Burlington CSD Benefits Microsite

Frequently Asked Questions

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

What is ICHRA?

Burlington offers health benefits through an Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) administered by Benefitbay. With this arrangement, your employer provides a monthly allowance that you can use tax-free to purchase the individual health insurance plan that best fits your needs.

Benefitbay makes the process simple by guiding you through plan options, enrollment, and reimbursements, so you can choose the coverage that works best for you and your family while your employer manages contributions behind the scenes.

Are there passive/automatic renewals?

All employees must log into the benefitbay platform to select a plan. Plans from the previous/current year WILL NOT automatically renew.

Your current ICHRA insurance company will send you a letter about your renewal. The communication will tell you that you don’t have to do anything to renew your plan. Since your plan is part of an ICHRA, you MUST log into the benefitbay platform to select a plan or you WON’T have coverage effective January 1, 2026.

Can I make changes later?

Once a plan has been selected and approved/finalized in the benefitbay system by the employee, no changes can be made.

Can I schedule more than one enrollment call?

Each employee should schedule just one enrollment call (benefitbay has had employees schedule multiple meetings as placeholders). The benefitbay team is ready to walk through questions and provide guidance during this session. If additional support or research is required, their team will gladly schedule a follow-up call.

What can I do to prepare for my enrollment call?

Employees should log into benefitbay before the enrollment call, review their profile information, and review available plans.

It is also helpful if employees bring a list of their doctors, providers, and medications to the call. This helps benefitbay focus the call on meaningful questions and plan decisions.

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.

How much can I contribute to my FSA?

BCSD’s plan year is January 1st through December 31st .

Health Care FSA

Contribute up to $3,300 from January 1st - December 31st.

Dependent Care FSA

Contribute up to $7,500 from January 1st - December 31st, or $3,750 if you are married and filing separately.

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.

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 2026
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

Quality health coverage you and your family can count on

Medical - ICHRA

In order to bring a longer-term program and provide stabilization to BCSD budgeting, your medical coverage offered by BCSD will be an Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA). An ICHRA is a flexible health benefit where employees select plans from the individual marketplace. This gives employees the most flexibility in enrolling in coverage that is tailored to their specific needs instead of the one-size fits all approach of group insurance.

ICHRA Resources

HDHP

Medical - ICHRA

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

Dental - Delta Dental

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.