2024-25 biweekly coverage premiums

For active certificated employees

When you enroll for MNPS medical/dental/vision/hearing coverage, you pay 25% of the cost; MNPS pays 75%. You pay your share with pre-tax payroll deduction, described below. Deductions are based on whether you work a 10-month (22 deductions) or 12-month (26 deductions) schedule. (Note: Premiums are based on your work schedule, NOT on how often you get a paycheck.)

The following biweekly deductions are effective with the first paycheck issued in the 2024-2025 school year. If you (the employee) choose to take the Cigna health assessment, you will qualify for the lowest rate, which is discounted $36.36/biweekly (if you work a 10-month schedule) or $30.77/biweekly (if you work a 12-month schedule). If you choose not to take the health assessment, you will pay the standard rate, as shown below. Learn more.

Health Plan Rates

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* If you (the employee) choose to take the Cigna health assessment, you will qualify for the lowest rate, which is discounted $36.36/biweekly (if you work a 10-month schedule) or $30.77/biweekly (if you work a 12-month schedule). If you choose not to take the health assessment, you will pay the standard rate. Learn more.

** Life and AD&D includes basic employee life/AD&D coverage of $50,000, spouse life of $25,000 and child life of $10,000 per child over 6 months of age. For supplemental life and disability insurance costs, visit Benefit Express.

For costs for short-term and long-term disability, visit Benefit Express.

Pre-tax premium payment program

The pre-tax premium payment program allows you to pay your insurance premiums before income or Social Security taxes are deducted from your pay, saving you money. Enrollment in program is automatic. However, you may waive your participation by completing a form available from Employee Benefit Services, which must be signed and submitted before the end of each year.

Because of the tax advantages, the IRS does not allow you to change your coverage during the year, unless you experience a qualifying life event, like death, divorce, birth or adoption of a child, or a job change by you or your spouse.

Controlling costs

The MNPS Certificated Employee Health Plan uses several strategies to manage costs both for the trust and for employees:

Preferred provider network

All providers in our networks agree to charge pre-negotiated discounted fees and to abide by certain quality standards. These arrangements ensure better quality of care at better rates.

Preadmission certification/authorization

Before you enter a hospital for an elected admission or before you receive certain outpatient tests or procedures, information has to be sent to our claims administrator for review and approval. If you use a network provider, it is his/her responsibility to get the proper authorizations, and you will be held harmless if he fails to do so. If you go out-of-network, it is your responsibility to get care authorized. If you fail to get an inpatient admission authorized, benefits will be reduced, and the balance after benefit reduction will not apply toward any out-of-pocket limits.

Medical necessity review

The health plan only provides for medical services, treatments or supplies that are considered medically necessary. To be eligible for benefits, the care needs to be:

Provided under the direction of a hospital or physician
Consistent with the symptoms or diagnosis of the person’s medical condition
Appropriate according to the standards of good medical practice
Not solely for the convenience of the patient, physician or hospital
The most appropriate care that can be safely administered

Our claims administrator routinely reviews care to make sure we cover only medically necessary treatments. If you use a network provider, it is his/her responsibility to provide only medically necessary care or to advise you if the treatment would not be covered by the health plan. You will be held harmless if he/she fails to do so. If you go out of the network, it is your responsibility to ensure that the care you receive is considered medically necessary. If you have a question regarding a treatment, you should contact Cigna to verify coverage.