You must go through the steps of enrolling to waive your benefits. You will see the option to waive each benefit on the enrollment site. 

Use our How To Guide to walk you step by step through the enrollment process.

• Login to the DPS Benefits Enrollment Site with your DPS ID and password: Benefits Enrollment Site
• Click on the “Enroll Now” button
• The Benefits Enrollment Site will guide you through each section.
• You will have an opportunity to review all of your benefit elections prior to confirming your selections/changes once you have gone through and made a selection on each screen.
• You must go through each benefit to the very end of the enrollment process. 
• Once you have completed the enrollment, you will need to make sure to email a copy of your election confirmation statement to your email address.
  • You may send this to any email address you choose, personal or work.
  • You may elect to send this to multiple email addresses by closing out the email screen and then selecting to email confirmation again and entering a new email address.

• There are Learn More buttons at the top of each benefit screen if you need more information
• There is a Plan Selector Tool on the medical plan screen if you are unsure of which plan may work best for you
• Your Benefits Shopping Cart is located in the upper right corner of the screen as you navigate through the enrollment process
• If you are eligible for benefit credits, it will begin with a negative balance.
• All benefit subsidies (discounts) to the medical premium cost are already deducted from the full cost and included in the amounts shown on the medical plan enrollment screen.
• Heathcare Savings Account enrollment will put you through two separate sections:
  
  • The first HSA screen reflects the DPS contribution into the HSA for you. You will want to enroll in this to receive the DPS contribution. 
  • The second HSA screen reflects your Employee contribution.  Employee contributions are not required to recieve the DPS contribution.  Enter a zero to recieve the DPS contribution and not have an Employee contribution. 
• To enroll in a Limited Purpose Flexible Spending Account (FSA) email Employee_Benefits@dpsk12.org with your annual election amount and DPS Benefits team will complete your Limited Purpose FSA enrollment and send you an email confirmation. Limited Purpose FSAs can only be used for dental and vision expenses when combined with an HSA.
• New life insurance elections will likely require the completion of an Eligibility of Insurance form (EOI).
  • You will need to complete this EOI before coverage is effective. The EOI is downloadable from the "Enrollment Complete" page on the Benefits Enrollment Site.

If you elect to receive more information for Auto, Home, Pet, Retirement, and other supplemental benefits you are not choosing to enroll at that time. Additional information will be provided to you on the "Enrollment Complete" page of your elections. You can also find additional information, including How to Enroll instructions, at thecommons.dpsk12.org/supplementalinsurance.

Open Enrollment is happening April 17-May 5 with benefit election changes effective July 1. Benefits can be complicated. As we gear up for Open Enrollment, Team DPS Weekly will include a “Know your Benefits” series to help you understand your benefits at DPS. This will be an Active Enrollment and you must take action to enroll or waive your benefits. 

In the meantime, get familiar with the Open Enrollment process by visiting the Benefits page on The Commons or emailing hr_connect@dpsk12.org.

 

Do you have dependents covered on your DPS benefits plans? We offer comprehensive coverage for two types of dependents:

• Children (under 26 years old), and any child under custodial guardianship (must show proof of custodianship)
• Spouses, common law spouses, and civil union partners

 

When making your benefit selections for your family, keep these things in mind:

• Deductibles*: Family deductibles do not change based on the number of dependents on your plan. 
• Individual vs Family Maximums**: individual maximums count towards your family maximum. 
• Double check that your pediatrician and primary care provider are in network. 

*Deductible is the amount you pay for covered health care services before your insurance plan starts to pay

**Maximum is the most you have to pay for covered services in a plan year.

Learn more about common terms by visiting thecommons.dpsk12.org/openenrollment. 

Learn more about your specific plan details at thecommons.dpsk12.org/medicalinsurance - then select Plan Summary Documents.

Note: grand-parents, divorcees, siblings, or parents are not authorized dependents and will be removed from your health insurance. 

Urgent Care Centers are same-day clinics, often with 24-hour availability, that treat a variety of medical problems like fevers, vomiting, dehydration, sprains or strains, and some smaller cuts that need stitches. They are less costly than Emergency Rooms and provide many services with high quality care. 

Emergency Rooms should be used for critical emergencies, such as trouble breathing or chest pains, broken limbs, serious burns, head or eye injuries, severe cuts, and other critical incidents. Your insurance will cover a portion of your emergency room costs. 

Learn more about Urgent Cares and Emergency Rooms and review your plan details for your portion of costs. 

Get engaged in your benefits now and be prepared for Open Enrollment April 17 - May 5! Visit thecommons.dpsk12.org/openenrollment. Remember, every benefit eligible employee must enroll or waive benefits, regardless of what they elected last year. 

These past weeks have been difficult for our communities and our Team DPS members. With our busy schedules and responsibilities, it can be challenging to find the time to take care of yourself. Self-care is a really important step in processing and coping with stressful situations. At DPS, we have a variety of tools available to support your self-care journey. We encourage you to talk with your manager or team members if you are needing support and leaning in to our DPS team. 

Self-Care Optimization Strategies - the Culture, Equity, and Leadership team (CELT) has developed a variety of self-care “Just In Time” virtual supports for our team members. From being still, leaning into your values, or managing your thoughts - this tool kit is designed to support you from wherever you are, whenever you need it. You can find this tool kit and more on The Commons.  

Employee Assistance Program (EAP) - Our EAP is a confidential, no-cost service, available 24/7 to all DPS employees and their immediate families. Plan for life events, find resources for personal issues, or get help for managing daily life. Learn more at thecommons.dpsk12.org/eap. Our EAP also provides a free-to-use COVID-related toolkit. Access the toolkit here.

Mental and Emotional Health Services through your medical insurance carrier - Aetna (coverage ending June 30), UHC, MotivHealth, and Kaiser Permanente all offer supportive services within their networks. Learn more about what your carrier offers and gain access to your benefits through The Commons Medical Insurance site. 

Considering your mental and emotional health options is important when choosing your insurance package! With Open Enrollment coming up April 17 - May 5, we want you to feel prepared to make the best decisions for your needs. Review all your options and feel prepared for Open Enrollment by visiting thecommons.dpsk12.org/openenrollment.  Remember, every benefit eligible employee must enroll or waive benefits, regardless of what they elected last year

Health insurance helps cover medical costs when you need it. DPS offers medical plans to fit your needs - from high deductible plans to traditional copay plans. No matter what you choose, your health plan will cover preventative care 100% (like annual well-checks and some vaccines). It will also protect you from unexpected high medical costs in unexpected situations and emergencies. 

This year, we are pleased to introduce UnitedHealthcare to the DPS medical coverage options. This addition means that all Aetna coverage will end on June 30 and all team members with Aetna plans should be prepared to elect new coverage during Open Enrollment April 17 - May 5. When choosing which carrier to partner with, DPS considers all the needs of our employees. Through the Open Enrollment survey, our wellness team, and various other information gathering strategies, we put your needs first by ensuring we provide the most comprehensive plans possible. 

See what UnitedHealthcare can do for you and your dependents by visiting thecommons.dpsk12.org/medicalinsurance or thecommons.dpsk12.org/openenrollment. You can also learn more about their network and providers by visiting https://www.uhc.com/find-a-doctor. 

No one plans to get sick or hurt, but most people need medical care at some point. After the past couple of years we have all experienced, making sure you have the right coverage is more important than ever before. 

Open Enrollment is April 17 - May 5 this year! Be prepared to select the best plan for your needs by visiting thecommons.dpsk12.org/openenrollment. Remember, every benefit eligible employee must take action and enroll or waive benefits, regardless of what they elected last year.

Your insurance needs don’t end at medical, dental, or vision coverage. DPS has plans for managing many of your on-going costs through supplemental insurance plans. Be prepared for all life throws your way with legal, commuter, or long-term care coverage. Get additional peace of mind for unexpected medical costs with critical illness, accident, and hospital indemnity policies. Protect your car, home, and pets through optional insurances. Check out all our unique plan options on The Commons. 

Learn more about dental coverage. 

Learn more about vision insurance. 

Learn more about supplemental coverage. 

Learn more about retirement accounts. 

Learn more about Sick Leave Bank.

Open Enrollment is April 17 - May 5 this year! Be prepared to select the best plan for your needs by visiting thecommons.dpsk12.org/openenrollment. Remember, every benefit eligible employee must take action and enroll or waive benefits, regardless of what they elected last year.

Denver Public Schools recognizes that employees may have an illness, injury, or be affected by a catastrophic event resulting in a need for additional time off in excess of their available paid time off. To address this need, all benefit-eligible employees will be allowed to donate their own sick accrual days from their unused balance to a Sick Leave Donation Accrual Plan to be used by employees in need of additional paid time off when on an approved leave of absence, in accordance with the District leave policies and guidelines.  The leave sharing program is a voluntary benefit. Medical information of the individual requesting sick time is kept confidential.

Sick Leave Donation program hours are not eligible for sick leave payout upon resignation from the District and retirement from PERA.

Who Can Request Access: 

Employees who have been employed with the District for a minimum of one year and have a terminal illness or are impacted by a catastrophic event may be eligible to apply for sick leave donation programs. Employees may request up to a maximum of 30 days or 240 hours of sick leave donation hours per school year. Recipients of the sick leave donation hours will receive paid leave at their  normal rate of pay. Regular part-time employees shall receive sick leave donation days/hours on a prorated basis equal to the percentage of their employment to full-time employment.

Terminal illness is an illness or condition which cannot be cured or adequately treated and will directly lead to the death of the individual who has been diagnosed with one. Employees with a terminal illness are eligible if their prognosis is 1 year or less. 

Catastrophic event is a natural or human-made incident, which results in extraordinary levels of damage or disruption severely affecting an individual and surrounding community.

When Sick Leave Donation Can Be Used:

Sick leave donation hours may only be used by an employee that has a terminal illness or is impacted by a catastrophic event once in a rolling 12 month period, the employee has exhausted all accrued paid time off and sick leave bank hours (if applicable).   Sick leave donation hours may not be used to make an employee whole who is receiving short-term or long term disability benefits or worker’s compensation benefits.  However, an employee may use sick leave donation hours to cover the unpaid portion of the waiting period leading up to the commencement of short term disability benefits.  

Any sick leave donation hours awarded must only be used in connection with the condition stated in the application. Any sick leave donation hours not used in connection with the stated condition must be returned to the sick leave donation program. Sick leave donation can only be applied for 1 time during your employment.

Continued Benefits Coverage:

An employee on a leave of absence may continue coverage under the District- sponsored insurance program. If the employee is on an FMLA-qualified leave of absence, benefits will automatically be continued under the same terms and conditions  as if the employee had not taken leave. Employees may pay for benefits while on leave.  If no action is taken, any unpaid premiums will be collected on the first paycheck after returning to work.  If the employee does not return and there are unpaid premiums, the District will work with a collections agency to recoup the employee’s premiums. Questions concerning continued benefits and  premium payments may be referred to HR Connect (720) 423-3900.

The District will continue to pay the employer's share of the cost of health care premiums during the FMLA leave period (12 weeks). 

The employee should contact HR Connect at (720) 423-3900 to determine the procedure for payment of their share under group insurance plans should they go on unpaid status. 

 The recipient will continue to have the employee portion of benefit premiums & contributions deducted from their paycheck when the only source of income is through the “leave bank.” 

How To Donate:

To make a donation, the employee donating the time must donate the hours during OPEN ENROLLMENT

The minimum and maximum number of accrued sick leave hours that an eligible employee may donate is 8 hours/one day  and up to 20 days/160 hours. The donating employee must have a minimum balance of 80 hours in their accrued sick leave hours after making the donation.  The donating employee may not borrow against future sick time to donate.  

How to Request Access:

Requests to access the Sick Leave Donation program should be submitted to the Office of Talent through Truepay.  The employee will be required to provide documentation such as FMLA leave forms, a qualified physician statement, and personal statement explaining the reason for the employee’s request for leave sharing

Guidelines:

• The use of sick leave donation hours runs concurrently with and does not extend the duration of the leave. 
• Any leave taken under this program shall count toward the Family and Medical Leave Act. Employees receiving sick leave donation hours should be aware that those hours will count toward their total annual Family and Medical Leave entitlement, provided the employee has been approved for FMLA. Sick leave donation hours cannot be used to extend FMLA benefits if total FMLA hours have been exhausted by the applicant. 
• Approval for FMLA does not guarantee approval for sick leave donation hours and vice versa.
• Withdrawals from the sick leave donation hours may only be taken in increments of full days.

Internal Process for Donations:

The employee would have to enroll during Open Enrollment. The Open Enrollment project manager will gather data and provide it to the leaves manager. The leaves manager would have to input the time into the accrual bucket in True Pay, then Payroll will process the payment. 

 Future state: We do have the ability in Oracle to build in a notification that could be routed to Leaves Supervisor. For an employee that needs a donation we could use the same process in Oracle but I would need to confirm if you can do attachments. 

Resources: 

SHRM Guidelines on consideration for a sick leave donation policy

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/how-to-guides/pages/howtocreatealeavedonationprogram.aspx

Open Enrollment for the 2023-24 plan year will be April 17 - May 5, 2023.

For benefits enrollment support, please visit thecommons.dpsk12.org/openenrollment for a list of virtual resources, how to schedule one-on-one support, view the 2023-24 Benefits Guide and more!

Here are some key terms to know to help with your benefit elections:

Deductible is the amount you pay for covered health services before your insurance starts to pay  

Out of Pocket Maximum is the most you can pay for covered health services in one plan year

Benefit Credit is the amount that DPS contributes towards your health insurance premiums

Premium is the amount you pay per month for health insurance

Watch our Health Literacy webinar to learn more key terms and health benefit basics.

DPS’s medical plans come with optional Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs). Each account saves money on a pre-tax basis and can be applied to eligible medical related expenses. 

HSAs act like personal savings accounts. Unlike the FSA, they have no annual roll-over caps and they stay with you if you leave DPS. DPS contributes $27.92 per paycheck ($670 annually) to your account. You can make additional contributions up to the maximum yearly amount. HSAs are only available with high deductible medical plans. Learn more and compare to the FSA at thecommons.dpsk12.org/hsa. 

FSAs are benefit spending accounts that help you pay less in taxes for eligible medical expenses. This account works best when you have planned expenses during the medical plan year (July - June). FSAs have annual roll-over caps and you must spend your funds by September 1 - or risk losing them. Unlike the HSA, this account is available for any medical coverage plan. Learn more and compare to the HSA at thecommons.dpsk12.org/fsa.

Open Enrollment is April 17 - May 5, 2022.  This is the one time during the year that employees can make changes to their benefits without a Qualifying Life Event (QLE). All benefits eligible employees must take action by enrolling or waiving their benefits. Be prepared by visiting thecommons.dpsk12.org/openenrollment today!

Medical Insurance isn’t all that DPS offers! Manage your on-going costs through legal, commuter, or other supplemental coverage options. Get peace of mind for unexpected medical costs with critical illness, accident, and hospital indemnity policies. Protect your auto, home, and pet through MetLife with coverage options designed to fit your needs.

Check out all our unique plan options on The Commons. 

Learn more about dental coverage. 

Learn more about vision insurance. 

Learn more about supplemental coverage

Learn more about retirement accounts. 

Learn more about sick leave bank.

Open Enrollment is April 17 - May 5 this year! Learn everything you need to know by visiting thecommons.dpsk12.org/openenrollment.

No one plans to get sick or hurt, but most people need medical care at some point. After the year we have all experienced, making sure you have the right coverage is more important than ever before. 

Health insurance helps cover medical costs when you need it. DPS offers eight medical plans to fit your needs - from high deductible plans to traditional copay plans. No matter what you choose, your health plan will cover preventative care 100% (like annual well-checks and some vaccines). It will also protect you from unexpected high medical costs in unexpected situations and emergencies. 

Open Enrollment is April 17 - May 5 this year! Be prepared to select the best plan for your needs by visiting thecommons.dpsk12.org/openenrollment.

You might be responsible for covering certain individuals with your health insurance plan. We offer coverage for two types of dependents*:

• Children (under 26 years old, in most cases)**
• Spouses, common law spouses, and civil union partners 

When making your benefit selections for your family, keep these things in mind:

• Deductibles: Family deductibles do not change based on the number of dependents on your plan. 
• Individual vs Family Maximums: individual maximums count towards your family maximum. 
• Double check that your pediatrician and primary care provider are in network. 
• Child Medical Health Plans may include dental coverage - check your plan documents.

Learn more about common terms by visiting thecommons.dpsk12.org/openenrollment. 

Learn more about your specific plan details at thecommons.dpsk12.org/medicalinsurance - then select Plan Summary Documents.

*Divorced spouses and grandchildren are not eligible for dependent coverage and cannot be added to your benefit plans.

**Other eligible child(ren) dependents include: 

• Your children up to age 26 (including biological, adopted, foster, court-ordered guardianships, or stepchildren);
• Disabled children over age 26