Benefits Info and Frequently Asked Questions

View our slide deck with comprehensive information about OUSD Benefits including:

• What benefits does OUSD provide & how to enroll

• Benefits costs & start dates

• How to decline or enroll in coverage

• Retirement Savings

• Escape Employee Portal

• Accessing Mental Health Services

• OUSD Wellness Resources

• Talent Webpage & Tools

Congratulations! There is a lot to retirement planning and good for you for starting early!

Find more information about Retirement planning, and Retiree benefits coverage

When your Benefits become active depends on your Bargaining unit and hire date.

Chart that helps you look up your own coverage start dates

Any cost contribution depends on your position and part-time status.

See the OUSD Part-time cost chart

You will receive ID cards for your Medical insurance plan, but not for Dental or vision. Your Social security number is your ID number for the vision plan and the Dental plan is identified by the OUSD Plan number.Your medical plan ID card may not arrive immediately after your hire, but if you need to schedule care and your coverage is active according to the chart above, you may contact the provider and schedule an appointment. They will contact OUSD to confirm coverage.

You may extend your Benefits coverage to your Spouse, Domestic Partner, or child(ren) who are either natural, Step, adopted or legally under your guardianship. Children may remain on your benefits plan through age 26.

OUSD requires that domestic partners register their partnerships with the State of California - Secretary of State Office. You must meet their eligibility requirements. Please see more information on how to become eligible at the following website:

View Website

Once eligibility is granted, you must bring the certificate to the Talent Division/Benefits within 30 days of the date signed by the State.

When you sign up for benefits or add a dependent, you must submit:

• For children: a birth certificate, and for adopted or children or those placed under legal guardianship additionally court documents
• For spouses/partners: marriage license and/or the State of CA Domestic Partnership certificate.

You have 30 days from your date of hire to enroll in benefits programs. After that, the only times you are allowed to change, start or stop coverage is either upon a Qualifying Event (a marriage, birth, adoption or other change to who your dependents are) or during Open Enrollment.

Open Enrollment is a one-month period (usually in May) where employees have the chance to change their benefits to be effective on July 1, the start of the next fiscal year.

If you should experience a qualifying event at any time during the year, you have 30 days from the date of the event to sign up and/or make changes to your benefits. Otherwise, you will need to wait until our next open enrollment. A few examples of qualifying events are as follows: marriage, divorce, newborn, adoption/guardianship, FTE/position change, return from unpaid Leave of Absence, loss of outside insurance coverage.

OUSD does offer a Cash In Lieu (CIL) payment for this circumstance for certain employees. This program is only for people who are receiving health insurance coverage as a dependent through A DIFFERENT COMPANY THAN OUSD. CIL is a cash $250 stipend paid to those eligible employees who choose to terminate or not enroll in their District health benefits. The stipend equates to $3000 per year and is prorated for 10 month employees. To participate in this program, you must be an eligible full-time, non-OEA position and provide proof of health insurance coverage through an outside employer. You must enroll within 30 days from your date of hire or during Open Enrollment. Your enrollment must meet all guidelines in order to participate.

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No! Employment in OUSD confers Benefits coverage on the employee and their dependents, but doesn't offer you double compensation of this perquisite. If you are already covered as a dependent of an OUSD Employee and then are hired yourself, you can either:

• ACCEPT benefits for yourself, and stop being a dependent on someone else's coverage, or
• DECLINE benefits and continue getting benefits as a dependent.

Please be aware that knowingly accepting double benefits coverage is illegal and can render you liable to repayment of overpayment of your premiums, and disciplinary action up to and including termination.

Your overall well-being is connected to your thoughts and feelings. OUSD wants to make sure you are mentally, physically, and emotionally healthy. If you or one of your family members are in need of counseling, please reach out to one of the resources listed below:

• Ability Assist Counseling (800) 964-3577
• Kaiser Mental Health & Wellness (866) 454-8855
• Sutter Health Plus (855) 202-0984