2021 - 2022 EMPLOYEE
BENEFITS SHOWCASE
Welcome
Welcome!
Welcome to Alameda County's Benefits Showcase! We created this site to help our valued employees understand and appreciate the extensive benefits package we offer. Our HR team works hard to select these benefits, and we're proud to present them to you.
This site will be available to you on demand all year, so feel free to bookmark it. Visit it whenever you or your family members need additional information.
How to Navigate
Use the navigation bar at the top of the page to learn more about each category of benefits. You can watch videos and view documents and links provided by each of the carriers.
Watch this video for a high-level overview
of your available benefits ⇨
Download the employee handbook:
For questions, contact the Employee Benefits Center.
2021 - 2022 EMPLOYEE
BENEFITS SHOWCASE
The County of Alameda’s 2021 Virtual Vitality Benefits Expo Runs from October 18 through October 24
To help you access all the healthcare information you need virtually and maintain your physical and mental vitality, the County’s Virtual Vitality Benefits Expo will be available online 24/7 for a full week! Between October 18th and October 24th, you may safely access all the 2022 Open Enrollment benefits information you need to make informed decisions. Visit your new Employee Benefits Showcase to view a wide variety of short videos and learn about the many benefits offered by the County!
Visit Virtual Vitality and enter below for a chance to win! Just like previous in-person Benefit Expos, there will be a drawing for prizes, gift cards, and wellness giveaways.
Watch this important message from your HR Benefits Division Manager, Ava Lavender.
Welcome County of Alameda Employees and Pre-Medicare Retirees
This website is a simple way to learn about the benefits and services offered through Alameda (UHCWest) and United Healthcare. We hope the information will help you as you think about your health care needs and make your benefits decisions.
Optum Financial (formerly ConnectYourCare) provides more flexibility with your healthcare options. From a Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSAs) to a Dependent Care FSA, they help stretch your healthcare and/or daycare dollars by allowing you to set aside funds on a pre-tax basis to pay eligible expenses.
Healthcare Flexible Spending Accounts is an account that allows you to use pre-tax dollars to pay for qualified healthcare expenses.
Dependent Care FSA allows you to set aside pre-tax money for eligible dependent day care expenses for children under age 13 or of an incapacitated adult who lives with you at least 8 hours a day.
Download the employee handbook:
For questions, Contact Employee Benefits Center.
2021 - 2022 EMPLOYEE
BENEFITS SHOWCASE
Medical, Dental & Vision
Medical
There are four plan options from United Healthcare including $15 or $40 HMO Copay Plans.
Medical
There are two Kaiser Permanente plans including a $15 or $40 HMO Copay Plan.
Dental
The County provides eligible employees a choice of three dental plans.
DeltaCare USA Plan
When you enroll in the DeltaCare USA plan, you select a DeltaCare network dentist to provide and coordinate your dental care. With DeltaCare, you must visit your selected primary care dentist in order to receive benefits. If you need specialty care, your primary care dentist can obtain a referral on your behalf. Services provided by primary care dentists are covered at low or no copayments and are not subject to a deductible.
Delta Dental PPO
Besides the Premier network, members have access to a second network, the Delta Dental PPO network. This special network of dentists have agreed to discounted fees, so your out-of-pocket costs will be reduced and your plan year maximum will go further when you visit a PPO dentist. Additionally, basic services such as fillings will be covered at 85% when visiting a Delta Dental PPO dentist. If you choose not to visit a Delta Dental PPO dentist, your benefits will remain the same as currently offered. As always you have the option of visiting any dentist you choose, now you have more options for saving money.
Delta Dental PPO Supplemental Plan
The spousal dental plan is a valuable program designed to supplement the benefits provided under the County-sponsored Delta Dental PPO Dental Plan by up to 25%.
Vision
The County offers eligible employees vision plans through Vision Service Plan, VSP Vision Care. Employees can elect to enroll in a low-option plan or a high-option plan: Vision Choice Plus and Vision Choice Premium
Download the employee handbook:
For questions, contact the Employee Benefits Center.
2021 - 2022 EMPLOYEE
BENEFITS SHOWCASE
Life & Disability
Basic Life Insurance
The County provides eligible employees with up to $75,000 of Basic Life Insurance. Refer to your Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the coverage available to you.
Coverage is automatic—you are not required to enroll. However, you must designate a beneficiary for the Basic Life Insurance benefit. (A beneficiary is a person who receives the basic life insurance benefit in the event of your death.) You may add or change a beneficiary by completing the Beneficiary Designation Change Form and returning it to the Employee Benefits Center (EBC). You may make changes to your beneficiary designation at any time.
Supplemental Life Insurance
Some employees may elect to purchase Supplemental Life Insurance coverage. If eligible, you may purchase coverage for yourself. And for managers, if you purchase this coverage, you may elect to purchase life coverage for your spouse/domestic partner and eligible dependent children. Employees pay the full cost for this coverage.
Benefit Portability/Conversion
Employees who apply within 30 days of termination (retirees have 60 days) may convert their employee "group term" life insurance to individual life coverage. If you do so, you are responsible for payment of insurance premiums; the rates may be significantly higher than rates offered through the County’s Basic Life Insurance program.
Voluntary Disability Insurance
The County and the State of California offer a range of disability benefits, designed to protect your income in the event you cannot work for an extended period due to illness or injury.
Ancillary Benefits
Download the employee handbook:
For questions, contact the Employee Benefits Center.
2021 - 2022 EMPLOYEE
BENEFITS SHOWCASE
Voluntary Benefits
Accident Insurance
MetLife Accident Insurance - pays you cash benefits if you or you're covered dependent are injured in an off-the-job accident.
Critical Illness Insurance
MetLife Critical Illness Insurance - pays a cash benefit if you or a covered dependent is diagnosed with a critical illness.
Hospital Indemnity Coverage
MetLife Hospital Indemnity Insurance - pays a cash benefit if you or a covered dependent is hospitalized.
Legal Benefit
Legal help is valuable at every stage of life. MetLife has created a plan to provide legal help for your entire family. The MetLife plan covers you, your spouse, and dependents for a wide range of legal matters with no deductibles, no co-pays, no claim forms, or usage limits when using a Network Attorney for a covered matter.
MetLife Plus Parents
The MetLife Plus Parents option covers your parents and parents-in-law for estate planning, identity theft issues, document review, and more. Once enrolled in this benefit you must keep the benefit for the plan year in which it is effective (i.e. Jan 1st - Dec 31st). You can only terminate this coverage during Open Enrollment.
Pet Insurance
If your pet gets sick the plan pays! This voluntary option offers plans for cats, dogs, and other pets for veterinary services.
Home and Auto Insurance
Alongside Liberty Mutual, we will now offer Farmer’s Home & Auto brought to you in partnership with MetLife to give employees a wider range of coverage and price options.
Home and Auto Insurance
Receive exclusive group savings on your Auto/Home insurance. Enrollment is always open. Get a quote when you are ready, or when your current auto or home policy is about to expire.
Download the employee handbook:
For questions contact the Employee Benefits Center
2021 - 2022 EMPLOYEE
BENEFITS SHOWCASE
FSA
Flexible Spending Accounts
Eligible employees can choose to participate in Alameda County’s Flexible Spending Account (FSA) programs. These are separate flexible spending accounts that can help you save money on taxes by allowing you to pay for certain expenses with before-tax dollars. Click the buttons below for more details about each account:
- Health Flexible Spending Account (Health FSA)
- Adoption Assistance Flexible Spending Account
- Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP)
Download the employee handbook:
For questions, contact the Employee Benefits Center.
2021 - 2022 EMPLOYEE
BENEFITS SHOWCASE
Rates & County Allowance
County Allowance
The County provides you with dollars (County Allowance, or commonly known as Employer Credits) to purchase pre-tax benefits such as Medical, Vision, Supplemental Employee Life, and AD&D. The employer credit is applied to the pre-tax premiums. In addition, select groups may use the employer credit for Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance.
To determine if you are eligible and the amount you are eligible for, please refer to the Appendices in the Employee Benefits Handbook, your MOU, or Salary Ordinance.
Effective January 1, 2014, IRS Notice 2013-54 imposed certain limitations on the amount of remaining employer credits that can go into the Health FSA. This impacts the amount of County Allowance that is remaining after the pre-tax benefit premiums have been deducted.
If you have a minimum of $30 up to $500.00 remaining from your employer credit, this amount will default into the Health Flexible Spending Account. Effective January 1, 2021, any remaining employer credit less than $30 will be cashed out to you after-tax on a semi-monthly basis.
If you have more than $500.00 of your employer credit remaining after you make your pre-tax benefit elections, this IRS change does impact you. If the employee's salary contribution into the Health FSA is greater than $500.00 up to $2,750.00, then the County Allowance credit would match the employee's salary contribution not to exceed the total Health FSA combined (salary contribution + employer credit) amount of $2,750.00.
After all elected benefits have been made for the applicable flexible spending accounts, if there is any unallocated County allowance money remaining it will be cashed out to you after-tax on a semi-monthly basis.
Download the employee handbook:
For questions, contact the Employee Benefits Center.
2021 - 2022 EMPLOYEE
BENEFITS SHOWCASE
Retirement
Retirement
The ACERA retirement plan provides lifetime benefits to members of the retirement system who meet the minimum age and length-of-service requirements for retirement. The plan is a significant and fundamental part of the comprehensive benefits package for eligible employees. ACERA also administers retiree health care and supplemental cost-of-living benefits.
457 Deferred Compensation
The Deferred Compensation program allows you to save and invest a portion of your salary on a before-tax and/or after-tax basis, for the purpose of supplementing your retirement income.
Download the employee handbook:
For questions, contact the Employee Benefits Center.
