Employee Benefits

Insurance Plans

CCPS covers 75% of the health insurance premium.  Coverage includes medical, dental, pharmacy and vision insurance. Basic Life Insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance is included at no cost to the employee. 

Enrollment for the board sponsored medical, dental, and life insurance plans are not automatic. New hires must select their Benefits options on-line within 31 days of their hire date.  Your selection for Medical Plan includes Pharmacy (CVS/Caremark), Dental (Preferred Provider), and Vision (Davis Vision Plus) coverage; the Board does not offer standalone plans. Before choosing your plan, you will want to carefully review the CareFirst booklet included in your new hire packet.   Changes outside of your new hire enrollment period can occur under limited conditions.

In addition to your enrollment, the Board requires members to provide proper documentation when dependents are enrolled in the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Plans.  The Dependent Affidavit is required in addition you are also required to provide additional dependent documentation.  A full list of acceptable documents can be found on page 2 of the Affidavit.  Before enrolling your eligible dependent(s) the signed Affidavit and copies of your dependent documentation are required, employees/retirees are required to submit the requested documentation to the Office of Fiscal Services- Employee Benefits.

Employees are responsible for removing a covered dependent child or spouse immediately when he/she no longer meets dependent eligibility criteria of the plan. Children reaching age 26 with no disability certification are removed from coverage automatically at the end of the month in which they reach age 26. A notice will be sent to your address on file with CCPS in advance of the termination of coverage.

Group Term Life Insurance for Employee Only – Employee contribution is 25% of the premium Death Benefit – 1x annual salary. Plan payments are set up for a pre-taxed payroll deduction.

Please note, any employee who wishes to waive their benefits is required to sign an election waiver form. The form is located online here. Employees can send the completed waiver through an email scan to employeebenefits@ccboe.com or fax it to the benefits office at 301-944-0897.

CVS/Caremark Prescription Plan

If you enroll in a CareFirst BlueChoice or PPO/ PPN plan, you are enrolled in the CVS/Caremark prescription drug plan. The CVS/Caremark prescription plan provides benefits for medications to be filled at participating retail pharmacies. You also have the choice of filling your long-term medications through the CVS/Caremark Mail Order Pharmacy. Call the CVS/Caremark number on your card, 877-411-8168, for a mail-order form.

Claim form

Preferred drug list 2023 

Specialty drug list 2023

CVS/Caremark

Supplemental Group Term Life Insurance

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) offers a supplemental group term life insurance plan for Active employees only. Employees who work 20 plus hours per week can sign up for the plan. The term is one year and employees do not have to re-enroll annually. The plan is provided by ReliaStar Life Insurance, part of the Voya Company.

Eligible employees can sign up online through the CCPS benefits website at https://ccboe.hrintouch.com. Select the “Register or Reset your Account” option.

The plan offers supplemental life insurance of $20,000 to $500,000 in $10,000 increments. Employees can elect up to $250,000 in coverage without providing any evidence of insurability, or complete a health questionnaire. This plan benefit provides options for those employees who may be excluded from standard life insurance policies for pre-existing medical conditions.

Plan payments are set up for payroll deduction, but are not a pre-tax deduction. This is different from the two currently available life insurance plans for eligible employees: the Board of Education sponsored plan and the American General Life Insurance plans. Deductions for these plans are pre-taxed for employees. Deductions for the new supplemental plan are taken as an after-tax payment.

Employees who sign up for the supplemental plan can also add benefits for their spouse and children. Spousal coverage is available in increments of $10,000 up to a maximum of $50,000. Spousal coverage is not subject to evidence of insurability, and it cannot exceed the amount chosen by the policyholder. Employees can choose coverage for their children, with a benefit of either $5,000 or $10,000.

Costs are determined by age as follows (monthly rate shown for one individual per $1,000 of coverage)

Rates are subject to change annually in January, but are guaranteed for the full plan term of one year. The monthly cost for eligible children, per child, is $1 for $5,000 of coverage and $2 for $10,000. Employees who want benefits for either their spouse or eligible children must have a policy for themselves.

Employees who sign up for supplemental life insurance through CCPS and retire must convert the policy through Voya to an individual whole life insurance policy. Staff who purchase the insurance and terminate their employment with CCPS can also convert their policy with Voya. Retirees and former CCPS employees who convert a policy with Voya will still receive the same monthly plan rates offered to current staff.

Age reductions also apply. The benefit amount reduces to 65 percent of the original coverage once the policyholder turns 70, and reduces again to 50 percent of original coverage at age 75.

Visit https://presents.voya.com/EBRC/BOEOCC for more information and to access a life insurance needs calculator. Questions about CCPS staff benefits, retirement accounts and more can be directed to the CCPS Office of Benefits at 301-934-7459 or employeebenefits@ccboe.com.

Supplemental Insurance

In addition to the medical and life insurance enrollment, employees have the opportunity to elect the following Aflac pre-tax supplemental insurance policies.  Aflac supplemental insurance provides additional coverage that can be used to help with the out-of-pocket expenses that may not be covered by medical insurance. Aflac has a website to view coverage plans with an option to apply online.

Aflac website for Charles County Public Schools employees

All available Voluntary Benefits are:

• Accident Advantage
• Short-Term Disability
• Cancer Protection
• Hospital Choice
• Critical Care Protection
• Dental & Vision
• Whole & Term Life
• Juvenile Life

Aflac can help take care of the expense's health insurance does not cover, so you can take care of everything else.

Some important benefits or features of our policies are:

• Our policies complement and enhance current benefit plans.
• Policyholders choose the policies that are important to them.
• Policy benefits are paid regardless of other policy benefits held.
• Policyholders may have the advantage and convenience of payroll deduction.
• Policies are portable and guaranteed-renewable at the payroll rate.

For more information or to apply for coverage, contact your Aflac Associate:
Jennifer Tench
804-516-4286 or email: jennifer_tench@us.aflac.com  
to schedule your one on one appointment.
Aflac Website

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)

Ameriflex is the new third-party administrator for both FSA and Health Savings Accounts (HSA). Specific accounts affected include health care FSA, dependent day care accounts and remaining balances. 

A Flexible Spending Account (FSA) is an employer-sponsored spending account that allows employees to set aside pretax earnings to pay for eligible health care or dependent care expenses. Pretax funds are deducted from each paycheck and automatically deposited into an FSA account. Employees decide how much to contribute, tax-free, for the year.  Unused money in an FSA account is forfeited at the end of the plan year.  Employers can also decide to contribute, up to a maximum amount. Enrollment is not automatic, you must enroll every year. 

Any out-of-pocket and unreimbursed medical expenses are allowed under section 213(d) of the Internal Revenue Code, except health insurance premiums and long-term care services. FSAs can also be used for daycare or other dependent care expenses required to allow an individual to work. 

There are two types of FSAs employers can offer to employees. Employees can participate in one or both.

• Medical FSA — This type of FSA allows employees to pay for eligible expenses that are not covered by the health plan, such as deductibles, coinsurance, dental care, orthodontia and vision care. The total amount the employee chooses to contribute is available to them on the first day of the plan year, even if they have not actually contributed that much yet.
• Dependent Care FSA — This type of FSA allows employees to pay for daycare expenses for their children under age 13 or for older dependents not capable of self-care needed to allow an employee to work. With a dependent care FSA, the money must be in the employee’s account before you can request reimbursement.

Keep Your Receipts: You are required to maintain documentation (receipts) to substantiate all FSA claims and are required to submit documentation upon request. All expenditures are subject to audit per Internal Revenue Service regulations.  

FSA Debit Card: FSAs for 2024 include an FSA debit card feature allowing immediate access to funds in your medical FSA accounts for all eligible expenses. The FSA debit card is good for three consecutive years. 

Depending on an employee’s tax bracket, an employee can save nearly 30 percent on most medical, health and child or eldercare expenses. An employee earning $30,000 with a $2,000 FSA contribution can save an estimated $300 in taxes.

For information on a Flexible Spending Account and to enroll, log in to the online benefits website and from the Benefits menu, select Flexible Spending Account.

EIBIA's Health Expenses Table

New User Guide

Flexible Spending Account (Flyer)

Flexible Spending Account (Kit Inserts)

Flexible Planning Worksheet (Planning Worksheet)

Transaction Substantiation Request Form

Medical Necessity Letter

Orthodontia Form
 

Employee Assistance Program

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

What is FMLA?

• FMLA is a federal law, passed in 1993, that helps balance work and family life and promotes economic security of families and serve national interest in preserving family integrity by granting leave for family and medical circumstances.  It permits eligible employees up to 12 weeks* of job-protected leave and benefits continuation for qualifying events.
• The employees may use their own leave or use leave without pay during an FMLA event. CCPS will run the employee’s leave concurrently with FMLA regardless of whether it is paid or unpaid.  Choosing unpaid leave and then paid leave does not extend the days the number of approved weeks. 
• There are exceptions to this rule if the husband and wife both work for the same employer.
• Combined total of 12 weeks for the birth or adoption of a child.
• Combined 26 weeks to take care of a covered ill or injured service member. 
   

FMLA Qualifying Events

• Employee’s own serious health condition.
• A family member’s (spouse, parent, child under the age of 18) serious health condition.
• The birth or care of a newborn child.
• The adoption or foster care of a child.
• Qualifying military exigencies (urgencies).

Employee Eligibility

To be eligible for FMLA leave the employee must have been employed at least 12 months by your employer and worked at least 1,250 hours in the previous 12 months.

• Must be employed by a covered employer.
• Must have worked at least 12 months for the employer. 
• Must have a minimum of 1,250 hours of service during the 12 months before their leave is to begin. 
• Example-An employee is requesting FMLA with an anticipated start date of 4/1/22 and an anticipated end date of 5/15/22.  The Benefits Representative will “look back” at the 12-month period starting 4/1/21 through 3/31/22 to determine if the employee worked 1,250 hours.
• Must be employed at a work site with 50 employees within 75 miles.

Benefits Department

employeebenefits@ccboe.com

House Keys for Employees Program (HK4E)

Policies and Procedures

Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) participates with the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development's (DHCD) House Keys for Employees Program (HK4E) through a partnership with the Charles County Commissioners.  This employee benefit is available to all benefits-eligible employees who meet the eligibility requirements of the State HK4E Program and have been employed by CCPS for at least one (1) year.

Under the HK4E Program, the Maryland Department of Housing and  Community Development will match (up to $5,000) any employer's contribution towards an employee's down payment or settlement expenses for a first time home purchase.

Eligibility

• Any CCPS permanent employee who is benefits-eligible and has been employed by CCPS at least one (1) year may apply for the program provided they meet all other eligibility requirements.
   
• The eligible employee must agree to work for CCPS for an additional three (3) year period unless the employee is released from this requirement through Human Resources.
   
• The home purchase must be financed through the Maryland Mortgage Program (MMP) with a qualified Maryland Community Development Administration (CDA) lender.
   Find participating lenders
   
• To qualify for MMP, and therefore HK4E Program, an applicant's annual household income cannot exceed the established program limits.
   Income and Purchase Price Limits
   
• The amount of home purchase and the amount financed cannot exceed maximum limits as set by MMP.
   
• An employee (an all persons listed on the load) must be a first-time homebuyer and must be purchasing a home in Charles County.  First-time home buyer includes those person's not having owned a home within the past three years.
   
• If the home is not located in a Priority Funding Area (PFA), the home must be existing construction.  PFAs can be viewed at:
   https://mmp.maryland.gov/Pages/Property-Information.aspx
   
• If the home is located in a PFA, the home may be existing construction or new construction.
   
• The purchased home must be used as the buyer's principal residence; investment property is not eligible.
   

Financial Assistance / Terms and Conditions

• CCPS through Charles County Government will offer, as a benefit to eligible employees, a loan in the amount of $5,000 to be used towards the employee's down payment/settlement costs for the purchase of a home, as outlined above.
   
• The loan will accrue 0% interest.
   
• As with the State's match, there will be a lien against the property for the loan.
   
• The loan shall be repaid when the property is sold, transferred or refinanced.
   
• The employee will be responsible for advising their employer if the property for which they received the loan, is sold, transferred or refinanced.
   
• One loan per household.

Processing Procedures

• The Office of Human Resources will be responsible for notifying employees of this employee benefit.  All state Program information (including current income limits and acquisition and loan limit(s) can be viewed at https://dhcd.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx
   
• Employees participating in the program should provide the following completed documents to the Office of Human Resources four (4) weeks prior to the anticipated settlement date.

House Keys for Employee Program Employer/Employee Agreement

House Keys for Employees Verification of Partner Contribution

House Keys 4 Employees Information Sheet

• The Office of Human Resources completes Section II of the Verification of Partner Contribution and forwards all completed documents to Charles County Government Fiscal Services.
   
• The Office of Human Resources will coordinate with Charles County Government Fiscal Services to ensure that the loan check is issued for settlement.
   
• Once settlement has occurred, a lien is placed against the property for the HK4E loan and employee must forward the settlement statement to the Office of Human Resources within five (5) days from closing.
   
• All the completed documents will be placed in the employee's personnel folder.
   
• When the property is sold, transferred or refinanced, the Human Resources staff ensures the loan is repaid to the County.
   
• Income limits and acquisition and financing limits are updated as necessary on employee information forms.

Mortgage Program Information links

Maryland Mortgage Program Information Kits

Maryland SmartBuy Program

If you have any questions about the House Keys for Employees Program, please contact the Office of Human Resources at 301-934-7255.

Relocation Assistance

Charles County Public Schools offers a Relocation Stipend for newly hired certified teachers.  The Relocation Assistance stipend is designed to assist newly hired certified teachers defray relocation expenses and related costs.  Reimbursement will occur when the guidelines are met.

Reimbursement Eligibility

1. Newly hired certified teachers employed full-time.
2. Distance between the previous residence and the new residence must be at least 75 miles or more away from Jesse Starkey Administration Building (5980 Radio Station Road, La Plata, MD 20646).

Consequences of Early Separation

1. An employee must remain employed on a continuous full-time basis for at least one (1) calendar year, beginning on the date the employee starts with Charles County Public Schools.
2. If the employee fails to remain employed for the obligated one (1) year of service, Charles County Public Schools reserves the right to seek repayment for the full amount the employee received in the Relocation Assistance Program.

Disbursement

1.  Payments for expenses are paid directly to the employee through the Accounting Department 
2. All payments will be disbursed within two (2) pay periods of the start date 
3. Relocation reimbursements are processed in order of receipt of this signed document and delivered to the Accounting Department.   
4. Reimbursable expenses up to $2,500.00 
   1. 75 miles to 150 miles - $1,500.00 
   2. 151+ miles - $2,500.00 

Tuition Reimbursement

CCPS feels an individual who possesses a desire to continue their education, in addition to performing their full-time job, shows a commitment to improving themselves and their position within the system. To encourage and reward these individuals, CCPS offers a tuition reimbursement benefit. All employees are governed by tuition reimbursement clauses in the two separately negotiated collective bargaining agreements: American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the Education Association of Charles County (EACC). Each employee should read and understand the collective bargaining agreement that governs them.

Wellness Programs

Helping Employees Stay Healthy

• Monthly wellness email messages from CareFirst.
   
• Free fitness classes for permanent employees. Classes are offered in the fall and spring in four-week sessions and each class is one hour. Classes are offered virtually and include beginner yoga to personal training boot camp. Employees receive a registration email when classes are offered.
   
• World Gym membership is offered through the KeepWell program at a discounted rate of $35 per month per person during open enrollment.  Open enrollment is available twice a year, at the start of the school year and in mid-January. An open-enrollment email will be sent to all eligible employees including dates and instructions on how to enroll in the program.  Enrollment is open to employees, retirees and their families.  Eight locations are included in the membership: La Plata, Waldorf, Prince Frederick, Owings, Lusby, Leonardtown, Lexington Park and California/Wildewood.  Each location provides access to the facility, group exercises, and spin classes.
   
• Healthy cooking classes offered for permanent employees for a fee. Email notification is sent of class offerings including a registration link.
   
• 5K races in the fall and spring. These events are available to all employees and the community. 
   
• Employee Assistance Program available for employees and their dependents at no cost. Click here for information.

If you have any questions about the Employee Wellness Programs, please contact Renee Eubanks at reubanks@ccboe.com 

Additional Resources

Classified Pension Plan

MyPensionBenefit.com

Summary Plan Description

Pension Plan

Tax Sheltered Accounts (TSA)

Education by Empower - Retirement Webinars

Empower 403b Enrollment Form

empower Pathways Retirement Brochure

empower Retirement Portal

Valic 457 Plan

TSA Change or Cancellation Form

TSA 457b Agreement 2023

TSA 403b Agreement 2023