Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution helps provide you with financial security through a comprehensive benefits program. Your benefits offer protection when you have medical or dental expenses, if you're sick or injured and can't work, when you retire or if you die. The section entitled "Other WHOI Benefits," gives you an overview of the additional benefits available to you as a WHOI employee.

 This package provides a summary of the benefits program.  All benefits are subject to the terms of the respective plan and legal requirements at the time you qualify for a particular benefit.  Be sure to read the following material carefully to understand your medical, dental, life insurance and other choices in order to make your enrollment selections. If you have any questions, please contact your Benefits Specialist.

ENROLLING FOR COVERAGE

All Regular employees are eligible for all Institution benefits. Paid time-off is prorated for Regular three-quarter time employees and half-time employees. If you retire, you may be eligible for certain benefits.

 During open enrollment each year, you have a chance to review your benefits and make changes in your coverage. Be sure to submit any enrollment changes by the specified deadline, to ensure that you get the coverage you want for the next year.

Your election will remain in effect from January 1 through December 31. Once you have enrolled, you may not change coverage unless you have a change in family status, as defined by the IRS. Changes that qualify typically include:

• Marriage, divorce, birth, adoption, or death of a spouse or child
• Change in eligibility status for a covered dependent
• Your spouse starts or stops working
• Change from full-time to part-time (or vice versa) work status for you or your spouse
• You or your spouse take an unpaid leave of absence
• Decrease in your spouse's coverage due to an employment change
• You move in or out of the HMO's service area

HEALTH CARE BENEFITS

 At WHOI, you have the option of choosing between two medical plans - an HMO, a health maintenance organization, and a PPO, a preferred provider organization.  A third option, Access Blue, is available in most of Massachusetts.

HMO

The health maintenance organization (HMO) provides all medical services through an extensive network of providers and hospitals in all six New England states. When you need medical treatment, you see your physician in the privacy of his or her office.

When you join the HMO, you select a primary care physician (PCP) to coordinate all your care and refer you to specialists or affiliated hospitals as necessary. You may choose a different PCP for yourself and each of your covered dependents. For example, you may choose a different internist for yourself and your spouse and a pediatrician for your child(ren).

The HMO offers special discounts on eyewear and exams, alternative medicine, wellness and safety programs.  To find out what the program covers and what your co-payment will be for different services, please refer to your plan booklet. The HMO requires no deductibles, coinsurance or claim forms.

PPO

The preferred provider organization (PPO) provides both in-network and out-of-network benefits.

When you use participating providers, you get the in-network level of coverage, which means your out-of-pocket costs are minimal. In this way, the PPO is similar to the HMO.  The provider network is throughout all of the United States and includes almost 130 hospitals in 40 foreign countries.

The PPO also provides you with benefits if you choose to receive care from a non-participating provider. When you use non-participating providers, you will receive the out-of-network level of coverage. This coverage is similar to a traditional indemnity plan.

 If you receive services out-of-network, the plan has an annual out-of-pocket expense maximum to protect you from large expenses. Once you have reached your annual out-of-pocket maximum, the plan generally pays 100% of covered expenses for the remainder of the calendar year.

 For more information on what the plan covers, please refer to your PPO booklet.  The PPO offers its members the same special discounts on eyewear and exams, alternative medicine, and wellness and safety programs as the HMO.

ACCESS BLUE PLAN

Access Blue is a hybrid of the HMO and PPO plans.  It is very much like the HMO except that one does not need a referral to any specialist in the network. The service area is limited to Massachusetts.

HEALTH CARE FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT(FSA)
When you enroll in this account you contribute money from your paycheck before taxes are withheld. You then use this money to reimburse yourself with tax-free dollars for certain health care expenses that are not payable under any benefit plan (like medical and dental plan deductibles, coinsurance or co-payments, orthodontia services, lasik surgery, etc.).

Benefit Strategies, LLC is delighted to announce its new and improved web access for participants. Now, not only can view your account, but you can also file a claim online.

You can access your Flexible Spending Account online at the new website https://benstrat.navigatorsuite.com/.

Login using the following:

Username: Your username will be your first name initial followed by your full last name and the last four digits of your social security number (e.g. jdoel1234).

Password: changeme
If this is your first time logging into the system, use changeme as your password. You will then be instructed by the system to create a new and unique password.

For more information about the website please refer to the following .pdf Benefit Strategies, LLC web enhancements.

IF YOU ARE TRAVELING

If you join any group medical plan and need medical services while traveling outside its enrollment area, you are still covered. Hospital emergency treatment due to a life-threatening situation or the sudden onset of an illness is covered.  You  should notify Blue Cross within 48 hours of your treatment.

MARINE CREW

We apologize for any inconvenience; this information is currently
being updated. Please check back with us in the near future for
the latest information.

 Delta Dental Plan is the largest dental benefits administrator in Massachusetts. Currently more than 5,000 dentists participate. For a current directory of participating dentists, or for FAQs or tips on keeping healthy teeth, visit http://www.deltamass.com

 There are many advantages to using a Delta Dental participating dentist:

 
• Your participating dentist will process all claims for you.
• Your participating dentist has agreed to a maximum benefit allowance for every procedure. For example, if your dentist would normally have billed $65 for a cleaning, and Deltal Dental pays only $50, your dentist would accept the $50 as payment in full, and would not balance bill you for any additional amount.

 If your dentist is in Massachusetts and is a non-participating dentist, he or she can balance bill you the difference between Delta Dental's payment and his or her charge for the service provided, since he or she has not agreed to any reduced fees.

 If your dentist is outside of Massachusetts, you will be subject to balance billing. Delta Dental will base its reimbursement to dentists on the usual and customary charges for their services.

 Your dental benefits include four types of services -- diagnostic and preventive, basic restorative, major restorative and child orthodontia. To encourage routine, preventive care, the Delta Dental Plan covers preventive services at 100%. For more information on the coverage level for each type of service, please refer to your Delta Dental Subscriber summary of benefits.

 Your life insurance benefits include a basic plan for you and options to purchase additional coverage for yourself and your family, insured by Prudential. WHOI also offers other survivor benefits, including a Death Benefit, Voluntary Accidental Death and Dismemberment, and Business Travel Accident insurance.

BASIC LIFE INSURANCE

WHOI automatically provides you with basic life insurance at no cost to you in an amount equal to one times your annual base salary, rounded to the next one thousand dollars. An eligible employee may elect the lesser of $50,000 or 1 times annual salary.

 If you continue to work beyond age 65, your benefits will be reduced according to the chart below. This benefit reduction is a percentage of your Basic Life Insurance in effect before age 65.

For additional protection, you may purchase supplemental life insurance up to four times your annual base salary, to a maximum of $400,000. If you are purchasing supplemental life insurance at four times your salary you will need to provide proof of good health. Also, application for additional insurance after your initial eligibility requires proof of good health.

DEPENDENT LIFE INSURANCE

You may purchase life insurance coverage for your spouse (or domestic partner -- affidavit required) and dependent children. Spousal insurance is available in increments of $5,000, up to a maximum of $100,000 or 50% of your total basic and supplemental life insurance coverage, whichever is less. For amounts over $30,000, you must provide proof of good health for your spouse.

 If your children are at least 15 days of age but younger than 19 years of age (25 if a full-time student), you may cover each child for $2,000 or $5,000.

DEATH BENEFIT

If you should die while employed by WHOI, the Institution will automatically pay $2,500 to your spouse or closest next of kin. This benefit helps pay for unexpected expenses that often occur at this time. This benefit continues after your retire from active service and are age 65 with at least 10 years of service, or under age 65 with at least 20 years of service. (Employees who retired prior to July 1, 1982, are not covered by this benefit.)

VOLUNTARY ACCIDENT DEATH AND DISMEMBERMENT INSURANCE

You have the option of purchasing voluntary accidental death and dismemberment insurance for accidents that occur on or off the job, including while traveling to and from work. You may purchase coverage for yourself alone or yourself and your eligible dependents. Coverage is available in $10,000 increments, starting at a minimum of $10,000 up to a maximum of $500,000. (Coverage in excess of $200,000 is limited to ten times your salary.)

BUSINESS TRAVEL ACCIDENT

WHOI provides insurance protection if you die due to accidental bodily injury while traveling on Institution business. This coverage also covers employees up to age 70 for an injury resulting in permanent total disability while traveling on Institution business. Your coverage is three times your annual base salary, with a minimum of $50,000 and a maximum of $500,000.

DISABILITY BENEFITS

WHOI provides disability coverage if you are out of work due to a non-occupational illness or injury -- that is, an illness or injury that occurs outside of work. Any illness or injury that is work-related is covered under Worker's Compensation (except for the marine crew). The disability program has three components, as described below. CIGNA administers the short- and long-term disability programs.

 If you are out on short- or long-term disability, CIGNA will take an active role in helping you to return to work as soon as possible. For example, CIGNA might work with you and WHOI to develop rehabilitative employment opportunities or, if you are permanently and totally disabled, CIGNA will assist you in applying for and securing Social Security disability benefits.

OCCASIONAL ILLNESS

If you are out of work occasionally due to an illness or injury, WHOI will continue your salary at 100%. If you are out of work due to a prolonged illness or injury, you may be eligible for short-term disability benefits. If your illness or injury continues beyond six months, you may be eligible for long-term disability benefits. Once you have been out of work for five days, you must contact your Benefits Specialist to begin the short-term disability claim process.

SHORT-TERM DISABILITY

If you are out of work for more than seven calendar days as a result of an illness or injury and qualify for short-term disability benefits, a percentage of your income will be continued based on your years of service, as outlined in the chart. You may, however, supplement your reduced short-term disability benefits with accrued vacation time.

 *If you remain at work at age 70 or older, you will continue to be eligible for long-term disability benefits.

DEPENDENT CARE FLEXIBLE SPENDING ACCOUNT (FSA)

 The dependent care flexible spending account (FSA) allows you to pay for eligible dependent care expenses with pretax dollars. Pretax means that your FSA contributions are not subject to Social Security, federal or state income taxes, so your taxable income is reduced by the amount you contribute to the plan.

 An FSA can be used to pay for dependent care expenses that you incur in order to work. If you are married, your spouse must also work, unless he or she is disabled or a full-time student. Eligible dependent care expenses include the following:

 
• A licensed child care center
• A nursery school
• In-home care for dependents unable to care for themselves (children and adults)
• Daytime summer camp
• An adult day care center
• An adult private sitter, nanny or home-care companion

IRS RESTRICTIONS
Because FSAs provide tax advantages, the IRS imposes certain restrictions on their use. These include the following:

• You must report to the IRS and WHOI the tax identification number of your dependent care provider.

 
• If you still have money in your Flexible Spending Account(s), which ends on December 31, 2007, you have an extended 2 1/2 month window in which to incur expenses and claim your money. Any funds not incurred by March 15, 2008, and claimed by March 31, 2008, will be forfeited and cannot be refunded or carried forward to the next year.

 
• Like your other pretax contribution elections, you may not change your FSA contribution amount unless you have had a change in status as defined by the IRS.

CONTRIBUTION AMOUNTS

You may contribute up to $5,000 per calendar year if you are a single head of household or if you are married and filing a joint tax return. If you are married and filing separately, you may contribute up to $2,500 per calendar year. Your contributions may not exceed your annual earned income or that of your spouse, whichever is less.

RETIREMENT BENEFITS

 When you retire, WHOI continues some of your benefits. This section summarizes the benefits that are available to you as a retiree.

DEFINED BENEFIT PLAN

The Institution offers and pays for a non-contributory defined benefit plan. You are automatically enrolled in the defined benefit plan on the first day of the month following the completion of one year of eligible service. If you were hired before January 1, 2006, you are vested in your plan benefit when you have completed three years of vesting service. If you were hired onor after January 1, 2006, you are vested in your plan benefit when you have completed five years of vesting service. You earn a year of vesting service for each calendar year that you are paid for at least 1,000 hours (125 days for marine crew employees). You also vest in your Retirement Plan benefit if you become totally disabled while you are employed at WHOI, regardless of your years of service.

In general, the plan provides retirement income based on your final average compensation based on your full and partial years of credited service*, and our highest five years of earnings over the last 10 years. Several payment options are available upon retirement, including lump sum payments and survivor annuities.

*one full year of credited service is working at least 2,080 hours in a service year.

TAX DEFERRED ANNUITY

Few pension plans provide enough income to allow you to maintain your lifestyle after retirement. Be sure to think about your future financial needs and the personal savings needed to meet your goals. The Tax Deferred Annuity is a savings vehicle to help you supplement your retirement income, while giving you tax advantages now on the money you set aside.

 The Plan allows you to contribute a portion of your earnings each year on a pretax basis. There is a "catch up" provision that applies to any eligible employee age 50 or over before the end of the calendar year. You may invest your contributions in TIAA/CREF, Fidelity and Vanguard. Your contributions are taxable as ordinary income when you make a withdrawal from your account as cash or begin to receive it as a retirement annuity.

 All contributions are made through salary reductions according to IRS regulations. You may change your contribution amount at any time during the calendar year. You may also change your investment funds and allocations. Contributions may be stopped without penalty at any time. Lump sum contributions other than certain rollover amounts are not permitted.

RETIREE MEDICAL

When retiring from active service, you and your spouse may continue in the Institution's group medical plans throughout your retirement. Upon attainment of age 65, group coverage is provided by either a Medicare supplement policy or Medicare + Choice plan. At that time, you and/or your spouse may choose the conventional BCBS Medex III or the HMO type Secure Horizons. Medex III pays for deductibles, coinsurance and certain other expenses not covered by Medicare. Your share of the cost for retiree medical coverage is service-related.

Eligibility is based upon service, age and status at termination of employment.

RETIREE GROUP LIFE AND DENTAL BENEFITS

You may continue group life and dental coverage up to age 65 at the full cost. Coverage for group life is limited to one-half or one times your base salary prior to retirement.

 For more information about retiree benefits, visit our Retirement site.

OTHER WHOI BENEFITS

In addition to the benefits already described, WHOI offers a variety of additional benefits, which are outlined below. For more information on these programs, contact your Benefits Specialist.

HOLIDAYS

The Institution observes nine annual holidays, which are listed below.

• New Years Day
• Martin Luther King Day
• Presidents Day
• Memorial Day
• Fourth of July
• Labor Day
• Veterans Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day
  
  

VACATION
You accrue vacation time each pay period up to an annual total as follows:

Requests for vacation time must be approved in advance by your supervisor, who will consider staffing and workload needs. Two years of vacation time (based on total vacation accrued during the prior 52 pay periods) may be accumulated. All vacation time in excess of the two-year limit will be forfeited if not used by the first pay period ending in April each year.

FAMILY AND MEDICAL LEAVE

For family and medical leaves, you may take up to 16 weeks for the birth or adoption of a child or up to 12 weeks for your illness or an illness of your spouse, parent or child during a 12-month period. Leave time for family illness offsets maternity and adoption leave time and vice versa.

 If you are having a baby and request maternity leave, you may receive salary continuation under the short-term disability plan. (For normal deliveries, disability is generally assumed to continue for six weeks after childbirth). Written notice indicating you intend to return to work must be submitted to your Benefits Specialist.

 When you adopt a child, if you are the primary caregiver, you are eligible for the same benefits as described under a normal delivery maternity leave (i.e., six weeks with benefit level based on service, as shown in the chart).

 If you are not the primary caregiver, you may receive up to five days of salary continuation. You must take these days within the first six months of the birth or adoption.

 In addition to the above paid leave benefits, you may receive five days of salary continuation for birth, adoption or illness of a family member.

The charts summarize the duration and amount of paid time for a family and medical leave.
 

UNPAID LEAVE OF ABSENCE

If you are a regular employee, you may request an unpaid leave of absence for a variety of personal reasons, such as advanced education or temporary assignment elsewhere. Contact the Human Resources Office for more information on unpaid leaves.

 Your accrued vacation time may be paid at the start of your leave or held until you return.

BEREAVEMENT LEAVE

A bereavement leave may be granted to regular employees to cover absences associated with a death in the immediate family. You may request leave for three to five days depending on the relationship with the deceased.

JURY DUTY

If you are called for jury duty, the Institution will pay you the difference between your regular salary and the court payment. This benefit is offered to Regular employees.

 You are expected to notify your supervisor when you receive notice to appear in court for jury duty.

MILITARY LEAVE

If you are out of work due to a military assignment, WHOI will pay you the difference between your regular salary and military pay plus allowances. This benefit is offered to Regular employees. The maximum paid leave is up to 15 days.

EMPLOYEE AND STUDENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ESAP)

The ESAP can provide you and your family members with help in obtaining confidential, professional assistance for a variety of personal problems (e.g., family and marital discord, financial and legal issues, or alcohol and drug abuse). This service is provided by ROI Associates, as part of the Gosnold Outpatient Counseling Center, phone numbers 508-548-7119 or 1-800-649-8115. The ESAP counselor will conduct an assessment to determine the proper course of treatment. If appropriate, treatment at the Counseling Center is available for up to eight visits at no charge to the individual. Depending upon the diagnosis and insurance coverage, the ESAP can continue treatment beyond the initial eight visits or refer the individual or family member to other qualified practitioners and community agencies. ESAP services are fully paid for by WHOI and all interactions with the Counseling Center are completely confidential.

 If ROI Associates refers you to a health care professional, your expenses may be covered by group medical insurance. You are responsible for expenses if you are referred to a non-health professional (e.g., legal or family counseling).

EMPLOYEE EDUCATION

The Institution encourages continuing education by reimbursing certain expenses for job-related courses and/or work-related degree programs. You must be a regular employee working at least half-time who has completed at least six months of employment. The maximum amount reimbursable in a calendar year is $4,000 prorated according to your employment status.

EDUCATION LOANS FOR CHILDREN

If you are a Regular full-time employee at the Institution, you are eligible for an interest-free loan for the higher education of your children or legal dependents. The loan can be up to 33-1/3% of your current regular salary, up to a maximum of $42,400 per family.  The maximum will be indexed based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics' HEPI.

DEPENDENT CARE SUBSIDY

If you are a regular employee and work at least 40 hours per pay period (excluding overtime), you are eligible for a subsidy for certain dependent care expenses. The subsidy is intended to help enable you to work.

 The subsidy is $1.00 per day care hour per dependent that the employee and spouse (if married) work, up to an annual maximum of $2,000 per dependent. Benefits are paid to you in the last paycheck of the month. The expenses must be for the care of dependent children under age 13 or a legal dependent of any age, such as a parent who lives with you and is unable to care for himself or herself. Contact your Benefits Specialist for more information.

PERSONAL COMPUTER LOANS

The Institution offers interest-free loans from $300 to $2,500 for the purchase of a personal computer. Repayment is through payroll deductions over 52 pay periods. An eligible employee can apply for a loan if s/he has no outstanding computer loan. For further details on applying for the loan, please see the Controller's Office webpage at http://controller.whoi.edu/employeeloanprocedures.htm or use the Personal Computer Application located on the forms section of the Human Resources site.

SUMMARY

 
The Institution is pleased to provide you with the benefits outlined in this package. Because your lifestyle needs change periodically, you have the opportunity to review your coverage each year and update your selections during open enrollment. If you have any questions about your benefits at WHOI or need more information, contact your Benefits Specialist.

 You should recognize that these plans are subject to change and even to termination. You should also recognize that, in order to keep the volume of this material manageable, plan provisions are not set forth in detail. In some cases, there may be exceptions and qualifications that are not included here in the interest of keeping the descriptions of benefits brief. In all cases, the plan provisions themselves will govern your rights to any benefits.

 All benefits are subject to the terms of the respective plan documents and legal requirements at the time you qualify for a particular benefit. The plan documents and legal requirements will govern in the event of any conflict with this statement.

 For more detailed information, please refer to the Personnel Practices and Procedures Manual or contact your Benefits Specialist.

The benefit descriptions in this package are summaries only. For additional details on the HMO, PPO, Access Blue, Delta Dental, Life Insurance, Long-term Disability, and Accidental Death & Dismemberment, refer to the material provided by each plan. For more information about life, disability, retirement and other benefits, contact your Benefits Specialist.