Comprehensive Health Insurance Packages for Medical University of South Carolina Employees
MUSC – Medical University of South Carolina located in Charleston, SC, offers a comprehensive range of health insurance options to its employees encompassing different areas, including health, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, and the Health Savings Account (HSA).
Eligibility Criteria for MUSC Health Plan
Employees and their dependents are eligible to enroll in PEBA Health Plans. As per the policy, new employees get access to the MUSC Health Plan, allowing them to select between MUSC providers for reduced out-of-pocket expenses, or non-MUSC providers under the Standard State Health Plan. University employees must be in classified, faculty, postdoctoral scholar, research grant, or resident positions and employed for at least 20 hours per week (.50 FTE) to be eligible for these insurance benefits. Simultaneously, MUSC Health employees are eligible for insurance benefits if they are employed for at least 30 hours or more per week (.75 FTE).
MUSC Health Plan Details
The MUSC Health Plan is a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan and operates with a network of hospitals, doctors, and service providers that offer services at specified discounted fees. While employees can choose any provider for their care, they typically incur less cost when they choose in-network services.
The State Savings Plan
The State Savings Plan is a high deductible health plan which stands as another option, albeit for grandfathered employees. It is not available for new hires.
Health Insurance Resources
For reviewing eligibility for services, monitoring claims and viewing pretreatment cost estimates, the MyHealthToolkit provides comprehensive solutions. In addition, employees or their dependents turning 65 have been guided to review the PEBA Medicare Handbook for solid understanding the rules and guidelines.
Mental Health and Substance Abuse Benefits
For mental health and substance abuse benefits, the subscribers of Savings and Standard need to contact Companion Benefit Alternatives via their online portal for pre-authorization and should see in-network providers. Apart from this, MUSC Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides employees with free short-term counseling across various topics.
MUSC Prescription Benefits
State Savings Plan subscribers are required to pay the full allowable charge for prescriptions. On the same line, MUSC pharmacies offer discounted copays for prescriptions. Prescription drug benefits are administered by Express Scripts.
Tobacco Surcharge
Under the MUSC health plan, a surcharge is levied for subscribers who have certified tobacco use or who have not certified at all. The surcharge is $40 per month for subscriber-only coverage or $60 per month for a subscriber with dependent coverage. This charge will be omitted if the subscriber certifies that no one covered under their health insurance uses tobacco or has used it during the past six months.
Health Coverage during Overseas Travel
Employees enrolled in the MUSC Health Plan or the State Savings Plan can use their PEBA health insurance when traveling outside the United States. Through BlueCross BlueShield Global Core, the State Health Plan identification card gives employees access to doctors and hospitals in more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.
