General Information:
Bartow County School System strives to offer a comprehensive benefit package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and their families.
After enrolling as a new employee, you have the opportunity to review your benefit choices each year during the Annual Open Enrollment period. During this time, you can make changes to your benefits for the following plan year. Please note: outside of the Open Enrollment period, changes to your benefits during the year may only be allowed if you experience an eligible qualifying event. See the Qualifying Event Information below for more details.
State Health Benefit Plan
SHBP serves as the state's administrator of health insurance coverage for State employees, Teachers, Public School employees, Retirees, and Former Employees, and Covered Dependents. Plans are available across three healthcare vendors (Anthem BlueCross BlueShield, Kaiser Permanente, and UnitedHealthCare.
Summary of Benefits & Coverage for the 2024 SHBP Plan Year.
All Ancillary Benefits are administrated
Dental - Delta Dental
Our Dental carrier for the 2024 plan year is Delta Dental.
For further information, please contact your Benefits Specialist or visit: www.deltadentalins.com/members or call 1-800-521-2651
Vision - EyeMed
Our Vision carrier for the 2024 plan year is EyeMed.
For further information, please contact your Benefits Specialist or visit: www.eyemedvisioncare.com or call 1-866-723-0596
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
Participating in the Flexible Spending Account (FSA) through Bartow County School System allows employees to save money for qualified medical expenses as well as legal dependent care on a pre-tax basis.
We recommend prior to making an election, you consider and derive a conservative estimate of how much you spend on healthcare and/or dependent care expenses for you and your qualified dependents in one year. For example, you may want to consider your estimated cost for prescription drugs, medical and dental office visit co-pays and/or deductibles, as well as vision related needs including exams and prescription glasses/lenses.
Most FSA’s require you use the funds you contribute within the plan year or you lose them. Please review the plan documents for more details on the maximum contributions you can make toward the healthcare and/or dependent care Flexible Spending Account.
FSA for the 2024 plan year is administered through Medcom at: www.medcombenefits.com
Please visit the Bartow County Resource Center for more information on FSA and other BCSS employee benefits.
Qualifying Event Information:
You may change your benefit elections during the annual Open Enrollment period OR during the year if you experience a Qualifying Life Event. Please note: You must contact your benefits administrator within 30 days of the event date to make any changes. Failure to make elections within the given time-period will result in the inability to make changes until the following open enrollment.
Qualifying Events include, but not limited to:
Marriage: Within 31 days of the date of marriage, you may add your spouse to your existing medical, dental, or vision coverage, or drop your coverage to go on your spouse's plan. You will need to complete the appropriate forms and provide a copy of your certified marriage certificate. You should also review your beneficiary designations for life insurance, retirement savings, and pension plans.
Divorce: You have 31 days from the date of the divorce to make a change to your current coverage. If you currently cover your spouse, you must drop his or her coverage for medical, dental, vision, etc. However, you may continue to cover children. You will be required to complete the appropriate forms and provide a signed copy of the divorce decree. You should also review beneficiary designations for life insurance, retirement, etc.
Birth, Adoption, or having a child placed in your custody or guardianship: Within 30 days of the birth, adoption, or court order, you may add the child(ren) to your existing medical and ancillary products OR drop coverage to pick up spouses insurance. At this point, you can also elect child life insurance through the Bswift portal. Required documentation will be required including, but not limited to: birth certificate, adoption order or decree, court order.
Death of a spouse or covered dependent: Within 30 days of the death, you are eligible to make changes to your current coverages. If you lose coverage elsewhere from the deceased spouse, you may elect new benefits for health insurance and ancillary products. A death certificate will be required to make any changes/elections. Please review all beneficiary information.
Loss/Gain of coverage elsewhere: Within 30 days of losing or gaining coverage elsewhere, you are eligible to elect or drop health insurance and ancillary products. Documentation will be required including, but not limited to; creditable coverage letter with coverage termination or effective date and individuals insured.
Dependent(s) Loses PeachCare or Medicaid: You have 60 days from the date of the dependent losing PeachCare or Medicaid coverage to make a change to your health benefit coverage. State Health will require documentation in the form of a letter from PeachCare or Medicaid documenting date of loss and reasons of loss /discontinuation of coverage.
How to Declare a Qualifying Event:
Log on to myshbp.com to declare QE and make changes to your health insurance.
Log on to bartowcountyschools.bswift.com OR call NFP (770-382-0951 or 1-800-994-7429) to make changes to your ancillary products.
Contact Benefit Specialist, Samantha Elrod, to inform her of your QE for payroll deduction purposes - 770-606-5800 ext. 2017
Georgia United Credit Union serves as a partner in education with The Bartow County School System. Georgia United Credit Union offers fantastic programs to BCSS employees providing education on financial wellness as well as the opportunity to earn incentives and rewards through their Workplace Banking partner benefit.
For more information on programs and incentives offered through Georgia United Credit Union, please visit their website - Georgia United Credit Union , or a local GUCU location.
The Bartow County School System is grateful to our benefits sponsors!
