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The information contained in this Summary is intended to provide a general description of WRI benefits. In the event of any inconsistency between information provided and actual policies or plan documents, the plan policies or documents will govern. Although WRI intends to continue its benefit programs, it reserves the right to alter, amend, or rescind any part of its benefit programs at any time for any reason, to the extent permitted by law.
For a more detailed description of your benefits, please consult the Staff Information Handbook, the various Plan booklets or the Human Resources Department.
January, 2008
Group medical insurance
Guardian Insurance – PPO Plan
In-Network
Plan covers 100% for doctor visits inside the network of doctors after a $15 co-payment for general doctor visits, and a $15 co-payment for specialist doctor visits. No referral required in order to go to a specialist .
Plan covers 100% for all surgery, hospital and other charges inside the network AFTER $250 co-pay per hospitalization) . There is a $100 co-payment per emergency room visit as well.
Out-of-Network
Plan covers 70% for doctor visits when outside the network after an individual has paid $500 deductible (2 deductibles for employee + one and 3 for family) . Plan covers 100% after an individual maximum out of pocket of $3,000 ($7,500 for families) per year.
Additional Coverage Guidelines
Maternity coverage is included. Plan covers “well baby” charges in network, and other maternity charges according to the deductible and co-insurance percentages.
A prescription card is included . Retail prescriptions are covered after a $15 co-payment for generic; $30 co-payment for preferred brand name; $45 co-payment for non-preferred brand name. Two (2) co-payments are required to cover mail-order prescriptions for 90-day supply. Oral Contraceptives are included.
Pre-certification is required for surgery and hospital stays.
Destiny Consumer Driven Plan
This is a new concept in healthcare where the employee is expected to be more actively involved in one's own healthcare and in managing the medical costs of services that might be needed. The philosophy behind the plan is that active, involved consumers will be wiser and more careful with their medical spendings if the money is theirs. The Destiny Consumer Driven Plan is structured like an amalgam of a self-insured plan with the benefits of a comprehensive plan as a safety net. An individual is provided a personal medical fund (PMF) of $750. Employee + one is provided a PMF of $1313 and a family of three or more with PMF of $1875. This allowance as such is to be used for doctor's visits, lab tests, etc. There are no co-pays like with the PPO plan. If someone has money left over at the end of the year, the remaining monies get carried over into the next plan year. If an employee leaves WRI, the accrued PMF monies remaining are the employee's money to be spent on any healthcare needs or payments towards healthcare premiums with the new employer.
If the PMF monies are all spent, then the annual deductibles apply (employee only is $1200 / employee + 1 is $2100 / family deductible is $3000.) However note that the PMF monies spent also count towards the deductible so the actual out of pocket deductible is the deductible amount minus the respective PMF (based on the level of coverage). The annual deductible does not apply to hospitalization, surgery, and chronic medications. The WRI plan includes a Chronic Medication Benefit whereby the cost of medication taken for 100 + specified chronic illnesses is not taken out of the PMF. So the consumer is only expected to pay the co-pay (same as the PPO plan) and the remaining cost of the medication is covered.
The Destiny Consumer Driven Plan covers 100% for all surgery, hospital and other charges inside the network AFTER a one-time $250/$500 hospitalization co-pay per plan year) .
The other attractive features of the consumer driven plan is that Destiny Healthcare offers incentives and rewards for following through with preventative care and for healthy living such as exercising, smoking cessation, and weight reduction. See Human Resources staff for informational brochures.
Out-of-Network
The maximum out-of-pocket expenses in a worse case scenario (excluding prescription co-pays) for out of network usage is $1950 for single individual (in-network is $700) / $3787 for employee + 1 (in-network is $1287) and $5625 for family (in-network is $1875). So there are huge built-in incentives to go in net-work under the consumer driven plan.
Additional Coverage Guidelines
Maternity coverage is included. Plan covers “well baby” charges in network, and other maternity charges according to the deductible and co-insurance percentages.
A prescription card is included . Retail prescriptions are covered after a $15 co-payment for generic; $30co-payment for preferred brand name; $45 co-payment for non-preferred brand name. Two (2) co-payments are required to cover mail-order prescriptions for 90-day supply. Oral Contraceptives are included.
Pre-certification is required for surgery and hospital stays.
The Destiny Consumer Driven Plan covers 100% for all surgery, hospital and other charges inside the network AFTER a one-time (out-of-network) $500 hospitalization co-pay per plan year . For employee + 1 there are two hospitalization co-pays and for family 3 co-pays.
Group dental insurance
Employees and eligible dependents are provided dental coverage under Guardian's Indemnity/PPO Plan. Services may be obtained from participating dentists “in plan” or from dentists outside the plan. Reimbursement rates are higher “in plan”. Basic features are:
Plan covers preventive and diagnostic services 100% (no deductible), basic dental procedures 90% “in plan” and 80% “out of plan”, and major dental procedures 60% “in plan” and 50% “out of plan”.
Orthodontist benefits 50% with $1000 lifetime maximum per insured person (dependents ages 1 to 19).
Plan covers up to $1500 of benefits per calendar year per insured person.
Group term life insurance and Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance
Basic Life Insurance coverage equivalent to 2 times your annual base salary up to a maximum of $500,000.
Basic Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Insurance Coverage equivalent to two (2) times your annual base salary. Two (2) times if loss of life occurred while utilizing common carrier transportation.
Short term disability insurance
Employees are protected against loss of earnings due to non-occupational illness or injury. Benefits are payable on the 1st day after an accident or on the 8th day of an illness. Benefits continue for up to 26 weeks (181 days).
The benefit is equal to 70% of your weekly income, up to a maximum of $1,500 per week.
Maternity is covered as a disability.
Weekly insurance benefits may be reduced by other sources of income (see contract).
Long term disability insurance
This benefit picks up where short term disability benefits end (181st day). Benefits under this plan will continue up to age 65.
The benefit is equal to 60% of your basic monthly income, up to a maximum of $10,000 per month.
Monthly insurance benefits may be reduced by other sources of income (see contract).
All disabilities resulting from mental or nervous conditions are covered, but are limited to 24 months unless hospitalized at the end of the 24 month period.
WRI pension plan
The WRI Pension Plan is a "defined contribution" retirement plan funded exclusively through the purchase of annuity contracts that provide for periodic payments at regular intervals upon retirement. It complements social security benefits. Employees may elect to have contributions invested in a number of fixed or variable investment options.
WRI contributes 5 percent of an employee's annual earnings to a tax deferred annuity contract ( 8 percent after three (3) years of continuous employment). WRI's contribution vests after one year of continuous employment.
Employees may elect to contribute a portion of their earnings to the annuity contract on a pre-tax basis. All individual contributions vest immediately.
FlexPlan (Flexible Spending Account)
The FlexPlan allows employees to set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for uninsured medical and medically related expenses (such as out-of-pocket medical, dental and vision expenses) and/or qualified dependent care expenses. The maximum amount that can be set aside annually is $5,000 in the medical/health care flexible spending account and $5,000 in the dependent care spending account.
Transportation benefit
The Transportation Benefit provides full-time and part-time regular and term staff with the opportunity to direct a portion of their salary into reimbursement accounts to pay for certain mass transit and parking expenses. Staff will not be taxed on amounts allocated to these accounts and used for qualified transportation costs incurred in commuting to work. The maximum monthly pre-tax contribution for mass transit is $110, and $215 for parking.
Tuition reimbursement
Employees can apply for up to $5,000 a year in tuition reimbursement to help cover the costs of courses toward a degree in environmental studies, international development or other areas that enable them to contribute to the organization's mission, which are taken during the second or subsequent years of employment.
Visas
The Institute will help cover the costs of obtaining an H-1B or similar visa to work at WRI's office in Washington , D.C. for non-U.S. citizens who are employed as exempt staff at the Institute for 12 months or longer.
Leave options
Annual leave
- Upon hire, a new employee can accrue 15 days per year, 20 days per year after two years, and 25 days per year after seven years of continuous employment.
Holidays
- WRI observes 10 official holidays during the calendar year.
Personal leave
- Up to 3 days of persona leave per year -- prorated based on date of hire.
Sick leave
- An employee can use up to 12 days per year -- prorated based on date of hire.
Sabbatical
All regular full-time employees with five (5) continuous years of full-time service will be able to apply to take up to ten (10) weeks off of work w/ five (5) of the weeks paid. After ten (10) years of service, an employee would be able to apply to take another ten (10) weeks off of work w/ another five (5) of the weeks paid. After each sabbatical taken, there is the expectation that the staff member will stay for an additional year of employment with WRI. If a staff member voluntarily leaves before fulfilling that one year service requirement, s-he is expected to pay back the five (5) weeks of pay or a proportional amount of it. The whole philosophy and idea behind the sabbatical is time off for rest and relaxation to allow the staff person to come back to WRI re-charged and re-energized.
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In addition, as required by law, WRI provides all staff with Workers' Compensation and Employee Liability Insurance and pays a portion of the social security tax equal to that of the employee's personal contribution.
Benefits for part-time regular and term employees
For part-time regular or term employees, benefits vary with the number of hours worked. Part-time employees accrue annual leave at a proportional rate based on the number of hours worked per pay period and are entitled to sick leave at the same proportional rate. One day of personal leave and compensation for holidays, if the holiday falls on a scheduled workday, are provided. All part-time permanent employees also receive: social security benefits; unemployment and worker's compensation insurance; and the dependent care assistance plan.
To receive the following benefits, a part-time regular or term employee must work a minimum of 20 hours a week: a tax-deferred annuity; life/accidental death and dismemberment insurance; short-term disability insurance; and long-term disability insurance.
WRI also makes medical and dental benefits available to employees working 20 hours or more a week and pays a percentage of the premium based on the number of hours worked. If an employee works, for example, 20 hours a week, WRI will pay 53.3% of the premium and the employee will be responsible for paying the other 46.7%. An employee can elect not to have this coverage if he/she is covered by another plan.
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