Permanent, full, and part-time employees are eligible to participate in Optimum Choice Health Plan offered by the Town's health insurance provider, MAMSI. Full time employees become eligible for coverage on the first day of the month following their initial date of hire. Part-time employees must work at least 20 hours per week to be eligible for insurance. Upon their hiring, employees must elect in writing whether or not they wish to join the Town's health insurance program.

There are three options available to the employees: HMO (Health Maintenance Organization), POS (Point of Service) and PPO (Preferred Provider Option). The HMO is the least expensive plan.

The Optimum Choice Program provides employees a dual option system that provides the benefits of both a preferred provider organization (PPO) group model or an indemnity plan. Employees may elect to use physicians within the group plan and receive medical services at preset fees, or they may continue to use their own personal physicians then file via the use of claim forms for reimbursement of their related medical expenses.

Under the HMO Option, employees must use the doctors, hospitals, and others who are on the Optimum Choice list of approved providers. By doing this, employees pay only a copay. If they receive treatment from someone not on the approved list, the employee is then responsible for the entire cost of the service. The doctors in the HMO option are the same doctors available under the POS. Only there is no out-of-plan option.

The third option is a PPO MAMSI Plan that is more costly than the POS plan. The difference is that in the PPO, the employee does not have to select a primary care physician. However, if the employee uses a physician from the MAMSI preferred provider list, the cost for visits and treatments are lower. This plan provides greater choice of a physician, but comes with a higher cost. Interested employees can visit the website (www.mamsi.com) to locate the names of doctors participating in this plan.

Employees must opt in or out of the Town's health insurance plan upon their initial hiring. Coverage may be dropped at any time, but new enrollments can occur only during open season (July 1 of each year), upon the birth of a child, adoption of a child, marriage, or death or divorce of a spouse. All such changes must be submitted in writing to the Administrative Services office.

The Town of Vienna contributes to the cost of the health insurance plan. The Town's portion to the premium cost is calculated by taking 80% of the employee's individual cost and 50% of the dependent's cost. This dollar value is then applied to the premium cost of the plan. The remainder is paid by the employee through bi-weekly payroll deductions.

FORMS:
For a direct link to claims and other forms related to the Optimum Choice/MAMSI health insurance program, visit the provider's website by clicking on the following link: http://www.mamsiunitedhealthcare.com/w/d/m/forms.jsp


Group Life Insurance
The Town of Vienna, through VRS, provides group life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance for all full time permanent employees at no cost to employees. This policy provides a double indemnity clause for accidental death and provisions in the event of accidental dismemberment.

Employees under the age of 70 can calculate the amount of their insurance by rounding their annual base salary to the next highest thousand and then doubling that amount. Life insurance coverage ceases 31 days after termination of employment. Should a separating employee so desire, he/she may convert this life insurance policy to an individual policy through VRS.

Upon retirement, the life insurance policy begins to reduce in value by 2% each month after the date the employee retires (or age 70, whichever is earlier). This reduction stops when coverage reaches 1/4th of its original value. Again refer to the VRS website, www.vaetire.org for further information.

Dental Insurance
Vienna offers to its employees membership in the Dominion Dental Program. Premium payments for this plan are paid by the employee through payroll deduction. Membership in this plan is optional and an employee is able to join this program anytime throughout the year (open season restrictions do not apply to this plan.) Two plans are offered:

HMO: Participants can only visit dentists that are in the Dominion network of providers. No orthodontia services are provided. Refer to the plan booklet for more detailed information.

PPO: Participants have the option of visiting doctors that are either in or out of the Dominion network. This plan also provides a $1,000 lifetime orthodontia benefit. Refer to the plan booklet for more detailed information.

For additional information, check their Web site at www.dominiondental.com.