Employment/COBRA
Your spouse gains benefits

Within 31 days of your spouse gaining benefits through their employer, contact Benefits Outlook to change coverage for you, your spouse and/or your dependents. You will need to know the date your spouse’s benefits become effective. Call 866-222-KISD (5473) between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays, or 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturdays, excluding holidays, or click the Enroll button on the home page Quick Links.

 

Drop coverage:

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

 

Add, drop, increase or decrease coverage:

  • Supplemental life and AD&D

  • Spouse life

  • Child life

  • Disability

  • Personal legal plan

 

Drop coverage for your spouse or dependents:

  • Cancer care

 

Change contribution amount:

  • Health care FSA

  • Dependent day care FSA

 

You may need to submit evidence of insurability for some changes. Changes generally take effect on the first day of the month after the new benefits are effective.

 

 

Your spouse loses benefits

Within 31 days of your spouse losing benefits through their employer, contact Benefits Outlook to change coverage for you, your spouse and/or your dependents. You will need to know the date your coverage is ending with your spouse’s employer. Call 866-222-KISD (5473) between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays, or 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturdays, excluding holidays, or click the Enroll button on the home page Quick Links.

 

Add coverage:

  • Medical

  • Dental

  • Vision

 

Add, drop, increase or decrease coverage:

  • Supplemental life and AD&D

  • Spouse life

  • Child life

  • Disability

  • Personal legal plan

 

Change contribution amount:

  • Health care FSA

  • Dependent day care FSA

 

You may need to submit dependent verification documents and/or evidence of insurability for some changes. Changes are effective the first day of the month after you notify Benefits Outlook.

Your spouse’s enrollment period is different from Katy ISD’s

If your spouse’s benefits enrollment period happens during a different time of the year than ours, you can change your Katy ISD benefits within 31 days of your spouse’s annual enrollment. Changes are effective the first day of the month after you notify Benefits Outlook. Call 866-222-KISD (5473) between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. weekdays, or 7 a.m. and 4 p.m. Saturdays, excluding holidays, or click the Enroll button on the home page Quick Links.

You leave Katy ISD

When you leave the district, the date your benefits coverage ends depends on whether or not you finish your contract with Katy ISD.

  • If you don't finish your contract, your benefits end on the last day of the month in which your employment ends.

  • If you finish your contract and leave at the end of the school year, you’re allowed to keep your benefits through August 31. You can decide whether to be paid out early or keep receiving your checks through the summer. Complete the Employee Payoff and Benefit Election form included in your exit package to let us know which option your prefer.

  • If you leave the district and return within 31 days, your benefits are automatically reinstated with no break in coverage. Premiums for the reinstated coverage are deducted from the first available paycheck.

  • If you leave Katy ISD but return to work AFTER 31 days and you are still benefits-eligible, you must re-enroll to receive benefits.

 

You may be able to extend your health care coverage (medical, dental, vision and your health care FSA) for a limited time through COBRA, and some of your benefits may be portable or convertible. For more information about COBRA, call Benefits Outlook at 866-222-KISD (5473).

Benefits portability and conversion

You can keep some of your benefits through portability or conversion after you’re no longer employed by Katy ISD or when one of your dependents becomes ineligible for benefits—even after COBRA expires.

 

Portability means you continue being covered under the plans offered by Katy ISD. To port your coverage, you have to apply to the insurance carrier. The carrier provides you with new rates for your policy, which may be higher than what you were paying as a Katy ISD employee. You pay your premiums directly to the carrier, and no evidence of insurability is required, though you still need to meet the group policy’s terms and conditions.

 

Conversion means you convert your Katy ISD plan to an individual policy. You pay your premiums directly to the carrier. Your new policy may or may not provide the same level of benefits as the group plan you were covered under, and you still need to meet the group policy’s terms and conditions to convert your benefits.

 

For most plans, the insurance carrier must receive your application and first premium payment within 31 days of the end of your group coverage. Contact your carrier for more information.

 

A note about the cancer care plan

Cancer care policies are individual policies, so there's no need to convert them to continue coverage. Simply pay your premium to Cigna. Call 800-880-8824 for more information.

 

A note about Life Insurance

SunLife automatically sends information regarding conversion/portability of life insurance coverage once an employee terminates employment with Katy ISD.

COBRA

The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act (COBRA) allows you to continue your health care coverage (medical, dental, vision and health care FSA) after your employment with Katy ISD ends for any reason other than gross misconduct. Within 31 days of the end of your employment or loss of benefit eligibility, you’ll receive information on COBRA and an election form mailed to your home address. You must sign up for COBRA within 60 days of your last day of employment or the last day your dependent was eligible for benefits, or you and your dependents become ineligible for coverage.

 

COBRA coverage usually lasts 18 months and can be extended up to 29 months if you’re disabled, or up to 36 months if coverage ends due to the loss of dependent eligibility. You pay the full cost of COBRA coverage, plus an administrative fee. Below are the 2022 COBRA rates per month.

 

Medical COBRA rates per month
Option Employee only Employee + spouse Employee + child(ren) Employee + family
Choice POS II $549.78 $1,221.96 $880.26 $1,408.62
Memorial Hermann ACO $493.68 $1,060.80 $762.96 $1,159.74
HDHP (High Deductible Health Plan) $463.08 $992.46 $711.96 $1,059.78

 

Dental COBRA rates per month
Option Employee only Employee + spouse Employee + child(ren) Employee +family
Dental HMO $15.59 $29.19 $22.20 $38.13
Dental PPO $53.86 $109.32 $98.04 $138.17

 

Vision COBRA rates per month
Option Employee only Employee + 1 Employee + family
Avesis Vision $9.67 $16.26 $24.46