Team members and their eligible dependents may choose to participate in some, all, or none of the following healthcare insurance plans. Team members and their dependents must all be enrolled in the same plan within each category (meaning health, dental, and vision), although the specific group of covered individuals may vary by plan (for example, the whole family can enroll in health and dental, and only the team member enrolls in vision) however the team member themself must be enrolled in the line of coverage if dependents are to be included as well (meaning, that you can’t enroll just your kids in the dental plan for example). The waiting period is first-of-the-month following your start date. In the event of separation from the company, your benefits will be continued through the end of the month in which the separation date occurred.
For the 2023-2024 Plan Year (Aug ‘23 - Jul ‘24), Populus is pleased to offer both nationwide PPO and CA-only HMO plans through Blue Shield. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), small-group (i.e. companies with less than 100 employees) healthcare plans like ours are “age-banded” meaning that premiums are set based upon the enrollees age on the enrollment date (applicable to both the team member and any enrolled dependents), and generally increase as you get older.
No matter what age you are, or what your age-based premiums may be, Populus will subsidize up to 90% of the premium of our base Silver PPO plan for enrolled team members, and up to 25% of the premiums for that same plan for each enrolled dependent. You can also select a higher-level plan, in which case the equivalent of 90%/25% of the premiums on the Silver PPO plan will be applied to the upgraded plan you select. Please note: the Tandem Plan with a limited network will no longer be an option. Our new base plan is the Silver PPO.
For example: If the Silver PPO plan costs $1,000 per month, Populus will subsidize $900 (90%) per month and you’d be responsible for $100 per month if you choose to enroll in that plan. If you choose the Gold PPO plan instead, which costs $1,200 per month, Populus will still subsidize $900, and you would now be responsible for the remaining $300 per month. The share of monthly health care premiums paid for by the team member will be deducted from payroll on a pre-tax basis in two equal installments (corresponding to our semi-monthly payroll schedule).
As part of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) Rule requires all health insurers and group health plans to provide individuals with a uniform summary of their benefits and coverage.
Note: Contract Policies and EOC/COI Policies for 23-24 are forthcoming.
Uniform Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC)
Populus offers PPO dental insurance and vision insurance through Guardian. With both dental and vision plans, the company subsidizes 90% of the premiums for enrolled team members, and 25% of the premium for enrolled dependents. The share of monthly dental and vision care premiums paid for by the team member will be deducted from payroll on a pre-tax basis in two equal installments (corresponding to our semi-monthly payroll schedule).
Team members enrolled in a qualifying High-Deductible Healthcare Plan (HDHP) are eligible to set aside pre-tax dollars in a Health Savings Account (HSA) to be spent on healthcare expenses, subject to IRS rules. For 2023, the maximum allowable HSA contributions are $3,850/yr for individuals and $7,450/yr for family coverage. The Contribution Year (for purposes of these limits) runs from August to July like our main benefit plans, and your contribution levels can be modified throughout the year. Contributions to an HSA roll-over with no limit from year-to-year and never expire. Dollars allocated towards an HSA are deducted from payroll on a pre-tax basis and account management is administered by Gusto. Unused contributions rollover at the end of year without limit. Populus does not match or contribute to team members’ HSA accounts.