New Employee Information
This page is dedicated to newly hired employees eligible to participate in the City Plans, including Civilian employees working for the Police Division.
Overview
We hope that you will take the time to become familiar with the benefits available to you through the City. The Department of Personnel’s Employee Benefits Section administers the insurance plans for the City of Saint Louis:
- Medical Insurance (including Vision and Pharmacy)
- Dental Insurance
- Basic Life Insurance
- Core Long Term Disability Insurance
There are a number of other voluntary insurance benefits for you to choose, such as Additional Long Term Disability, Optional Life Insurance, Dependent Life Insurance, Accidental Death and Dismemberment, Legal Insurance.
For any other items considered benefits, please contact your department payroll processor.
Getting Started
You have 30 days from your hire date to enroll in your benefits. If you miss this window, you may have to wait until Open Enrollment, or prove a Qualifying Life Event to make changes to your enrollment.
The initial action items for you as you begin your journey working for the City are the following:
- Review your new hire benefit enrollment packet.
- Decide which benefits are adequate to protect you and your family. Pay special attention to:
- Thoroughly complete your Consolidated Enrollment Form or Police Division Enrollment Form, included in the packet.
- You can return your forms to your Department Payroll processor, or directly to CityEmployeeBenefits@stlouis-mo.gov.
- Within 10 business days, you will receive your insurance cards in the mail if your address of record is correct and current. You can download the Anthem and Delta Dental mobile apps to have your ID cards readily available on your mobile device!
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For new hires, your benefits will start on the first day of the pay period following the completion of your first 30 days of continued employment. You will see deductions on the paycheck for that pay period.
All premiums are biweekly, meaning you will see the premiums deducted from each paycheck.
Example: If you started on 2/23/2025, your benefits will start on 4/6/2025 and you will see the deductions on your paycheck received on 4/25/2025 (for hours worked 4/6 to 4/19).
Plan Options
Medical Insurance Plan Options
The City offers its employees three different plans for medical insurance:
City Plans
- High Plan
- Low Plan
- High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)
Police Division Plans
- Base Plan
- Buy Up Plan
- High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)
All plans are offered through Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield. You can find plan information in your New Hire Enrollment Packet, Anthem booklet, and on the Medical Insurance page.
Vision and Pharmacy Coverage
Vision and pharmacy are included in the City’s Medical Insurance. More information about these offerings can be found in your New Hire Enrollment Packet, Anthem booklet, and on the Medical Insurance page. You will use your Anthem ID card to secure services under the Vision Plan.
Life Insurance
The City automatically provides you with a basic life insurance coverage at 1x your base annual salary. This Basic Life Insurance coverage is employer provided and employer paid. This coverage is available only for eligible full-time employees.
Additional coverage is available for you, your spouse and dependents.
Cancer, Intensive Care, Short Term Disability, and Accident Insurance
You can contact the City Aflac or Washington National representative for voluntary policies for short term disability, accident, hospital for critical care policies.
Choosing a Plan
Each person has a different situation and should consider all options based on their own individual needs. We encourage you to thoroughly review the New Hire Enrollment Packet, Anthem booklet, and Employee Benefits website. While we cannot make decisions on your behalf, we can recommend that you consider the following information before you make your decision:
- Biweekly premium
- Deductible
- Out-of-pocket limit
- Copay(s)
- Specific coverages
Enrolling Dependents
When you submit your Consolidated Enrollment Form you will also need to provide supporting documents for each dependent. A list of the supporting documents can be found in your New Hire Enrollment Packet as well as the Medical Insurance page.
Coverage Changes
If you opted for your medical and dental deductions on a post-tax basis, you may drop dependent coverage; you will need to fill out a consolidated enrollment and indicate drop coverage for Medical or Dental only.
If you are enrolled on a pre-tax basis, the answer is no. You must either prove a Qualifying Life Event (Special Enrollment) or wait until Open Enrollment to make changes to your insurance.
If you qualify for a Special Enrollment, you have 31 days from the date of the event to request and document the change.
If you are under age 26 and covered under your parents’ insurance plan, you will age out from their plan at the end of month when you turn 26. You will then have 31 days to document and report the loss of coverage to our Section in order to be enrolled in your own.
To change your name, address or W-4 tax status, please contact your department payroll specialist.