Crouse Benefits for Non-Union Employees

New employees are offered a choice of different medical plans. Benefits are available the first of the month following the date of hire if signed up for within ten days of orientation. Employees can add or modify health benefit elections during the hospital’s annual open enrollment period. To check flex account information or to view a list of preferred providers, contact our health insurance administrator, POMCO at 1-866-578-8199.

Medical Insurance Plans Comparisons

Medical Insurance Rate Chart

Summary Plan Document for Health Insurance

Summary of Benefits & Coverage
Summary Annual Report for Short Term Disability Insurance

Hospital Discount
Employees receive a 25% discount on their gross bill for inpatient and outpatient services performed at Crouse Hospital. This discount is applied toward an employee’s cost after the employee’s insurance company has paid its portion of the bill. This discount extends to services provided for employees and dependents residing in the same household.

Employees are offered a choice of dental plans. For new employees, dental benefits are available the first of the month following the date of hire if signed up for within ten days of orientation. Employees can add or modify dental benefit elections during the hospital’s annual open enrollment period. To check flex account information or to view a list of preferred providers, contact our dental insurance administrator, POMCO at 1-866-578-8199.

Dental Plan Overview

Summary Plan Document for Dental Coverage

For new employees, vision benefits are available the first of the month following the date of hire if signed up for within ten days of orientation. Employees can add or modify vision benefit elections during the hospital’s annual open enrollment period. To specific benefits or to view a list of preferred providers, contact our vision insurance administrator, Davis Vision, at 1-800-999-5431.

Vision Plan Overview

After the initial sign up period for new hires, employees may make changes in their coverage in the hospital-sponsored medical, dental, and flexible spending plans during the hospital’s designated enrollment periods. In addition, employees may be allowed to make certain benefit changes as a result of experiencing a change in family status, including

• Marriage
• Divorce
• Separation
• Death
• Birth/Adoption
• Spouse/Dependent loss of coverage

Notification of a qualifying event must be made within 30 days of experiencing the event. Proof of qualifying event will be required.

Crouse Hospital’s Employee Pharmacy is conveniently located on the basement level of the Memorial unit. Purchases can be made with cash, check, credit card or through payroll deduction. Employees who do not participate in hospital medical coverage may purchase prescriptions at hospital cost.

Crouse Hospital’s onsite Employee Health Office provides quality care for employees, while also promoting occupational health and safety.

Services include:

• Pre-employment physicals/drug screenings
• Annual health assessments
• Health Counseling
• Immunization updates
• Smoking Cessation
• Wellness Activities
• Weight Watchers
• Blood pressure monitoring
• Walking Club
• Tennis Club
• Pilates
• Zumba
• Mindful Living & Stress Reduction course

New hires will have an allotment of PTO days given to them on date of hire. The number of PTO days will be based on the total number of PTO days for the position based on year 0-1. (See charts below)

PTO days will be prorated based on the number of pay periods left in the calendar year of hire. On January 1st of the next year, the full allotment of days for the position based on the 0-1 years of service amount will be issued.

Part-time employees will have their allotted PTO days prorated based on their FTE value.

Employees may carry over up to a maximum of 5 unused PTO days each year.

Physician PTO days are allotted based upon individual contracts.

School of Nursing Faculty will receive 10 PTO days (12 for 12 month employee) annually.

After the first day of the month following a full time employee’s hire date, they will be eligible for 6 paid holidays including New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas.

Full-time and part-time employees may take up to three days for the death of an immediate family member. An additional two days of paid or unpaid time may be taken in the event of the death of the employee’s spouse, domestic partner, parent or child.

Full-time employees only who are in the National Guard or Reserves are paid the difference between their base-rate wages and their military pay for mandatory annual military reserve training duty.

Upon completion of the probationary period, full-time employees only are paid their full base-rate salary to serve as jurors to a maximum of 10 scheduled workdays per year. Part-time employees will be paid on a pro-rated basis.

Full-time and part-time employees working 20 hours per week or more receive no cost life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment benefits that equal 1.5 times their annual salary, up to a maximum of $400,000. The life insurance benefit is reduced by 67% of coverage at age 70 and 50% at age 75.

Employees may also purchase additional protection for themselves for up to 3 times their basic annual earnings without evidence of insurability or up to $500,000 with evidence of insurability for low per paycheck costs. Evidence of insurability will be required after initial enrollment.

Employees may also purchase additional protection for their spouse at 50% of the employee’s option amount up to $25,000 without evidence of insurability or $150,000 with evidence of insurability for low per paycheck costs. Employees may also purchase up to $10,000 for each dependent child. Evidence of insurability will be required after initial enrollment.

Basic Life and AD & D Overview 1

Basic Life and AD & D Overview 2

Summary Plan Document for Life Insurance

Optional Life Highlights

Optional ADD Highlights 

Full-time and part-time employees working 20 hours or more per week will be provided at no cost a short term disability policy for non-work related illness or injuries. The benefit pays 50% of the employee’s base weekly earning to a maximum of $1,250 after a 7 day waiting period. The benefit is payable to a maximum of 26 weeks. Employees have the option to purchase up to an additional 10% or 20% in short term disability coverage at low per paycheck costs. Buy-ups after initial enrollment may require evidence of insurability.

Short Term Disability Core & Buy-Ups

Summary Plan Document for Short-Term & Long Term Disability

Full-time and part-time employees will be provided at no cost a long term disability policy for non-work related illness or injuries. The benefit pays 50% of the employees base monthly earning to a maximum of $5,000 after a 180 day waiting period. Employees have the option to purchase up to an additional 10% or 16.70% in long term disability coverage at low per paycheck costs. Buy-ups after initial enrollment may require evidence of insurability.

LongTerm Disability Core & Buy-Ups

Summary Plan Document for Short-Term & Long Term Disability
Summary Annual Report for Basic Life, ADD Long Term Disability

Crouse Hospital will reimburse employees for a maximum of 15 credit hours per calendar year for approved courses in accredited educational programs. Full-time employees are eligible to apply for reimbursement up to $400 per credit hour for graduate degree courses and up to $300 per credit hour for undergraduate degree courses. One hundred percent (100%) of the first $1,000 and 50% of the remaining cost will be paid for non-credit certification course (i.e., CASAC, Microsoft Certification) up to a maximum of $1,750.

Part-time employees working a regular schedule of at least 20 hours per week are eligible to apply for reimbursement up to $300 per credit hour for graduate degree courses and up to $200 per credit hour for undergraduate degree courses. One hundred percent (100%) of the first $500 and 50% of the remaining cost will be paid for non-credit certification course (i.e., CASAC, Microsoft Certification) up to a maximum of $1,250.

Part-time employees working less than 20 hours per week are eligible to apply for reimbursement up to $150 per credit hour for graduate degree courses and up to $100 per credit hour for undergraduate degree courses. One hundred percent (100%) of the first $250 and 50% of the remaining cost will be paid for non-credit certification course (i.e., CASAC, Microsoft Certification) up to a maximum of $750.

Employees must work one year after the date tuition aid was last granted or the tuition aid must be refunded to the hospital.

Full or partial reimbursement is available for employees, their spouses, and any dependent children in the Crouse Hospital College of Nursing. Benefits and eligibility are based on the employee's number of years of service on a full-or part-time basis.

Employees may elect to contribute up to $2,500 each calendar year to the Health Care Reimbursement Account to be used for uninsured medical, dental, and vision expenses. Expenses that are reimbursed through the Health Care Reimbursement Account are not subject to federal or New York State income tax or Social Security tax (FICA). Any health expenses (except premium payments) that are deductible for federal income tax purposes and cannot be paid under any health insurance plan are eligible for reimbursement.

Internal Revenue Service Publication 502 lists these eligible expenses. Copies of Publication 502 are available in the Human Resources Department. Any money left in your Health Care Reimbursement Account following the end of any calendar year cannot be returned to the employee or carried over to meet the following year's expenses. IRS regulations stipulate that remaining balances must be forfeited. However, claims for expenses that are incurred during any calendar year can be submitted until March 31 of the following year.

Examples of eligible expenses include, but are not limited to:

• Items not covered by your medical dental and vision insurance, such as deductibles, co-insurance amounts, excess over reasonable and customary charges, excess over scheduled or annual maximums, routine physicals, immunizations, and over the counter drugs.
• Vision expenses, including exams, prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses and Seeing Eye dogs.
• Hearing expenses, including exams and hearing aids.
• Mental health or substance abuse treatment provided by a licensed practitioner.

Flexible Spending Account Overview

Employees may elect to contribute up to $5,000 each calendar year to the Dependent Care Reimbursement Account.

Expenses that are reimbursed through the Dependent Care Reimbursement Account are not subject to federal or New York State income tax or FICA tax. The Dependent Care Reimbursement Account can only provide reimbursement for dependent care expenses incurred so that employees (and their spouses, if applicable) can work, look for work, or attend school full-time. Employees may also use the account to pay for dependent care expenses incurred while they work if their spouse is disabled. Any money left in either the Health Care Reimbursement Account or the Dependent Care Account following the end of any calendar year cannot be returned to the employee or carried over to meet the following year's expenses. IRS regulations stipulate that remaining balances must be forfeited. However, claims for expenses that are incurred during any calendar year can be submitted until March 31 of the following year.

Eligible dependents include: dependent children under the age of 12, a disabled spouse or another disabled dependent and elderly parents who are physically or mentally unable to care for themselves. However, to be reimbursed through the Plan an employee must claim a personal exemption for the dependent(s) for federal income tax purposes.

The dependent care expenses that can be reimbursed through a Dependent Care Reimbursement Account are the same as those eligible for the federal dependent care tax credit. Qualified dependent care expenses cannot be applied to both the reimbursement account and tax credits. Examples of eligible expenses include payments to: day care centers, nursery schools, personal baby-sitters, live-in help (whose primary function is dependent care) and elder care providers. Payments to the employee’s own child age 19 or younger or to any other dependent they claim for tax purposes are not eligible expenses whose.

Each calendar year, employees may elect to contribute up to $2,400 for parking and $1,260 for mass transit to a Transportation Reimbursement Account. Amounts allowable are increased annually by indexing the original amounts stated under Code Section 132. You will be notified annually as to what the maximum amounts are for these expenses.

Expenses that are reimbursed through a Transportation Reimbursement Account are not subject to federal or New York State income tax or FICA tax.

Qualified expenses include parking facilities not sponsored by Crouse Hospital and any pass, token, fare card, voucher or similar item entitling you to use mass transit to commute to work.

All non-union employees will be part of the Hospital’s 401k Retirement Program. Non-union employees can contribute up to the legal annual limit into this plan. The plan includes a matching feature from the Crouse Hospital, as well as an annual profit sharing contribution. For employees who choose not to make contributions to the plan, they are still eligible for the annual profit sharing contribution as long as they meet the standard requirements. The 401(k) has a vesting schedule related to the hospital’s contributions. You are always 100% vested with your individual contributions. For complete details about this plan, please consult with your Human Resources recruiter.

401(k) Overview

Employees have the opportunity to contribute a portion of income, subject to tax code limits, to a Tax Sheltered Annuity (TSA). Contributions to the TSA, as well as interest accumulating in the TSA, are tax deferred.

Hourly non-union employees are paid shift differentials, which are calculated as a percentage of the base hourly rate.

Call time pay is $3.50 per hour. If called into work, union employees must work a minimum of four hours at the regular pay rate, plus applicable shift differential.

Hourly employees will be paid time-and-one-half of their regular hourly pay rate for all hours worked in excess of eight, ten or 12-hour shifts or 40 hours per week (or the normal full-time schedule for other than eight-hour shifts). Overtime pay is received in the next paycheck.

Employees are paid every other Monday. The amount paid includes all hours worked during the two weeks prior to the preceding week, beginning on a Sunday and ending on a Saturday.

Direct deposit is available at a number of local banks and credit unions. Direct deposit can be made to more than one bank account.

The Crouse Hospital Federal Credit Union offers many services, including savings, loans, draft checking and holiday clubs. They also organize quarterly out-of-town, overnight sightseeing bus trips.

Met Life Legal Services

Employees can purchase auto, homeowners, group legal and pet insurance through MetLIfe at discounted rates. Supplemental life, disability and critical illness coverage through the Farmington Company is also available. Payroll deduction is offered for each of these benefits. 
 

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

HelpPeople, the hospital’s employee assistance program, provides free, confidential assistance and counseling for a wide range of personal issues to employees and their dependents. Free shuttle service is provided from the hospital to HelpPeople during regular business hours

Monetary assistance and loans are available for employees facing certain hardships. Please contact Human Resources at 315/470-7521 for details.

Parking and shuttle bus service is available at Crouse Hospital sponsored parking lots. Employees may pay for parking through payroll deduction and can elect to have the deduction withdrawn on a pre-tax basis.

Employees receive a 25 percent discount on all items sold at the Clock Tower Café and Lindsay’s Café. Payroll deduction is available for all purchases. Employees working on Thanksgiving and/or Christmas receive a free meal on those days.

Recognizing team members for a job well done is tightly woven into the Crouse culture. Employees are recognized all year long for going “above and beyond” with the Simply the Best awards program and also are honored annually at the Crouse Choice Awards. During employee recognition week each May, employees are recognized for reaching milestone years of employment service.  A festive picnic is also held for all employees to celebrate the hospital’s teamwork and accomplishments.

Your assigned recruiter will work with you to schedule a personal appointment with a benefit specialist prior to your employment start date. Your offer letter will notify you of the date and time of this appointment.

Non-union employee benefits begin the first of the month following the date of hire if enrolled within 10 days of New Employee Orientation.

Your insurance cards should arrive by mail one to two weeks before your coverage begins. However, the coverage will not begin until the effective date. If you do not receive these cards within one week of this effective date, please contact one of our benefit specialists.

Myra Seikaly-Livingston - 315/470-7524

Tracey Tortorello - 315/470-2986

Tracey Tortorello - 315/470-2986

Dan Rohnke at 315/470-5913