Benefits Enrollment

Employees have three opportunities to enroll in benefits or make changes to their selections:

• When you are newly eligible (deadline is 30 days from your date of hire which is your first day of work)
• During Annual Enrollment held each fall (deadline is the last day of enrollment)
• If you experience a qualifying event such as marriage, birth, change to part-time status, etc. (deadline is 31 days from the event, or 60 days for birth or adoption)

Permanent and long-term temporary classified and exempt employees scheduled to work 20 hours or more per week are eligible to enroll in certain benefits coverage:

• Only the plans you are eligible for will appear in your EBS (OPUS) enrollment options.
• Dependents eligible for coverage vary by plan and may include spouse, domestic partner and children.
• If you and your dependent (e.g. spouse, partner, child, etc.) both work for Pinellas County, you must each enroll separately in the plans for which you are eligible.

• Enroll in EBS (OPUS) at opus.pinellascounty.org at home or at work (accessible 24 hours a day).
  • Your department will provide your EBS (OPUS) username and password instructions.
  • Be prepared with the spelling of your dependents’ and beneficiaries’ names as well as their dates of birth, social security numbers and addresses.
  • You will need to provide documents to prove your dependents’ eligibility. See Dependent Verification Proof.
  • After you log into EBS (OPUS), select PIN Employee Self Service, then Benefits.
  • Print or save your Benefits Enrollment Confirmation Statement as proof of enrollment.
  • For step-by-step instructions, see the Enrollment Guide and Enrollment Video (10 minutes).
• If you opt out of the medical plan, you must designate that election.
• You have 30 days from your date of hire to make your benefit elections in EBS (OPUS). If you fail to make elections within 30 days, you will have to wait until Annual Enrollment in the fall to select coverage to begin the following January 1.
• Benefits are effective the first of the month after 30 days of service (i.e. If you are hired Feb. 16, your benefits are effective April 1).
• Bi-weekly premium deductions will begin in the pay period your elections are effective or as quickly as possible if elections are made after the effective date.
• Please notify Benefits immediately if you are currently covered under the Pinellas County medical plan as a spouse, domestic partner or dependent of an active employee.
• After you enroll, check your paycheck stub to make sure the correct amount is being deducted and all of the benefits you elected are included.
• Any changes/corrections must be made within the first 30 days of enrollment by contacting Benefits.

Below is a brief summary. For details, see the Benefits Handbook and Employee Benefit Plans.

• Medical – Includes health (UMR/UnitedHealthcare), prescription (Express Scripts), vision (EyeMed), behavioral/mental health (UMR/UnitedHealthcare) and the Employee Assistance Program (Optum). Choose from two plans:
  • Preferred Provider Organization (PPO)
  • High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) with Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Dental (Cigna) – Choose from three plans:
  • Basic PPO
  • PPO with Orthodontia
  • HMO
• Flexible Spending Account (TASC) – Choose one or both types of FSA:
  • Healthcare
  • Dependent Care
• Life Insurance (Securian Financial) – Group term life is provided at no cost. You may also purchase:
  • Supplemental insurance
  • Dependent coverage up to $20,000 spouse/$10,000 child(ren)
• Voluntary Benefits – The following optional plans are available, fully paid by the employee:
  • Supplemental medical (Aflac) for accident, hospital, and critical illness
  • Legal plan (ARAG)
  • Identify protection (AIP)

• Beneficiaries are those who will receive the proceeds of your life insurance should you pass away.
• You may designate or change your life insurance beneficiary at any time.
• It’s important to check your beneficiary information in EBS (OPUS) at least once a year to ensure it is up-to-date.
• To review or change your beneficiary in EBS (OPUS):
  • Select PIN Employee Self Service > Benefits > Current Benefits > Beneficiaries > Update Beneficiaries.
  • You will need to enter the Social Security number for your beneficiary.
• If you select yourself as a beneficiary, your life insurance would go to your estate.
• Contingent beneficiary(ies) receive benefits if your primary beneficiary is deceased. For example, if your spouse is your primary and you both pass away at the same time, your contingent beneficiary (such as your adult children) will receive your life insurance.
• You can choose anyone as your beneficiary, but keep in mind that minor children will not receive the funds directly. To protect their interests, consider establishing a trust. For more information, see life insurance.

Employees who are unmarried and in a committed relationship (same sex or opposite sex) may cover their domestic partner and their child(ren) on health and dental coverage. The guidelines follow IRS regulations:

• Submit a completed Affidavit of Domestic Partnership and Certification for Dependent Tax Status to Employee Benefits by the end of your enrollment period.
• The documents listed above must be submitted each year.
• You may use Health Savings Account (HSA) and Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA) funds for a domestic partner or their children only if they qualify as a tax dependent under the Internal Revenue Code.
• The cost of domestic partner coverage is deducted after tax from your earnings.
• The value of the domestic partner coverage may be added to your pay as imputed income.
• If your domestic partnership ends, complete the Termination Statement of Domestic Partnership within 31 days.
• Also see the Domestic Partner FAQs.

Dependent children are eligible for coverage under your benefits plan(s) up to a certain age, as shown below:

Maximum Age Eligibility for Children

*Eligible for coverage through the end of the calendar year in which they reach the age listed.

Over-age dependents between the age of 26 and 30 may continue medical coverage (at full premium cost) if they meet certain qualifications such as being unmarried and having no dependents. See the Over-Age Dependent Child Affidavit. 

In addition, disabled children may quality for coverage regardless of age. Please contact Benefits for more information.

• Typically, the benefits you select during your initial enrollment period or at Annual Enrollment will remain in effect for the entire calendar year.
• However, the IRS does allow you to make changes to your coverage outside of these periods if you experience a qualifying event and notify Benefits as required. The type of qualifying event will determine what benefit changes can be made. If you are unsure if your status change is a qualifying event, contact Benefits.

• You have 31 days from the date of the qualifying event to submit the Qualifying Event Status Change Form along with supporting documentation to Employee Benefits, or 60 days for birth or adoption. In the event that documentation such as a birth certificate is delayed, please submit the form within the 31 days (or 60 days for birth or adoption) and follow up as soon as you receive the documentation. A list of acceptable documents is provided on page 2 of the form and includes:
  • Marriage certificate or divorce decree
  • Birth certificate or death certificate
  • Court order
  • Documentation showing loss or gain of other coverage

• Add your dependent in EBS (OPUS) via Employee Self Service > Personal Information > Dependents and Beneficiaries including their Social Security number and date of birth.

• Medical Plan Premium Changes: You will owe premiums back to the event date (the day your dependent became eligible or ineligible). For example, if you get married and want to add your spouse to your coverage, the day you got married is the event date. Depending on how quickly you send in your Qualifying Event Status Change Form and the back-up documentation, you will be charged your new premium on the next paycheck, plus the difference between your old premium and new premium for however many pay periods have passed since the event date.

Employees who are enrolled in other qualified medical benefit coverage may “opt out” of Pinellas County’s medical plan coverage when newly eligible for coverage, during Annual Enrollment or because of a qualifying event:

• The opt out incentive is $98 monthly credited to the employee’s payroll checks and treated as taxable income.
• To receive opt out payments:
  • Select Opt Out of Health in EBS (OPUS).
  • Submit a notarized Opt Out Summary and Affidavit to Benefits.
• Not all plans are considered alternate coverage for this benefit. Review the Opt Out Summary and Affidavit for more information.
• If you opt out, you are still enrolled in the Employee Assistance Program (EAP).
• If you opt out, you may still enroll in:
  • Dental coverage
  • Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
  • Life insurance
• If you opt out, you will not be enrolled in the following benefits:
  • Behavioral/mental health
  • Medical
  • Prescription
  • Vision

• Medical: if you do not qualify for the opt out stipend and you do not wish to enroll for coverage, you need to select Decline in EBS (OPUS).
• Dental and Voluntary Benefits: If you do not wish to enroll for coverage, you need to select Decline in EBS (OPUS).

Contact us:

• Human Resources Employee Benefits
  400 S. Fort Harrison Ave., First Floor
  Clearwater, FL 33756
  (727) 464-3367, option 1
  Email: employee.benefits@pinellas.gov