Benefits FAQs

There are two options for vision coverage through ERS. Vision coverage is included with your health plan (see below for coverage details), but you can also choose to participate in the State of Texas Vision Plan. The State of Texas Vision Plan is an optional plan that can be purchased and covers eye examinations as well as allowance for frames or contact lenses. More details can be found at the ERS Vision Benefits website. The State of Texas Vision Plan cannot be combined with your health plan coverage discounts.

Vision benefits through health providers

For disease or trauma to the eye, you will need to see a medical doctor through your health care provider. Consult the Master Benefits Plan Document of your health plan for details.

HealthSelect of Texas

If you are a HealthSelect of Texas participant, you can find a network vision care provider from the HealthSelect of Texas website.

• $40 annual eye exam - One per plan year using a network doctor

Community First Health Plans

• Routine Eye Exam - 100% after $40 copay using a network doctor, every 12 months. Cost savings when using OptiCare vision providers
• Frames - $125 allowance, retail value, every 24 months
• Lenses - 100% of single, bifocal, trifocal, lenticular lenses, every 24 months
• Contacts - $125 allowance for fitting, follow-up, and lenses (in lieu of glasses), every 24 months

KelseyCare powered by Community Health Choice

• $25 Routine eye exam - One per plan year using a network doctor

Scott & White

• $40 annual eye exam - One per plan year using a network doctor

Referrals are required under the HealthSelect of Texas (In-Area) plan. However, there are certain exceptions in which you do not need a referral such as:

• Covered vision care, including routine and diagnostic eye exams
• OB/GYN visits
• Mental health counseling
• Chiropractic visits
• Occupational therapy and physical therapy
• Virtual visits, urgent care centers and convenience care clinics

Learn more on the HealthSelect Referrals and Prior Authorization website.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) will begin administering the HealthSelect of Texas plans beginning September 1, 2017.

Visit the Optum Rx website to sign up for Home Delivery.  Select the option by logging in to your account or download a paper form (http://www.healthselectrx.com/). 

If you are a new hire or if you made changes, once your coverage or the changes are effective, it will normally take about 3-4 weeks to receive your card(s).  They will be mailed to you directly from the carrier to your home address.  If you have not received them and want to inquire about the status, you can contact the carriers directly.  You can find all carrier phone numbers on the ERS Program website.

Provider directories are not available in print. The reason they are not provided is because the document changes often. Doctors are added or deleted from the list at any time. The provider directories are located on the HealthSelect website  under Find a Provider, click on Find a Doctor/Hospital.

You will need to make a payment for August only, since you will be paid on July 1 and August 3 for Summer 1.

You will need to make a payment for June only, since you will be paid on August 3 and September 1 for Summer 2.

If you will receive a payment from your grant for all three summer months, then you do not need to prepay as deductions will be taken from your paycheck as usual. 

You can either prepay or plan to pay by check if the class does not make. If you prepay, but your class does make, we will refund the overpayment at the time you are paid. If you are in this situation, please email hh19@txstate.edu.

No, we are not able to accept credit card payments. You may pay by personal check, cashiers check, or money order. Checks should be made payable to Texas State University. Please include your name and TXST ID in the memo line!

Mail checks to:

Texas State University

Attn: JCK 360

601 University Dr, San Marcos, TX 78666

*Please include your Name and TXST ID in the memo line!

As long as we are open, checks can be submitted in the lobby of JCK 340. 

You may defer up to the limits shown below. These limits apply to the 403(b) Tax Deferred Account and the TexaSaver 457 Plan. You can contribute the maximum to each of these programs.

YEAR	Deferral Amount	Age 50-Catch-up Amount*
2019	$19,000	$6,000
*These limits may be indexed for inflation in increments of $500 each year.

No, you must use one of our approved companies and one of the assigned representatives. You can find a list of the approved companies & representatives on the Human Resources website at http://www.hr.txstate.edu/benefits/Retirement-Programs-and-Information-/orpvendors.html.

Yes, you can change companies each payroll cycle. You have the choice of leaving the money you have contributed with the old company or rolling it to the new one. You can find a list of approved companies on the Human Resources website at http://www.hr.txstate.edu/benefits/Retirement-Programs-and-Information-/orpvendors.html

Yes. In 2019, you can contribute $19,000 to each and if you are age 50 or older by the end of the calendar year, you may contribute another $6,000 to each.

No, the Teacher Retirement System does not allow this.  Other considerations may be your 403(b) TDA or your Texa$aver (457) Plan if you are enrolled in either of those plans. Contact your TDA vendor representative for options.  Contact information is on the Human Resources website at http://www.hr.txstate.edu/benefits/Retirement-Programs-and-Information-/orpvendors.html. You can contact a representative of the Texa$aver Plan at 800-634-5091.

You can retire with State paid retiree insurance when your age plus years of service equals 80 or when you reach age 65 with 10 years of service. Your years of service must include at least 10 years of service in a benefits eligible position with a GBP participating agency. If you retire before age 65 with 10 years of service, you can elect interim retiree insurance at your own expense until you reach age 65. Then at age 65 you can enroll in the state paid retiree insurance plan. If you retire before age 65 with less than 10 years of service, you will never be able to enroll in the retiree insurance.

Teacher Retirement System staff ask that you contact them 4 - 6 months ahead of time, if possible. If you qualify for retiree insurance, you should come to Human Resources at least 90 days before your retirement date to enroll in the insurance. Access the Retiree Checklist to help you get navigate the retirement steps.

When you retire and have Medicare at age 65, Medicare is primary. If you come back to work in a benefits-eligible position (at least 50% time), your health plan through Texas State becomes primary while you are working.

Once you’ve earned it, comp time is available for immediate use with supervisory approval. Sick leave is also available to use immediately once you have earned your accruals for the month and you have physically worked part of the month. Vacation use requires six continuous months of state service before the accruals are available to use. If you do not have six continuous months of state service (including prior state service), then vacation accruals cannot be used until six months from the date of hire.

Yes, provided there was no break in service between the termination date of the NSNR appointment and employment date as a regular employee.

Yes. A part-time exempt employee earns state comp for each hour over their FTE in a week. For example, if a 50% employee works 20 hours a week, any hours over 20 are banked as state comp time.

Part-time non-exempt employees only earn FLSA overtime or state comp time for hours over 40 in a work week. Therefore, most part-time non-exempt employees do not bank FLSA overtime or state comp time for use at a later date. Instead, supervisors should allow the employee to work additional hours in another week (or combination of weeks) which are paid at the time they are worked. This additional pay should offset the loss of income for any LWOP during an energy conservation day.

State law does not allow Texas State to pay for state compensatory time at termination of employment. If you don’t use what you’ve earned, you will lose it when you terminate.

No. You can complete a Request for Sick Leave Pool/Donation form to have your sick leave balance donated to the sick leave pool at termination. You can find the form on the HR website at https://www.hr.txstate.edu/forms.html. If you do not donate your sick leave, and you come back to state employment within 12 months, your sick leave balance will be restored.

Yes.

No. Sick Leave Pool does not cover routine childbirth. If the pregnancy is considered to be a complicated pregnancy, then you may request hours from the sick leave pool to help you through until the baby’s birth. Once the child is born, you are no longer covered by the sick leave pool.

Policy prohibits an employee from remaining on the payroll to exhaust compensatory time without divisional Vice President’s approval, or vacation leave without Human Resources approval. The employee must be removed from the payroll on the last day worked unless these approvals are obtained. See UPPS 04.04.30, section 3.13 c concerning vacation leave and UPPS 04.04.16, section 2.03 (b) (3) concerning compensatory time. These policies can be found at www.txstate.edu/effective/upps/upps4-index.html#04.

You will find a chart in the Staff Handbook found online here. You can also find a chart in UPPS 04.04.30, section 3.03 at www.txstate.edu/effective/upps/upps-04-04-30.html. Vacation accruals are based on years of state service. Your total state service consists of work performed at other state agencies and institutions of higher education (including prior Texas State employment) whether student, part-time or full-time service.

No. See UPPS 04.04.30, section 13.06 at www.txstate.edu/effective/upps/upps-04-04-30.html.

A supervisor may approve funeral leave for a death in an employee’s immediate family. The general guideline is 3 days for an in-state service and up to 5 days for an out-of-state service. Any request for more than 5 days requires VP approval. See UPPS 04.04.30, Section 9 for a list of family members that would qualify at www.txstate.edu/effective/upps/upps-04-04-30.html.

When the university closes for unforeseen occurrences, the Office of Human Resources will issue a campus-wide e-mail to all employees providing instructions on how to code their timesheets. Sometimes we are required to have skeleton crews and other times we close the campus completely, including classes that are scheduled. In most cases, these hours or days would be coded 2070 for “University Closure.”

Yes. He would get credit for his hours worked plus holiday hours. The holiday hours would then convert to compensatory time which the employee could take off at another time within the next 12 months.