The USA Health & Dental Plan provides comprehensive benefits for services received within a network of Blue Cross Blue Shield providers. Within the USA Health & Dental Plan is the USA Health System, a network of hospitals, physicians, pharmacy, outpatient clinics and other providers affiliated with the University of South Alabama. Their participation in the USA Health & Dental Plan allows members to receive medical care at a lower cost to both the Plan and the member. Outside the state of Alabama, Blue Cross Blue Shield providers are members of the BlueCard PPO Network.

New enrollees and their dependents must be covered under the USA Health & Dental Plan for a period of 270 days before benefits are payable for preexisting conditions. Maintaining coverage from a previous employer, if applicable, may provide coverage until the preexisting conditions period is satisfied.

Annual enrollment for the USA Health & Dental Plan is held in November for coverage effective January 1 of the following year. The 270 day preexisting conditions period applies during the annual enrollment.

Under premium conversion, USA Health & Dental Plan premiums are deducted before any federal, state or social security taxes are withheld. The result is a reduction of taxable income equal to the amount paid for health insurance during the calendar year.

SouthFlex is a flexible spending account(s) plan. It is designed to increase disposable income by reducing the amount of taxes paid by allowing the use of pretax dollars to pay for qualified dependent child care expenses and qualified health care expenses, including dental. Either the Health Care Account or the Dependent Care Account, or both, is credited with a deposit from each paycheck. As eligible expenses are incurred, claims may then be filed for reimbursement using before-tax contributions.

Cost:
The university pays all administrative expenses.

Sun Life Assurance Co. of Canada - Long Term Disability Insurance

After a 90-day period of disability, 66 2/3% of employee's base salary will be paid for permanent or temporary total disability up to a maximum benefit of $10,000 a month.

Cost:
Total cost of long term disability coverage is paid in full by the university.

Basic coverage is provided in accordance with the following schedule:

Additional coverage equal to 1, 2, or 3 times the basic coverage is available to employees at group rates. Employees applying for optional coverage or requesting additional coverage must be medically underwritten.

The death benefit payable varies with age, service credit and circumstances of death. Teachers' Retirement System provides $15,000 of free term life insurance coverage to full-time active members. Part-time member's insurance is prorated based on FTE.

Employees become vested in the Teachers' Retirement System of Alabama with 10 years of service credit and may begin drawing benefits at age 60.

Employees with 25 years of service credit may receive benefits at any age. Participation is required under state law.

Cost:
Each employee contributes 5% of annual salary. The university contributes an amount as determined by independent actuaries. Employee contributions are sheltered from federal income tax until retirement benefits are received or the separated member withdraws from the system.

Eligible employees may reduce their state and federal taxable income by contributing up to $15,500 ($20,500 if over age 50) a year to an approved 403(b)and/or 457 tax-sheltered annuity.

Social Security provides protection in the form of retirement benefits, disability income, survivor income and medicare insurance. Participation is required.

Cost:
For 2008, both the employee and employer contribute 6.2% of the employee's annual salary up to the maximum taxable earnings base of $102,000.Contributions for medicare are 1.45% of employee's annual salary. The University contributes a matching amount.

With supervisory approval, accrued vacation may be used at any time. Vacation may accumulate to a maximum of two times the annual accrual rate. Once two times the annual rate has been accrued, the employee may continue to accrue non-reimbursable annual leave which will be converted and transferred to sick leave if not taken by September 20 of the fiscal year in which accrued for monthly employees. For bi-weekly paid employees, the cut off date will be the last day of the last pay period of the fiscal year.

Regular full-time employees accrue vacation at the following rate:
  

Sick leave is provided to protect an employee against loss of income when confined at home or in the hospital due to illness or injury, when an employee must have health related professional services which cannot be obtained outside regular work hours, or when an employee must care for a seriously ill member of the immediate family for not more than three days per illness.

Sick leave is accrued at the rate of eight hours (one day) per month, for full-time employment, with unlimited accumulation.

Following are the eight scheduled holidays observed each year: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Day, Mardi Gras Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day.

Additional special holidays may be designated by the President of the University.

Employee - Upon completion of six months of employment prior to registration, regular full-time employees may apply for tuition reimbursement for successful completion of up to five credit hours per semester plus refund of part-time registration fee, student center fee, health fee, and activity fee. To receive a refund for a course(s) taken, the employee must receive at least a C.

Spouse/Dependents - Tuition assistance is also available to the spouses and unmarried dependent children (under age 25) of employees who are eligible for the education benefit. Reimbursement is 50% of tuition only (no fees) with no hour maximum. Spouse/dependents must receive a minimum grade of D for undergraduate course(s) and C for graduate course(s).

The employee pays total cost at registration and is reimbursed upon successful course completion and request for reimbursement. In accordance with current law, all reimbursements for spouses and eligible dependents classified as graduate students are subject to federal and state income tax.

Counseling Services

University - Counseling Services are available free of charge to faculty and staff through the Counseling and Testing Service on Campus.

Hospital - Counseling Services for hospital employees are available free of charge through the Social Services Department.

• Direct Deposit of paychecks
• Use of University Facilities
• USA Bookstore discount
• Twenty-five percent (25%) discount on USAMC and USA Children's and Women's Hospital charges after group insurance has paid
• USA Federal Credit Union
• U.S. Savings Bonds
• Free admission to athletic events
• Golf Course discount
• Vacation discount cards