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Burlington Community School District Employee Benefits

Taking care of our employees and providing comprehensive benefits that support your well-being and future.

Frequently Asked Questions

Please reach out to kim.parker@bcsds.org if you cannot find an answer to your question.

What’s the difference between in-network and out-of-network providers?

In a group health insurance plan, in-network providers are doctors, hospitals, and other healthcare services that have agreed to discounted rates with your insurance company. This means lower costs for you—both in terms of copays and overall coverage.

On the other hand, out-of-network providers have no such agreements with your insurer, so they typically cost more. You might have to pay higher deductibles, receive lower reimbursements, or even cover the full bill yourself.

In short: In-network = cheaper, pre-negotiated rates. Out-of-network = more expensive, fewer benefits.

View in-network providers

What prescription drugs are covered by my medical plan?

Coverage for prescription drugs varies by medical plan. Refer to your plan's formulary or contact your insurance provider to see which medications are covered and any associated costs or restrictions.

View Covered Prescriptions

What is self-funding?

You can view our full explanation of self-funding by clicking the link below.

Self-funding Explanation

What is an FSA?

An FSA (Flexible Spending Account) is a tax-advantaged financial account offered by employers. Employees can contribute pre-tax money to an FSA to cover eligible out-of-pocket expenses, such as medical, dental, vision care, and dependent care costs. The funds must typically be used within the plan year or a grace period, or they are forfeited ("use it or lose it" rule). FSAs help reduce taxable income and save money on necessary expenses.

How much can I contribute to my FSA?

For 2025, the IRS allows you to contribute up to $3,300 to a healthcare FSA. For a dependent care FSA, the maximum for married couples filing jointly is $5,000 while the maximum contribution for married couples filing separately is $2,500.

What are eligible expenses for an FSA?

Health Care FSA - Plan deductibles, coinsurance, copays, and other out-of-pocket expenses. To learn more, see IRS Publication 502 at www.irs.gov
Dependent Care FSA - Child daycare, babysitters, home care for dependent elders, and related expenses. To learn more, see IRS Publication 503 at www.irs.gov

What are the advantages of an HDHP?

1. Lower paycheck costs

Your per-paycheck costs are lower compared to the PPO plan, giving you the opportunity to contribute the cost savings to a Health Savings Account (HSA).

2. Tax-advantaged savings account

To help you pay your deductible and other out-of-pocket costs, the HDHP allows you to open a Health Savings Account (if you qualify based on IRS regulations) and make tax-free contributions. All withdrawals from your HSA are tax-free, as long as you use the money to pay for eligible health care expenses. In addition, all the money in the account is yours and will never be forfeited. It rolls over from year to year, and you can take it with you if you leave the school or retire. After age 65, you can withdraw funds for any reason without a tax penalty—you pay ordinary income tax only if the withdrawal isn’t for eligible health care expenses.

3. Free in-network preventive care

As with all Burlington CSD health plans, in-network preventive care is fully covered under the HDHP – you pay nothing toward your deductible as long as you receive care from network providers.

4. Extensive provider network

The HDHP uses UMR’s EPO Network of providers.

Am I eligible for an HSA?

Eligible individuals are those who are:

Covered under a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)
Not covered by any other medical plan that is not an HDHP. This includes a spouse’s medical coverage unless it’s an HDHP
Not enrolled in a traditional Health Care FSA in 2025
Not enrolled in Medicare, including Part A
Not claimed as a dependent on another person’s annual tax return
Veterans who have not received treatment through the Veteran’s Administration other than preventive care within the past three months

What is Self-Funding?

What does it mean to be self-funded?

Self-funded means the employer funds their health plan (health insurance they provide to employees) instead of paying a premium to an insurance company. It is also known as self-insurance or self-insured.

How does self-funding work?

The employer pays for claims out of their own funds and budgets a fixed amount for administration fees and stop-loss insurance. This means the employer assumes the risk of paying for medical and prescription drug claims incurred by their employees and families.

Who pays the medical and prescription drug claims when employees and their families have claims?

The employer hires a Third Party Administrator, also known as a TPA who administers the plan. The TPA receives the claims from the providers (doctors, hospital, pharmacy, etc.) and pays the claims according to the benefits the employer has selected.

What is reinsurance?

This is an arrangement whereby an insurer transfers all or part of a risk to another insurer to provide protection against catastrophic claims.

How does reinsurance work?

The employer enters into an agreement with a reinsurer through their TPA and the reinsurer agrees to cover a portion of the risk (claims) that the employer is responsible for. The employer pays the reinsurer a premium for this coverage. Through this arrangement, the employer passes on some part of their risk of major claims to an insurance company (reinsurer).

Quality health coverage you and your family can count on

Medical - UMR

For the 2025 plan year, you have a choice of 3 medical plans with a range of coverage levels and costs. Choose what's best for your needs and budget.

You and Burlington CSD share the cost of your health care benefits — Burlington CSD pays a generous portion of the total cost and you pay the remainder. The amount you pay is deducted pretax from your paycheck. Your specific cost is determined by the plans you choose and the coverage level you select.

Visit UMR Website

Medical - Important Links

View 2025 Medical Plan Options

View 2025 Rates

Plan Comparison Table

Download the UMR App (Apple Store)

Download the UMR App (Google Play)

Pharmacy - TrueRx

Member Portal

View Medication Prices

View Insurance Card

Find a Pharmacy

Get Started with Mail Order

Download the TrueRx App (Apple Store)

Download the TrueRx App (Google Play)

Visit TrueRx Website

HDHP

Pharmacy - TrueRx

A Closer Look at the HDHP

The High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) costs you less from your paycheck, so you keep more of your money. This plan rewards you for taking an active role as a health care consumer and making smart decisions about your health care spending. As a result, you could pay less for your annual medical costs.

HDHP Advantages

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)

Tax-advantaged FSAs provided by FLEX are a great way to save money. The money you contribute to these accounts comes out of your paycheck without being taxed, and you withdraw it tax-free when you pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses.

View Your Options

Dental - Delta Dental

Healthy teeth and gums are important to your overall wellness. Learn about the Delta Dental plans available to help you maintain your oral health.

Benefits Table

Visit Delta Dental Website

Vision - Delta Vision

Having vision coverage through Delta allows you to save money on eligible eye care expenses, such as periodic eye exams, eyeglasses, or contact lenses for yourself and your covered dependents.

Benefits Table

View Delta Vision Website

Financial PRotection

Life and Accidental Death Insurance

As a Burlington CSD employee, you receive company-paid Basic Life and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance and have the option to purchase additional coverage for yourself and your family.

What is AD&D?

Should you lose your life, sight, hearing, speech, or use of your limb(s) in an accident, AD&D provides additional benefits to help keep your family financially secure. AD&D benefits are paid as a percentage of your coverage amount — from 25% to 100% — depending on the type of loss.

Don't Forget to Name a Beneficiary

The beneficiary will receive the benefit paid by a life insurance policy in the event of the policyholder’s death. It’s important to designate a beneficiary and keep that information up-to-date.

Additional Resources

Long-Term Disability Insurance

Life and Accidental Death Insurance

The loss of income due to illness or disability can cause serious financial hardship for your family. But, if a disability happens, Burlington CSD has you covered with Long-Term Disability (LTD) insurance benefits, which replace a portion of your income to help you continue paying your bills and meeting your financial obligations during this difficult time. LTD is fully paid by Burlington CSD — at no cost to you.

Who pays: Burlington CSD

Benefit amount provided: 66 2/3% of your base salary

Payment duration: Varies depending on your age when the disability begins.

Elimination period: 90 consecutive calendar days

Review your Summary Plan Description for specific benefit payment duration.

Voluntary Life & AD&D

Life and Accidental Death Insurance

Voluntary Life & AD&D

If you want added protection, you can purchase Supplemental Voluntary Life and AD&D insurance. Coverage options available for employee, spouse, and dependent children.

Important: Employee Voluntary Life coverage does not have to be purchased to elect optional life coverage for either a spouse, domestic partner, or child(ren). You pay 100% of the cost for all voluntary coverage. You may have to complete an evidence of insurability (EOI) medical questionnaire to determine whether you or your spouse/ domestic partner is insurable for Voluntary Life insurance amounts. If required, an EOI will be provided to you.

Coverage Options

Voluntary Benefits

As a Burlington CSD employee, you have access to employee-paid supplemental life and health benefits for yourself and your family to preserve your well-being and pay for expenses that exceed what health insurance may cover if a covered injury or illness occurs.