Open Enrollment | Employee Services Agency (2024)

Open Enrollment for the 2024 - 2025 plan year is here! It's time for coded employees to make decisions about benefits for the 2024 - 2025 plan year. If you do not want to make any changes to your existing benefits, you don't have to do anything unless you are enrolled in the Healthcare Bonus Waiver Program, which requires re-enrollment each year. If you want to make changes, check out the new plan year's information. Scroll down this page for complete information.

Healthcare Bonus Waiver program participants: you will need to re-enroll during Open Enrollment if you wish to continue in the program.

What Can You Do During Open Enrollment?
You only need to act if you want to:

  • Enroll in medical, dental, or vision coverage if you are not currently enrolled.
  • Change your current medical or dental plan (e.g., from Health Net POS to Valley Health Plan HMO).
  • Enroll or reenroll in the Healthcare Bonus Waiver program if you waive County-sponsored medical coverage for 2024 - 2025. To participate in this program, you must have medical coverage through another source (e.g., your spouse’s employer’s plan). Full-time employees who elect to participate receive $74.00 per pay period in taxable wages; part-time employees receive a prorated amount. Note: If you are currently participating and wish to continue for the coming year, you must reenroll.
  • Enroll or drop coverage for your eligible family members. The following supporting documentation is required to enroll eligible family members: birth certificate(s), marriage certificate, or certificate of domestic partner registry.

It's also a good time to activate other benefits that are available to you at ANY TIME, like registering to access our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) through Concern Health, establishing a Deferred Compensation Plan account with Fidelity, and so much more.

NEW THIS YEAR! The County now offers you another tax-advantaged saving plan: the Fidelity ROTH Government 457(b) Plan. See details at the bottom of the page.

Open Enrollment runs from May 1, 2024 to May 31, 2024. GET STARTED NOW. Don't wait until the end of Open Enrollment to submit your elections.

New Plan Year:Presentation + Benefits Guide + Premiums

Open Enrollment presentation

See the 2024 - 2025 Open Enrollment presentation, where you can view information regarding each of the County’s medical, dental, and vision plans — including contact information and how to enroll. Click here for the presentation.

Employee benefits guide

Your 2024–2025 Employee Benefits Guide describes all the County’s benefit plans, eligibility for benefits, how to enroll during Open Enrollment, and how to make changes during the year. Click here for the Guide.

Medical, dental and vision premiums

You’ll notice some changes to the premium rates for medical, dental and vision coverage. View the 2024 - 2025 rates here.

Education Events

Learn about the details of your benefits by attending in-person and virtual education events. Click here for dates, times and locations.

Get Started

Now that you've decided what benefits you'd like to change for the 2024 - 2025 plan year, you'll submit your request to the Employee Benefits Department.

FIRST: Click here to read the instructions on how to complete your enrollment:
2024 Open Enrollment Instructions

NEXT: Click here to submit your elections using this online form:
BENEFITS ELECTION FORM - CLICK HERE

Following Open Enrollment
The effective date for your Open Enrollment elections is June 24, 2024. Changes to your paycheck deductions will begin with the June 28, 2024, paycheck.

NOTE: If you change your medical or dental plan(s), it’s very important that you verify coverage before seeking services. It normally takes the plan providers about 3–4 weeks to send out an official enrollment packet and new membership ID card(s). Some providers, such as Delta Dental and VSP, do not send ID cards, but you can log in to their website to obtain information regarding your enrollment.

Finally, we encourage you to take note of when changes to your benefits are allowed during the year. Refer to the online 2024–2025 Employee Benefits Guide to see your special enrollment rights and other required Plan Notices. You can also contact your Department Employee Service Center to request a copy of the required Plan Notices.

Questions? Contact us:
Employee Benefits Department
[emailprotected]

New Employee Benefit for 2024: Roth Governmental 457(b) Retirement Savings Plan

The County of Santa Clara is pleased to offer employees A NEW WAY TO SAVE FOR RETIREMENT. The ROTH Governmental 457(b) Plan.

This employer-sponsored ROTH Plan, through our partner Fidelity, allows you to save money for retirement on an after-tax basis. That means that your contributions come out of your paycheck after your income has been taxed. Therefore, when you are eligible to withdraw these funds in retirement, the money is generally tax free (based on following IRS guidelines).

Click here for details on this new retirement savings opportunity.

Attend ROTH Governmental 457(b) Live Webinars
Hear from Fidelity staff who will give you more details during live webinars about the new employer-sponsored ROTH Plan. Click the links below to register for the webinar of your choice.

DATE TIME WEBINAR LINK
Thursday May 2, 2024 12 pm Click here or copy+paste link into web browser:
https://fmr.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XqSvDZV6Saih7bGiUOioPw

Tuesday May 7, 2024 5 pm Click here or copy+paste link into web browser:
https://fmr.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_efTinsdISXyC6dq337vOhw

Thursday May 9, 2024 12 pm Click here or copy+paste link into web browser:
https://fmr.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_OuXHjpeZSqejK3T47p-mzw

Monday May 13, 2024 5 pm Click here or copy+paste link into web browser:
https://fmr.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_GmCJh1iJQ8efADNIVE1U_A

Wednesday May 15, 2024 12 pm Click here or copy+paste link into web browser:
https://fmr.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_CGXDwRrmQli6m46PF1ixPw

Friday May 24, 2024 12 pm Click here or copy+paste link into web browser:
https://fmr.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Pm1kR_zqR3OI-VyyjunmkA

All webinars are scheduled to last one hour and will include a Q & A period.

The County's Other Employer-Sponsored Retirement Savings Plan
The County of Santa Clara continues to offer employees another type of 457(b) Plan - our Deferred Compensation Plan. Also through Fidelity, the Deferred Compensation Plan lets you contribute pre-tax income to your retirement savings. This can help lower your current annual income levels for tax and income reporting purposes. When you are eligible to withdraw finds, you will pay taxes on your income at that time.

Click here for details on the County's Deferred Compensation Plan.

What the County's employer-sponsored retirement plans through Fidelity offer you:

  • These plans let you save more money for retirement
  • You enjoy lower fees for services such as professional account management (lower than opening your own independent account)
  • Consultations with Fidelity financial planning professionals at no cost to you, even in-person, onsite at work!
  • Access to helpful resources, like financial literacy, wellness content and live webinars.

Get Started Today!
Open Enrollment is a great time to get started with your new ROTH Governmental 457(b) Plan or your new Deferred Compensation 457(b) Plan. However, you can create your Fidelity account at ANY TIME during the year. Need assistance? Contact the County's dedicated Fidelity representatives:

Elizabeth Trevino Sanjana Ameen
[emailprotected] [emailprotected]
408-425-6299 408-716-3944

Or reach your Employee Benefits Department Service Center.

What is a 457(b) Plan?
457(b) plans are tax-advantaged, employer-sponsored retirement plans offered to some government employees.

Note: These retirement savings plans are both employee-funded. The County of Santa Clara does not make contributions to these retirement savings plans. Investing involves risk. Have questions about your County pension plan through CalPERS? Click here.

Note: County of Santa Clara staff do not provide financial advice or tax advice. Please speak with your dedicated financial consultant and/or tax consultant to review your specific needs.

Note: Investing involves risk.

Benefits provider contacts

Click here for a list of all County of Santa Clara benefits providers and associated contact information.

Open Enrollment | Employee Services Agency (2024)

FAQs

What is the maximum income to qualify for get covered in NJ? ›

In 2024, an individual with an income of up to $87,480 and a family of four who makes up to $180,000 can receive state subsidies to lower the costs of health coverage.

What is the best health insurance in NJ? ›

Aetna CVS Health is the best health insurance provider in New Jersey based on coverage, acceptance, cost and plan type. MoneyGeek also found the best insurers for different needs.

Is Get Covered NJ legit? ›

Get Covered New Jersey is the state's official health insurance marketplace where individuals and families can easily shop for and buy coverage.

What is open enrollment in US healthcare? ›

An open enrollment period is a window of time that happens once a year — typically in the fall — when you can sign up for health insurance, adjust your current plan or cancel your plan. It's usually limited to a few weeks. If you miss it, you may have to wait until the next open enrollment period to make any changes.

What salary is considered low income in NJ? ›

It's getting more expensive to be considered low-income in New Jersey. A New Jersey family of four in 2018 has to earn $71,900 a year or less to be considered low-income, according to the Department of Housing and Urban Development — an almost six percent increase from last year.

What is the highest income to qualify for ACA? ›

The income range is $30,000 to $120,000 in 2024 for a family of four. (Income limits may be higher in Alaska and Hawaii because the federal poverty level is higher in those states.) The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 also extended subsidy eligibility to some people earning more than 400% of the federal poverty level.

Can I buy my own health insurance in NJ? ›

Individual Health Coverage Program. The Individual Health Coverage (IHC) Program was created to ensure that people without access to employer or government sponsored health care programs could purchase health coverage for themselves and their families from a variety of private carriers.

What is the cheapest health insurance in New Jersey? ›

The best cheap health insurance in New Jersey is the Silver 1 plan from Aetna. This plan offers a good balance between low rates and robust coverage. If you want a Bronze plan, which has less coverage than a Silver plan, AmeriHealth has the cheapest option.

Can I get free health insurance in NJ? ›

Qualifying New Jersey residents of any age may be able to get free or low-cost health insurance through New Jersey's publicly funded health insurance program, NJ FamilyCare. It includes people who qualify for Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or Medicaid.

Is Get Covered NJ the same as marketplace? ›

Get Covered NJ is your state's Marketplace. Visit New Jersey's website.

Is there a penalty for not having health insurance in NJ? ›

New Jersey's mandate, which mirrors the federal requirement, includes an annual penalty of 2.5 percent of a household's income or a per-person charge — whichever is higher.

How much money can you have in the bank to qualify for Medicaid in NJ? ›

The Medically Needy Asset Limit is $4,000 for an individual and $6,000 for a couple. 2) Qualified Income Trusts (QIT) – Also called Miller Trusts, QITs offer a way for persons over the Medicaid income limit to still become income-eligible for Nursing Home Medicaid or Home and Community Based Services.

How important is open enrollment? ›

It is an opportunity to ensure that you have the healthcare coverage you need, are prepared for the unexpected, and can take advantage of all of the benefits your employer may offer.

Why does open enrollment exist? ›

Health insurance has an open enrollment period to avoid people buying health coverage only when they're sick. If people only got health insurance when they needed care and then dropped it when their health improved, there wouldn't be enough healthy people paying premiums to offset the costs for sicker members.

What is a true open enrollment? ›

Open enrollment is the annual period when individuals can renew, change or cancel their health insurance. Missing an open enrollment period can put you at risk for losing health coverage for a full year until the next annual open enrollment period.

What is the maximum income to qualify for free health care in NJ? ›

NJ FamilyCare 2024 Income Eligibility Levels
Household SizeAnnualMonthly
1$20,783$ 1,732
2$28,208$ 2,351
3$35,632$ 2,970
4$43,056$ 3,588
5 more rows
Apr 2, 2024

What are the income limits for NJ care in 2024? ›

For an adult to qualify for NJ FamilyCare, the total family income must be at or below 138% of the Federal Poverty Level. For a single person, that is $1,732 a month; for a family of 4, that is $3,588 a month (2024 guidelines).

Who is eligible for get covered NJ health insurance? ›

Consumers with an annual income up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level ($29,160 for an individual or $60,000 for a family of four in 2024) can now qualify for a Special Enrollment Period and can access nearly free health plans throughout the year.

What is the income limit for NJ FamilyCare 2024? ›

US Citizen or Qualified Immigrant. New Jersey Resident. Income between $1,733 - $2,573 monthly for a single adult, $2,352 - $3,492 for a couple (2024)

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