Benefits Overview

Accident Insurance
Cancer Insurance
Critical Illness Insurance
Child/Dependent Reimbursement Accounts
Dental
Disability Insurance
Employee Assistance Program
Federal Income Tax
Faculty/Staff Apartments
Health Insurance
Health Insurance Premiums
Health Savings Account
Life Insurance (State Term)
Life Insurance (Guardian Term)
Life Insurance (Reliance Standard)
Medical Reimbursement Accounts
Mississippi Deferred Compensation(IRS Section 457 Plan) This link takes you to another site.
MUW Employees’ Federal Credit Union
MUW Foundation
MUW Tuition Fee Waiver Plan
On-campus Health Center
Optional Benefits
ORP
Paid Parental Leave
PERS
Personal and Major Medical Leave
Fitness Facility
Required Deductions
Retirement Contributions
Social Security Tax
Sodexo Meal Ticket Plan
State Income Tax
Tax Deferred Annuity – 403(b)
Unemployment Insurance
Vision
Workers’ Comp Insurance

NOTICE: This is intended as a summary of benefits. Please see summary plan documents and/or plan description in Human Resources or in the Handbook.

Standard Benefits

The University provides the following for benefits-eligible employees:

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)

MUW benefits-eligible employees and their dependents are covered under the TELUS Health Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at no additional cost to the employee.

TELUS Health is a full-service EAP and work-life/wellbeing resource that provides confidential consultations, information and resources, connections to community agencies and supports and referrals to counseling (by video or in-person). TELUS Health can provide support and resources to help you find answers to questions related to work, life, health, family, or money. You can contact TELUS Health for support with any issue, challenge, or concern. Consultants are available 24/7.

Access TELUS Health:

• Live support via phone, 1-888-851-7032
• Visit the TELUS Health Website
• View the TELUS Health Overview Brochure

Mississippi State and School Employees’ Health Insurance

Visit the DFA Know Your Benefits Website

Base Coverage at no charge

Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Insurance

View the Notice of Coverage

The Workers’ Compensation law of Mississippi holds the employer responsible for reporting work related injuries and illnesses within 10 days. Any employer who refuses or neglects to make reports is subject to penalties by the Workers’ Compensation Commission.

The following guidelines are provided to ensure timely and proper reporting:

1. An injured employee must notify the supervisor or other person designated by the employer as soon as possible, but no later than 24 hours after the injury, excluding weekends.
2. The injured employee should seek medical treatment, if needed.
3. The First Report of Injury or Illness Form is required to determine eligibility for benefits. The supervisor should complete the form for any on-the-job injury or illness, even when immediate medical service is not required. Instructions for completion are on page 2 of the form. Leave the social security number blank. A Human Resources staff member will complete the social security number before the form is submitted to CCMSI. Under no circumstances should an injured employee complete this form.
4. An accident investigation may be conducted for employees who are injured.
5. MUW’s Workers’ Compensation claims are administrated by CCMSI. Completed forms should be sent to Human Resources no later than 24 hours following the incident. Electronic forms may be sent via email to hrinfo@muw.edu or fax 662-241-7616. Do not include the employee’s social security number on the form. Human Resources will add the social security number before it is sent to CCMSI. You may also print the completed form and bring the original to the Human Resources office, located in Shattuck Hall.
6. If there is an accident, illness, or injury that results in death, serious injury, or injury that requires surgery within 48 hours, or one that involves a third party, the incident must be reported by telephone immediately to 662-329-7222, or after regular business hours to 662-241-7777.

Mississippi Unemployment Insurance

https://mdes.ms.gov/

Required Deductions

By law, the following must be deducted from a benefits-eligible MUW employee’s paycheck:

• Federal Income Tax (if applicable)
• State Income Tax (if applicable)
• Social Security Tax
• Retirement Contributions for Mississippi Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) or Optional Retirement Plan (ORP)*
  • Employee portion = 9%; University portion**
  • * See ORP handout (available in Human Resources) for explanation of contribution
  • ** See PERS website for current rate. (PERS Contribution Rates)

Retirement Planning

Public Employee’s Retirement System of Mississippi (PERS)

PERS was established in 1952 as the retirement system for state agencies, as well as counties, cities, and other participating political subdivisions.

Learn more about PERS

Optional Retirement Plan (ORP)

ORP is a defined contribution plan made available to eligible institutions of higher learning teaching and administrative faculty in Mississippi.

Learn more about ORP

Vendors for Eligible Participants

Optional Benefits

Optional benefits available through payroll deduction

Insurance Benefits

State and School Employees’ Health and Life Insurance Plan

The State Health Plan offers two options: Base Coverage (high deductible health plan) and Select Coverage. Some differences in these options are monthly premiums, calendar year deductibles, maximum out-of-pocket costs, and pharmacy deductibles. For complete information about the Plan, visit the DFA Know Your Benefits website.

• Legacy Employees – All current employees hired prior to January 1, 2006 OR new employees hired on or after January 1, 2006 who have been employed full-time by any State of Mississippi agency covered by the Plan (such as a community/junior college, public library, public school district, other State agency or university).
• Horizon Employees – Any employee initially hired by any State of Mississippi agency on or after January 1, 2006.

Telehealth Provider Visits

Services are available for all who are covered by the Mississippi State and School Employees’ Health Insurance Plan. UMMC 2 You video visits let you see and talk with a UMMC provider on your smartphone, tablet or computer. Click here to view the flyer.

Base Coverage (Monthly Premiums)

Health Insurance premiums are paid 1 month in advance. Generally, 2 monthly premiums will be deducted from your first monthly check.

Select Coverage (Monthly Premiums)

Health premiums are paid 1 month in advance. Generally, 2 monthly premiums will be deducted from your first monthly check.

State Term Life Insurance

Employee coverage is twice the employee’s annual salary rounded to the next $1,000 (minimum of $30,000 and a maximum of $100,000). Effective January 1, 2023, employee cost  is $0.10 per $1,000.

Example: Salary = $23,660 x 2 = $47,320 ($48,000 coverage) Employee Cost = 48 x $0.10 = $4.80 per month

Dental – Guardian (DentalGuard Preferred)

Guardian Teledentistry

Guardian Dental Mobile App Download Instructions

Dental Monthly Rates. View the Guardian Booklet for complete information.

Vision – Guardian (Davis Vision)

Vision Monthly Rates. View the Guardian Booklet for complete information.

 Other Optional Insurance

Benefit Concepts (662) 329-4044 is the contact and third party administrator for the following plans:

• Accident Insurance – Guardian
• Cancer Insurance – ManhattanLife (eff 1/1/2026)
• Critical Illness – ManhattanLife (eff 1/1/2026)
• Disability Insurance – Reliance Standard
• Term Life Insurance – Guardian
• Term Life Insurance – Reliance Standard

Tax Deferred Annuity Contacts – 403(b) and 457

 403(b) Tax-Sheltered Annuity and 457 Companies and Contacts

Medical Reimbursement Accounts

If you participate, you will elect to have a specified amount of pre-taxed money deducted from your paycheck each pay period. These dollars are set aside in a reimbursement account and subtracted from your gross earnings before any taxes are taken out. After you submit a receipt for a qualifying health care expense, you will be reimbursed from this account.

SABCFlex processes the claims for the Medical Reimbursement Accounts. There are specific deadlines for filing claims. Contact SABCFlex for the deadlines, procedures, and balances. Remember, use it or lose it. File on or before the deadline(s). Contact SABCFlex at 1-800-844-2555 or visit the SABC website.

Child/Dependent Reimbursement Accounts

If you participate, you will elect to have a specified amount of money deducted from your paycheck each pay period before taxes are deducted. These dollars are set aside in a flexible spending account and subtracted from your gross earnings before any taxes are taken out. After you submit a receipt for a qualifying dependent care expense, you will be reimbursed from this account.

SABCFlex processes the claims for the Child/Dependent Reimbursement Accounts. There are specific deadlines for filing claims. Contact SABCFlex for the deadlines, procedures, and balances. Remember, use it or lose it. File on or before the deadline(s). Contact SABCFlex at 1-800-844-2555 or visit the SABC website.

Health Savings Account

[MS Code § 83-62-5(3)] mandates that all eligible state employees must be offered the opportunity to participate in a Health Savings Account (HSA) program. The HSA is 100% employee-funded, eligible employees agree to cover the full cost and authorize payroll deduction. The employee is the sole owner of the HSA account and responsible for adhering to all HSA rules, regulations and compliance as set forth by the Internal Revenue Code. The University is not responsible for any fees associated with the account or how the funds are managed.

An HSA is a tax-advantaged savings account available to employees enrolled in a qualifying High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)—in this case, the BASE Plan under the Mississippi State and School Employees’ Health Insurance Plan. Contributions to an HSA are made by pre-tax payroll deductions through the cafeteria plan. The account grows tax-free, and withdrawals used for qualified medical expenses are also tax-free. Additionally, funds roll over from year to year, allowing you to retain unused balances.

Employees who contribute to an HSA are not permitted to participate in a general-purpose Flexible Spending Account (FSA), which covers a broad range of medical expenses. However, you may enroll in a Limited Purpose FSA (LPFSA), which can be used for dental and vision expenses only.

HSAs are offered by Renasant Bank. Click here to view the Renasant flyer for more information about an HSA account and contribution limits.

Additional Benefits and Optional Payroll Deductions

• MUW Employees’ Federal Credit Union
• MUW Foundation
• Sodexo Meal Ticket Plan
• Fitness Facility – (MUW benefits-eligible employee coverage is free; annual fee for family)
• On-campus Health Center
• MUW Tuition Fee Waiver Plan (contact Financial Aid Center at ext. 7114)
• Paid Parental Leave effective January 1, 2026, as provided by MS Code (Employment Handbook update coming soon)
• Personal and Major Medical Leave as provided by MS Code (see Employment Handbook beginning on page 1-5)
• Faculty/Staff Apartments

NOTICE: This is intended as a summary of benefits. Please see summary plan documents and/or plan description in Human Resources or in the Handbook.

Last updated: 10/27/22
This maintained by: HR Info