STATE OF CONNECTICUT
COMPTROLLER
55 ELM STREET
HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT 06106-1775
DEPUTY COMPTROLLER
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STATE OF CONNECTICUT |
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| NANCY WYMAN COMPTROLLER |
OFFICE OF
THE STATE COMPTROLLER 55 ELM STREET HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT 06106-1775 |
MARK OJAKIAN DEPUTY COMPTROLLER |
COMPTROLLER'S MEMORANDUM NO. 2007 - 14
May 4, 2007
TO THE HEADS OF ALL STATE AGENCIES
| ATTENTION: | Personnel and Payroll Officers, Chief Administrative and Fiscal Officers,Business Managers |
| SUBJECT: | Supplemental Employee Benefits Program |
I. INTRODUCTION
Comptroller's Memorandum No. 97-8 announced the commencement of the Supplemental Employee Benefits Program (Program), an initiative designed to provide employees with access through the central payroll system to offerings that complement those basic benefits the state funds either in whole or in part. All benefits under the Program are paid for in their entirety by voluntary employee payroll deductions.
Pursuant to Connecticut General Statutes, Section 3-123g, the Comptroller is charged with the duty of conducting a Request for Proposal (RFP) every five years in order to review publicly solicited proposals from firms interested in participating in the Program. The Comptroller is responsible for establishing a Vendor Advisory Committee (VAC), consisting of management and labor representatives, to review the RFP responses and taking into consideration price, and each vendor's skill, ability, integrity, and past performance make recommendations regarding program selection. From the submissions received, the VAC identified products which would in its collective judgment be of value to state employees, given the range of basic benefits funded by the employer. The process concluded with the Comptroller's selection of eight firms to participate in the Program.
In that connection, the purpose of this memorandum is to (1) provide a summary
of the selected vendors along with a brief description of the benefits offered;
(2) restate program eligibility requirements and (3) announce the selection of
the State's new Long Term Care provider.
II. DISCUSSION
A. Program Components
The eight vendors that now participate in the Program offer the following seven supplemental benefits: (1) short term disability, (2) long term disability, (3) auto and homeowners insurance, (4) cancer insurance (5) universal life insurance, (6) term life insurance, and (7) long term care.
A brief description of the benefits offered as well as the authorized vendors and their telephone numbers follows. This description should help familiarize agency personnel and payroll officers with information relative to supplemental products currently available.
Short Term Disability Insurance1 Two vendors offer this product
Long Term Disability Insurance1 One vendor offers this product
Auto & Homeowners Insurance Two vendors offer this product
Cancer Insurance One vendor offers this product
Universal Life Insurance1 One vendor offers this product
Term Life Insurance1 One vendor offers this product
Long Term Care Insurance One vendor offers this product
1 Open enrollment periods are conducted for these benefits. Eligible employees will be allowed to enroll during their agency's open enrollment period without the need for medical underwriting or a physical examination, subject to certain coverage limitations. This privilege will be extended to new employees hired within 31 days after the open enrollment period concludes.
2 Domestic Partners are defined as: At least 18 years of age, of the same sex, have lived together at least 12 months, are not married to someone else and are jointly responsible for maintaining a common household.
B. Implementation
Subject to operating needs, agencies are encouraged to accommodate the Program's authorized vendors so that they may speak to, meet with, and enroll employees. With the exception of ING, the State's third party administrator for its Defined Contribution Plans, agencies are specifically directed to deny access to any other firms seeking to market products or services to state employees, as they have not received the Comptroller's "official seal of approval".
A reminder that the specific responsibility to administer payroll deductions for employees who elect to participate in the Program has been assigned to the Comptroller's Payroll Services Division (PSD), which will coordinate directly with each vendor for payroll deduction processing. Payroll Services Division will not accept deduction override transactions for the following supplemental benefit program deduction codes:
Supplemental Benefits Program Vendors Deduction Codes: AFLAC, COLLIF, COLSTD, HAILIB, HAIMET, LIFING, LIFMDS, LIFTRM, LTCARE, LTDISB.
III. CONCLUSION
In the event an employee has a deduction for a benefit for which they have not enrolled, the individual vendor must be contacted directly by the employee for assistance.
The general responsibility to administer the Program has been assigned to the
Comptroller's Retirement & Benefit Services Division (RBSD); accordingly,
administrative and related concerns should be directed to the RBSD at (860)
702-3543. Payroll inquiries should be directed to PSD at (860) 702-3464.
Very truly yours,
NANCY WYMAN
STATE COMPTROLLER
NW/TW/SA/AA
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