Benefits Overview

If you are a full- or part-time employee of the State of Colorado, you may receive benefits under the Colorado Revised Statutes and the State Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures. The plans offered by the State are intended and expected to continue, but the state reserves the right to discontinue or revise the plans at any time. A brief description of the group insurance plans currently available is posted on this site. Each insurance plan is governed at all times by the complete terms of the master group insurance policy issued by the insurance company. More detailed information is available from the Benefits Office, (970) 491-6737.

Want to learn more about your benefits? Check out the following:

Medical Insurance	Dental Insurance	IRS Section125 Pre-Tax Premium
Life/AD&D Insurance	Personal Accident Insurance	PERA Life Insurance
Flexible Spending Accounts	Short-Term Disability	Long-Term Disability
Disability Retirement	PERA	Liability Insurance
Unemployment Insurance	Workers' Compensation	Tax-Deferred Investments
U.S. Savings Bonds	Public Service Credit Union	Colo. State Employees' Credit Union
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As a State of Colorado employee, a selection of medical plans are provided that offer you and your eligible dependents financial protection against a wide range of health care expenses resulting from illness or injury. The State plans include benefits for medical care, prescription drugs, behavioral health, and transplants. The State provides a subsidy toward the cost of medical coverage for you and your eligible dependents. For more information on the available plans, click here to visit the State of Colorado Benefits web site.

The State paysthe premium for the employee's dental coverage. The employee pays the cost for dental coverage for eligible dependents age 5 and older. Dependents under age 5 are covered at no premium cost to the employee.

You can elect to pay your medical and dental premiums on an IRS Section 125 pre-tax basis. This means that any premiums you make are deducted before federal and state income taxes, your Public Employees' Retirement Association (PERA) contribution and Medicare tax (where applicable) are taken out of your pay. Because your PERA benefit is based on the average of your highest three annual salaries, PERA benefits may be affected by pre-tax contributions. If you are within three years of retirement, you may want to discontinue your participation in order to maximize the average of your highest three annual salaries.

The state provides employees with $12,000 basic employee term life insurance and $12,000 matchingAD&D coverage. The State pays 100 percent of the premium for this plan, so no employee contribution is required. Optional life/AD&D insurance may be purchased for you and your spouse. Coverage may be selected between $10,000 and $300,000 in multiples of $10,000 with an automatic matching amount of AD&D coverage for each insured person. Premiums are based on the age(s) of the insured and are deducted on an after-tax basis. You also may select optional life/AD&D insurance coverage for eligible dependent children. One flat monthly premium covers all your eligible dependents children and provides a life insurance amount for each of them.

Colorado State University provides coverage for loss of life, limb, or eyesight as a result of accident, on or off duty, while insured. Benefit payments are in addition to any other payment as a result of the accident. Coverage is available from $25,000 up to a maximum of $300,000 (not to exceed 10 times your annual base salary). Family coverage is available that provides coverage on your spouse and dependent children.

You also have the option of enrolling in two PERA-sponsored decreasing term life insurance plans. You may enroll within the first 30 days of employment or during PERA's fall annual open-enrollment period. Employees may continue this overage during retirement, provided enrollment was completed and approved prior to ones retirement date. Coverage cannot be initiated after you retire.

Flexible spending accounts, governed by IRS Code 125, help you save on taxes and get more for your dollar by reimbursing you for health care and dependent-care expenses on a pre-tax basis. With these accounts, you can cover expenses that are not included in your benefit plans through the State or any other benefit plan in which you are enrolled. This means that dollars you contribute are deducted before federal and state income taxes, yourPERA contribution, and Medicare tax (where applicable) are taken our of your pay. Because your PERA benefit is based on the average of your highest three annual salaries, PERA benefits may be affected by pre-tax contributions. If you are within three years of retirement, you maywant to discontinue your participation in order to maximize the average of your highest three annual salaries.

State of Colorado
The state provides you with short-term disability coverage. The short-term disability plan is designed to work with any other benefits you may receive or be eligible to receive (e.g. Social Security, Workers' Compensation) to replace up to 60 percent of your pre-disability income. Click here to visit the State of Colorado Benefits Website.

PERA
A revision to the law governing PERA required PERA to establish a new two-tiered disability program, effective January 1, 1999. Disability retirement benefits will be provided to members with five or more years of service who are totally and permanently incapacitated from regular and substantial gainful employment. Click here for more information.

State of Colorado
You may choose to purchase long-term disability coverage. Long-term disability coverage is an optional plan that is designed to continue benefits after your short-term disability benefits end. Like short-term disability coverage, long-term disability coverage provides you with up to 60 percent of your pre-disability income, offset by any other benefits or earnings you may receive or are eligible to receive from other sources.

PERA
A revision to the law governing PERA required PERA to establish a new two-tiered disability program, effective January 1, 1999. Disability retirement benefits will be provided to members with five or more years of service who are totally and permanently incapacitated from regular and substantial gainful employment. Click here for more information.

The Public Employees' Retirement Association (PERA) provides retirement and other benefits to employees of the State of Colorado. Serving as a substitute for Social Security, PERA provides benefits to you when you retire or are disabled or to your family after your death. As a PERA member, you contribute 8 percent (current rate) of your monthly salary to your PERA-member contribution account. Your PERA contributions are tax-deferred; they are not considered taxable income for federal and state income tax purposes until they are withdrawn through a refund or monthly benefit. The amount deducted from your salary and the University's contribution go toward the establishment of a retirement annuity fund for you. Upon ending PERA-covered employment, you may withdraw your member contribution account or leave your account with PERA for a future refund or monthly benefit.

The Colorado Governmental Immunity Act, C.R.S. 1973, protects public employees from liability and from the costs of defense where the claim against the public employee arises out of injuries sustained from an act or omission of the employee during the performance of his or her duties and within the scope of his or her employment. The Colorado Governmental Immunity Act defines "employee" as "an officer, employee or servant of the public entity, whether or not compensated, elected, or appointed, but does not include an independent contractor or any person who is sentenced to section 42-4-1202(4), C.R.S. 1973, to participate in any type of useful public service." In 1985, the State Legislature passed the Risk Management Act, which established a State self-insured fund. Colorado State University and employees, as defined, are insured by this fund for claims where immunity has been waived by the Governmental Immunity Act.

State classified employees are covered by the Colorado Employment Security Act of 1971. Employees who leave the University may be entitled to unemployment benefits and may file a claim on the basis of wages earned at the University, provided the terms and conditions of the Colorado Employment Security Act are met. All cases are handled separately, and rulings to determine eligibility are made on an individual basis.

The University provides Workers' Compensation insurance to assist employees with expenses resulting from any injuries or occupational diseases incurred in connection with job performance. Injuries occurring on the job must be reported in writing, within four working days of the injury, to the supervisor or department office. Occupational diseases must be reported in writing within 30 days after the first distinct manifestation thereof. There are penalties assessed for the late reporting of work-related injuries or diseases. Information concerning this insurance and required injury/disease reports may be obtained from the Human Resource Services Manual (Section 9, Workers' Compensation Insurance, and Section 4, State Classified Personnel: Injury/Illness on the Job) or from the Office of Environmental Health Services. For more information, click here.

Non-temporary employees of the University may participate in a tax-deferred investment plan available on an optional basis. These plans permit the employee to defer a portion of income and to pay tax on the deferred income at a time when the employee's tax rate is lower (e.g. after retirement). The tax-deferred investments are established by deducting fromthe salary of an employee a stipulated amount (on a pre-tax basis) not to exceed the maximum established by the Internal Revenue Service. Further information is available in the Benefits Office, Human Resource Services Department, (970) 491-6737.

Employees have the opportunity to invest in savings bonds through the automatic payroll deduction plan. Authorization cards for savings bond deductions may be obtained from the Payroll Office of the Human Resource Services Department, (970) 491-4972.

Employees and their families are eligible for membership in the Public Service Credit Union. Some additional banking services may be made by payroll deduction with application to PSCU. Membership information and deduction-authorization forms may be obtained from the Credit Union.

Employees are eligible for membership with the state-operated Colorado State Employees Credit Union. Membership information may be obtained from the Credit Union.