🚀 go-pugleaf

Hi, I was recently sent a copy of a booklet entitled

    "1992 UW-Madison Staff Benefits Booklet For Graduate Assistants,
    Employees-In-Training, Fellows, Scholars and Short-Term Academic
    Staff (_Not_ Covered Under The Wisconsin Retirement System)

This booklet outlines a variety of benefit programs that TAs, PAs, RAs,
and Fellows *are* eligible for.


  *** WARNING >>>   Employees must apply for most of these benefits
  *** WARNING >>>   within 30 days of employment.  Check into these
  *** WARNING >>>   benefits *now* if you are a new employee.


Eligibility and enrollment deadlines vary from program to program.  In
particular, Research Assistants and Fellows are excluded from some
programs (go figure).

For specific details, look at a copy of this pamphlet and talk to the
experts (see below).  Here's an overview of the programs available,
just to give you an idea.  Disclaimer:  I am discussing these just as a
private citizen, don't know the details of these programs, etc.

  - State Group Health Insurance.  (Most grads know about this one!)
    Choose from HMO plans or two "standard" plans that allow you to
    choose your own providers (which is more expensive).

  - Major Medical Insurance - John Deere Insurance Company.  Also known
    as Catastrophic insurance.  Intended to supplement your primary
    health or dental coverage(s).  Also includes accidental death and
    dismemberment.  $6.50/month single, additional $6.50/month for each
    dependent.

  - Dentacare Smile Plus Dental Insurance.  (Note that some HMO health
    plans and John Deere also provide some dental coverage.)  Single
    and family plans that provide 100% of routine, preventive, and
    diagnostic care.  Other dental services are offered at a discount
    but require a co-payment.

  - Life insurance - several plans with guaranteed insurability and
    competitive rates.

  - Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance.  The name says it
    all.

  - Employee Reimbursement Accounts (ERA).  Takes money out of your
    check before taxes and puts it in a holding fund.  Then you can use
    the money during the year to pay for *medical expenses* (including
    glasses, dental, etc) or *day care* .  At the end of the year, if
    there's any money left in the fund that you didn't spent, it's
    lost.

  - Tax-Sheltered Annuity.  Take money out of your check pre-tax and
    put it in tax-free retirement plans.  You can invest the money with
    a number of companies in a variety of investment programs.

  - Deferred Compensation Plan.  Like the TSA program, but you get
    *all* the money back when you stop working for the university and
    it is all taxed then.  It can't be rolled over into an IRA then, so
    this could have advantages or disadvantages.

More information on these programs can be obtained from the Computer
Science Staff Benefits coordinator, Marie Johnson, or from Personnel
Support Services at 263-2511, or the UW-Madison Staff Benefits office at
262-3849.  I'll also leave a copy of the booklet outside my office (CS
3367, please don't take it).

I am also concerned that many continuing graduate students may not have
been informed about these benefits while they were still eligible to
enroll for them.  I believe that the department and the university have
a responsibility to inform people about the benefits that are available
to them.  Further, where this was not done, I believe that they have
the responsibility to make these programs available to people at this
time even though the deadlines may be passed.  I encourage efforts to
see that this occurs.

I hope that this information is helpful to new and continuing graduate
students.

Cheers,

allan