Hospital Union Benefits
Hospital employees represented by CNA and NUHW have different medical, dental, vision, education, and insurance plans than non-union USC employees. Cancer expense protection is not provided. NUHW employees also have a different retirement plan.
| Benefit | CNA | NUHW |
|---|---|---|
| Medical | Anthem Blue Cross; choice of HMO, PPO 200 or PPO 800 | Anthem Blue Cross; choice of HMO, PPO 400 or PPO 800 |
| Dental | CIGNA Dental; choice of Comprehensive or Preventive | CIGNA Dental; choice of Comprehensive or Preventive |
| Vision | VSP Vision | VSP Vision |
| Flexible Spending | USC | USC |
| Retirement | USC | Fidelity 401(k) |
| Education | Tuition Assistance and Job Related Tuition Reimbursement | Job Related Tuition Reimbursement |
| Long Term Care | USC | USC |
| Disability | USC | Differing rates |
| Life and AD&D Insurance | Unum | Unum |
| Cancer Protection | -- | -- |
Medical, dental and vision plans
Hospital union employees working full-time (at least 32 hours per week) and part-time (at least 24 hours per week) are eligible for our medical plans, which pay for many of the costs of health care for you and your covered dependents. You can choose from two preferred provider organizations (PPO) or a health maintenance organization (HMO), all offered through Anthem Blue Cross. Prescription drug benefits are included as part of your medical plan.
You will have access to a nationwide network of hospitals and physicians, access to emergency care whenever and wherever you need it, online tools to manage your benefits and your health, and access to a 24/7 NurseLine for health advice at (800) 977-0027. You will also have coverage for childhood vaccinations, routine physical exams and important preventive screenings to help you and your family stay healthy.
USC pays a large portion of the premiums for medical plans. Your contribution varies depending on the plan you choose and the dependents covered, so review your options carefully to determine which best meets your family's specific needs.
You must enroll in a medical plan within 60 days of hire, or you will have to wait until the university's next open enrollment period. You can also make changes to your medical plan any time you experience a life event (birth of a baby, marriage, divorce) that changes your dependents, but you must do so within 30 days of the life event, and the change must be consistent with the event.
The Anthem Blue Cross website can help you choose your medical plan. You may wish to use these resources to compare the availability of physicians in your area before selecting coverage. Once you have chosen a plan, further questions can be answered by customer service representatives for your plan. Our directory will help you find the correct contact information.
You may also choose from two dental plans offered by CIGNA, and take advantage of the VSP Vision plan.
Education
Employees represented by CNA may access USC's Tuition Assistance (for themselves and their qualified dependents) and Tuition Exchange programs (qualified children only). CNA employees also qualify for job related tuition reimbursement for themselves.
NUHW employees qualify for job related tuition reimbursement.
Life and AD&D Insurance
Hospital union employees who are working full time (regularly scheduled for at least 32 hours per week) are eligible for university-paid basic life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance provided through Unum. Life insurance pays a pre-determined amount to your beneficiaries in the event of your death; AD&D pays a pre-determined amount in the event of your death in an accident (for example, an auto collision). AD&D pays lesser amounts to you or your beneficiaries for various types of accidental injuries that result in the loss of limbs, sight, speech or hearing. Your coverage begins the first day of employment.
Full-time and part-time employees (regularly scheduled to work at least 24 hours per week) are eligible to purchase additional life and AD&D insurance for themselves and their eligible dependents. You must enroll within 60 days of hire, and coverage begins on the 31st day as a benefits-eligible employee.
You can change your additional life insurance anytime; you must wait for open enrollment or a status change to alter your AD&D.
Long Term Care
The USC Long Term Care Insurance Plan is closed to new entrants. If you are already a John Hancock participant and have questions, contact John Hancock customer service at (888) 524-6167. A new long term care provider will be announced in early summer.
Flexible Spending Accounts
Flexible spending accounts (FSAs) allow you to save on your taxes by letting you pay for certain health and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars. When you set aside amounts in FSAs and draw on them only for qualifying expenses, you never pay federal, state, or Social Security tax on that set-aside amount. USC offers two types of accounts through WageWorks—the health care FSA and the dependent care FSA. Pre-tax contributions will be deducted over the full 12-month calendar year (except for faculty who have opted to receive their base pay over a 9-, 10-, or 11-month cycle). Everything you need to know about FSAs is here.
Retirement
For employees represented by NUHW, your retirement account is managed by Fidelity Investments. USC matches 100% of your before-tax or Roth contributions up to a maximum of 3% of your eligible compensation following the end of each calendar year, if you are employed on the last day of that year. Vesting is immediate; the university's matching contributions vest on a sliding scale, with full vesting at five or more years of service in which you complete 1000 hours or more in each plan year. Your contributions begin with the pay period following enrollment.