2023 benefits options for employees

LCRA provides you and your eligible family members a comprehensive and valuable benefits program. We encourage you to take the time to educate yourself about your options and choose the best coverage for you and your family.

We offer three medical plans through UnitedHealthcare – Choice, Choice Plus, and Choice Plus with Health Savings Account (HSA). LCRA pays the majority of your total monthly medical premium. Compare the plans and choose the option that is right for you and your family.

If you make a change to your UHC benefits or enroll for the first time during open enrollment, you are issued a new health card at the beginning of the plan year.

Choice Plus with Health Savings Account details:

Our health savings account will be administered by Fidelity Investments. Learn more about the Choice Plus with Health Savings Account plan on Inside LCRA. If you elect Choice Plus with HSA, you are automatically enrolled in the HSA with Fidelity and unable to participate in the health care flexible spending account.

Active full-time and part-time employees will receive an annual contribution from LCRA to their health savings accounts. In January 2023, LCRA will contribute $500 for individuals enrolled in the plan, and those with family coverage will receive $1,000. In order to receive your LCRA HSA contribution, eligible employees must elect to participate in the HSA through Fidelity in the enrollment portal.

In addition to LCRA’s contributions, the IRS sets limits for your personal contributions to your account. Minimum annual contribution: $1.00. Maximum employee only: $3,350. Maximum employee+family: $6,750. If you are age 55+, a $1,000 catch-up contribution limit is available.

As an HSA account holder, you are responsible for all transactions, claims and purchase eligibility. Review the HSA customer agreement, electronic delivery agreement and terms and conditions document.

UHC participants also have access to additional benefits:

Optum Virtual Care offers 24-hour telemedicine support from the comfort of your home. If you are enrolled in the Choice or Choice Plus medical plan, this benefit is available at a $0 copay. If you are enrolled in the Choice Plus with HSA medical plan, there is a $49 copay that will apply towards your deductible and co-insurance. Optum Virtual Care visits are an eligible HSA expense.

Choosing in-network providers lowers your financial responsibility, but if you do receive out-of-network services, free billing support is available through Naviguard. Use the phone number on the back of your UHC insurance card to contact a Naviguard advisor. Together, you can review your bill and discuss options that may be available to lower the expense.

2nd.MD offers a free second medical opinion on a current or new diagnosis along with treatment options and assistance for managing chronic conditions.

Optum® Orthopedic Health Support connects you with a dedicated team to help you understand treatment choices, direct you to a center of excellence to improve your outcome and potentially lower out-of-pocket costs.

Download the UnitedHealthcare app to access your ID cards, review out-of-pocket maximums, find in-network providers and more.

Tobacco users who complete the free Quit for Life program by Nov. 30, 2023, will be reimbursed the $75-per-month tobacco fee.

Employees who enroll in an LCRA group medical plan automatically receive prescription coverage through OptumRx, a UHC company.

The plan categorizes prescription drugs into three pricing tiers, with additional tiers for specialty drugs. To search for a prescription drug or view the cost, log in to your MyUHC member portal, click on Pharmacies & Prescriptions, then Drug Look Up.

The Choice Plus with HSA plan includes a preventive medication drug list to members at a $0 cost share.

For your convenience, you can fill a 90-day supply of maintenance prescriptions at a retail pharmacy. The cost would be the equivalent of paying for three months.

You also have the option to save money by filling prescriptions via mail-order.

Dental insurance through Guardian provides you and your dependent(s) coverage for routine cleanings and other dental services. Staying in-network saves you money. Search in-network providers on the DentalGuard Preferred network.  If you use an out-of-network provider, you will pay more out-of-pocket since those providers do not have negotiated rates with Guardian. Your dentist will call Guardian to verify dental coverage. The calendar year maximum benefit per person is $2,000. View a summary of the plan benefits.

Learn how to view and print your Guardian member ID.

Dental information is also available through the Guardian mobile app to keep track of claims, retrieve electronic ID cards and more.

Vision insurance through EyeMed includes coverage for eye exams, frames, lenses and contacts. Two plans are available.

The standard plan offers a maximum frames allowance of $125 every 24 months and eye glass lenses every 12 months. If you choose contact lenses in lieu of eye glass lenses and frames, the maximum benefit is $120 per year. Participants pay a $10 copay for an eye exam once every 12 months.

The enhanced plan offers a maximum allowance of $150 every 12 months for either eye glass lenses and frames or contact lenses. Participants pay a $0 copay for an eye exam once every 12 months.

You won’t receive a vision insurance ID card. Your optometrist will call EyeMed to verify coverage.

Three supplemental insurance plans are offered through MetLife. These voluntary benefits help with offsetting medical expenses beyond what is covered by your primary insurance. Supplemental benefits provide a safety net for the unexpected, like accidents, critical illness or hospital expenses.

These plans provide cash payouts that go directly to you, not your doctor or health care provider. This gives you the flexibility to use the funds as you see fit – whether that means covering out-of-pocket medical costs, fuel for trips to and from appointments or ordering meals for you and your family.

There are no pre-existing condition limitations and there are high and low plan options available for each benefit to choose from. You will cover 100% of the premium cost for these plans.

A flexible spending account is a pre-tax benefit account used to pay for eligible healthcare or dependent care (day care) expenses. It’s a smart, simple way to plan for your needs. You can pay for eligible expenses, including dependent care, with the P&A Group debit card or submit for reimbursement online.

Health Care FSA covers out-of-pocket medical expenses for you and your dependents. Minimum annual contribution: $200. Maximum: $2,850.

Dependent Care FSA covers eligible dependent care services, such as preschool, summer day camp, before/after school programs and child or adult daycare. Minimum annual contribution: $200. Maximum: $5,000. ($2,500 if married and filing separately).

The annual contribution amounts are set by the IRS and are subject to change.

Existing health care FSA participants are allowed to carry over up to $500 of remaining funds into the following plan year.

Remember, if you have elected the Choice Plus with HSA medical plan, you are not eligible to participate in the health care FSA. The dependent care FSA is not contingent on your medical plan selection.

ARAG (Online access code: 18181LCR) offers two prepaid legal plans, Ultimate Advisor and Ultimate Advisor Plus. Both give you access to a national network of credentialed lawyers. Most eligible legal matters are 100 percent covered when you work with a network attorney. The plans also offer access to legal databases and other online and over-the-phone legal resources.

The Ultimate Advisor Plus plan includes enhanced identity theft coverage, financial counseling, divorce representation and resources for caregiving and eldercare issues. Learn more about both plans.

During this open enrollment you may elect supplemental life insurance coverage for yourself up to a maximum of 5x your base annual salary to a maximum of $500,000 without evidence of insurability (EOI). If you elect supplemental life insurance for yourself, you may also elect supplemental life insurance for your spouse and/or eligible dependent child(ren). You may elect spouse supplemental life insurance for your spouse up to 2.5x your annual base salary up to a $250,000 maximum and the coverage cannot exceed 50% of your own supplemental life insurance election. EOI will be required for spouse supplemental life coverage in excess of $100,000. You may also purchase $10,000, $15,000, or $20,000 of life insurance for your child(ren).

You can elect supplemental AD&D coverage for yourself in $100,000 increments up to $500,000. Your spouse is eligible for up to 50% of your own AD&D coverage, and for your child(ren) in increments of $10,000 up to $50,000.

LCRA helps qualified employees grow their 401(k) while they focus on paying off student loans. Eligible loans may include those taken out in your name – both for your own education or to support the education of a family member, such as a child.

Once enrolled, all you need to do is make payments toward your student debt. LCRA and Fidelity will use your payments to calculate a contribution toward your 401(k), applied to your account as one lump sum following the completion of the program year.

Enrollment for the 2023 plan year takes place on the Fidelity NetBenefits site Oct. 3-21, 2022. You may reach out to Fidelity’s student debt phone line at 866-711-0350 with general questions about the program.

Earn $50 per month by participating in the Empower wellness program. Take advantage of free second medical opinions, a weight loss management program, an Employee Assistance Program, free legal library and more. UHC also offers mental health resources through Sanvello, Talkspace and virtual therapy, as well as maternity support. Visit Benefits & Perks to learn more.

Questions? Need assistance?

EyeMed (Vision)
866-804-0982

P&A Group (FSA)
1-800-688-2611

ARAG (Legal)
800-247-4184

LCRA Human Resources
[email protected]
512-578-4004, option 4