information, please visit the State Teachers Retirement Systems web site by selecting the link below.

https://www.vermonttreasurer.gov/content/retirement/teacher