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Benefits and Benefits Eligibility

Faculty and librarian members of the bargaining unit who are half-time or above are immediately eligible for health and dental insurance. All members must be minimum half-time per semester to maintain benefits once they have become benefits eligible (NOTE: Summer and Winter sessions do not count toward benefits eligibility).

HEALTH INSURANCE:

Health insurance is provided by the Group Insurance Commission (GIC), the state body that insures state employees. Please note that here is a 60 day waiting period between hire date/date of benefits eligibility and effective date of health insurance coverage. You only have 10 days from your start date to return the paperwork to Human Resources regarding your choice of health insurance plan. For details on health insurance options, costs, etc. contact UMB Benefits Manager, Stephanie Deronette (617 287-5158).

Current GIC members who subsequently obtain health insurance through a non-GIC provider (i.e. via health insurance from a spouse), may be eligible for a premium buyout program. Contact the UMB Benefits Manager for more information.

DENTAL INSURANCE:

Dental insurance is provided free to bargaining unit members via the Health and Welfare Trust established by Article 27 of the collective bargaining agreement. Please note that there is a 6 month waiting period between hire date/date of benefits eligibility and effective date of dental insurance coverage. The trustees, comprised of MTA members, have chosen Met Life (800 942-0854) as the insurer for dental coverage (contact Met Life Dental for information on the plan coverage). For other questions, including questions on eligibility, enrollment status, or COBRA information, you can contact Health Plans, Inc. (877 906-5939), the administrator of the dental coverage plan (the group number is 93994). 

VISION BENEFITS

Limited vision benefits are offered through Met Life as part of the same plan established via the Health and Welfare Trust. For more information, go to Met Life (My Benefits), search for Massachusetts Teacher Association in the organization category, and proceed from there to Discount Vision link.

OTHER BENEFITS

Members who are 50% or more are also eligible for sick leave per Article 27.3 of the contract. In addition, members of all percentage of time are eligible for leave per the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and the state's Paid Family and Medical Leave law (PFML).

Certain members are also eligible for a full semester of paid parental leave per Article 27.3 of the contract (all tenure track faculty and librarians and all full-time NTT with 3 years of consecutive full time service). All members may also be eligible for parental leave per PFML.

The contract also includes additional leaves for bereavement, vacation, etc. See Article 27 for more.