• What benefits am I currently enrolled in?

    To view your benefits selections for the active plan year, visit the Employee Action Center and select Employee Space.

  • What benefits am I eligible for?

    The Benefits Enrollment Guide explains all of the benefits you are eligible for based on your Employee Association (union) and FTE. If you are not sure which Employee Association you are a part of, please reach out to HR Connect by emailing HR_Connect@dpsk12.org or calling 720-423-3900.

  • What benefits can I enroll in or change anytime during the year? What benefits can I only change or enroll in during Open Enrollment?

    Enroll/change during Open Enrollment only (The only exception is if you experience a qualifying life event): Medical, Dental and Vision Insurance; Flexible Spending Account (FSA); Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account; Optional Life Insurance; Critical Illness, Accident and Hospital Indemnity Supplemental Insurance.

    Please note: Legal and Sick Leave Bank benefits are only able to be stopped during the annual Open Enrollment period each spring.

    Enroll/change at any time: Health Savings Account (HSA), 401K, 403(b), 457(b) Retirement Savings Plans; Long-Term Care; Home, Auto and Pet Insurance; Commuter Benefits; and the Voluntary Payroll Protection and Assistance Fund.

  • How do I find out if my doctor is in network?

    • UnitedHealthcare - Go to Find A Provider to fins and select three options for searching your preferred doctors or top rated specialists.
    • Kaiser Permanente—visit Find a Provider to find and select four options for searching your preferred doctors or top rated specialists.
    • Motivhealth: go to Find a Provider to find and select from one option for searching your preferred doctors or top rated specialists.

  • Which medical plan should I choose?

    To learn more about available medical plans, please review the Benefits Enrollment Guide. We also recommend that you use the Plan Decision Tool within the Benefits Enrollment site if you are uncertain about which medical plan to choose.

  • How much does DPS contribute toward my benefits?

    DPS contributions vary based on your Employee Association (union). For information on your specific Employee Association, please consult the Benefits Enrollment Guide.

    • Benefit Credits: Benefit credits are what DPS contributes to offset your cost for premiums for medical, dental and vision plans. Most employees are eligible to receive them. The amount varies by employee association and how many hours you work a week.
    • Medical Subsidy: Employees who don’t receive benefit credits may qualify for a medical subsidy, which is a discount off the cost of your premiums for medical plans.
    • Child Subsidy: All benefit-eligible employees qualify to receive a child subsidy to offset the cost of premiums for medical plans that cover children.

    HSA or HMO Subsidy: Employees who enroll in one of the CDHP medical plans and open a Health Savings Account (HSA) are eligible to receive this subsidy. You are not required to make HSA contributions to receive this subsidy, however it is recommended that you do so. Employees enrolled in a DHMO plan automatically receive the HMO subsidy as a premium discount.

  • How do I receive my benefit credits and/or subsidies?

    • Benefit Credits: Listed under deductions on your paystub. They show as a negative number, which means it is a credit to you and lowers the cost of the premium. Benefit Credits are automatically applied to discount the cost of your medical premium.
    • Medical Subsidy: This will not appear on your paystub, but will be automatically applied to discount the cost your medical premium.
    • Child Subsidy: This will not appear on your paystub, but will be automatically applied to discount the cost of your medical premium.

    HSA or HMO Subsidy: HSA subsidies will be automatically added to your HSA account twice a month. HMO subsidies will be automatically applied to discount the cost of your medical premiums and will not appear on your paystub.

  • Do I need to provide documentation (ie: marriage/birth certificates) during the annual benefits Open Enrollment?

    No, documentation is not required during Open Enrollment. In some cases, you may be eligible for a mid-year change through a Qualifying Life Event (QLE) - such as a birth, marriage, or divorce. In this case, documentation will be required to process your change. Visit The Commons to see if you are eligible.

  • What is the difference between pre-tax and post-tax benefits? When would I want to select each?

    Pre-tax: The cost of your benefits is deducted from your paycheck before taxes are calculated, and you are therefore only taxed on your remaining paycheck balance. You pay less in taxes with this option.

    Post-tax: The cost of your benefits is deducted from your paycheck after taxes are calculated. You pay more taxes with this option.

    Employees who are within three years of retirement may want to select post-tax deductions to maximize pensionable income under Colorado PERA. If this is the case, click on the “Select a different plan type” then select the “after-tax” radio button at the bottom of the designation screen. Although Health Saving Account (HSA) contributions are deducted on a pre-tax basis, it does not count against the highest average salary calculated by Colorado PERA.

  • When will I get my insurance card(s)?

    • UnitedHealthcare: You will receive your insurance card in the mail within 10 days of your coverage start date. You can also download the app here: UHC APP.
    • Kaiser Permanente: You will receive your insurance card in the mail within 10 days of your coverage start date. You can also print a copy or download a digital version of your card by logging into your Kaiser Permanente account online or the KP app.
    • MotivHealth: Member ID cards will be made available 10-14 days, after your MotivHealth effective date. ID cards will be received, via mail. Additionally, electronic copies of member ID cards can be viewed, emailed, or downloaded within your MotivHealth member portal.  If you have any questions regarding member ID cards or need to order additional ID cards, please contact MotivHealth by dialing 844-234-4472.

       

  • What happens if I need medical care outside of the Denver Metro area?

    All individuals enrolled in a UHC, Kaiser Permanente, or MotivHealth medical plan are covered for urgent and emergency care anywhere in the world. Covered means that expenses will apply towards your deductibles and out of pocket maximums, and insurance will cover the claim as if it were within the network. Urgent and emergency care are defined by each provider.

    • UnitedHealthCare: 866-801-4409
    • Kaiser Permanente: 951-268-3900
    • MotivHealth: 844-234-4472 

  • I have a child who is away at college and needs medical coverage. What do I do? 

    • Children under 26 years of age may be covered under their parents’ medical, dental, and vision insurance plans. Aetna, Kaiser Permamente, and MotivHealth offer plans/benefits for dependents who live outside of the Denver-metro area. Check to see if your provider has doctors and medical offices in the area where your child will be living.

      UnitedHealthcare:

      With the Colorado Doctor’s Plan (CDP), the dependent will be assigned (or can select) a PCP in the Denver Metro CDP network and utilize the CDP network while in Denver Metro, however, CDP is “wrapped” with UHC’s Choice network which is nationwide and allows employees and dependents to utilize our nationwide network outside of Colorado. With UnitedHealthcare's Choice Plus network, PCP selection is not required and the plan has out of network care as well as UHC's Nation Wide network. 

      Employees can view a list of in-network MDs on both plans at UHC's pre-member website www.whyuhc.com/denverpublicschools. 

      Kaiser Permanente:

      For those dependents who are outside of a Kaiser Permanente service area and under the age of 26, the out of area benefit covers them for limited office visits, diagnostic x-rays, RX refills and therapy visits. For more information, call 877-883-6898 or click here for more details.

      MotivHealth:

      For any eligible covered dependents residing outside of Colorado, they will have access to network providers via the First Health network. For more information on locating providers in the First Health network, visit dps.motivhealth.com  

  • I enrolled in benefits after my effective date. What can I expect next?

    In some cases, you will make elections after your effective benefits date. In this event, your elections will be backdated to the correct effective date. Missed deductions from your paycheck will be taken off your next check. This means that you may see two or more deductions on one check. 

    For example: you submitted your change request on August 29 for an effective date of Sept 1. You make your elections on Sept 8. Your coverage will be backdated to Sept 1 and two deductions will be added to your Sept 22 paycheck.

  • Can I change all my benefits or just a few of them?

    A Qualifying Life Event (QLE) opens up a 30-day window (in most cases) in which all of your DPS benefits can be changed.

  • Can I drop my DPS benefits if I am eligible to enroll in CHP+, Medicaid, or Medicare?

    Becoming eligible for CHP+, Medicaid or Medicare does not allow you to change DPS benefits.

    To change your DPS benefits, you or your dependents must be enrolled in CHP+, Medicaid or Medicare coverage within the last 60 days. You will need to supply proof of coverage for your change request to be processed. Visit thecommons.dpsk12.org/changebenefits to get started.