Benefits Upon Separation

Upon separation from County employment, several benefit options are still available to you after employment. Please review the information below. For information on how to initiate the employee separation process or general questions, such as vacation payout, please contact the HR person in your department.

Take a moment to review the below video for an overview of what happens to your benefits once you separate from County employment.

Important Benefits Termination Dates

Your medical, dental and vision coverage will end on the last calendar day of the month that follows your separation date.  

  • Example: Last work day is Jan. 1, medical, dental and vision ends Feb. 28

Before separating, you can review your current benefit enrollment in BenXcel. For login help, see our BenXcel Resources webpage. For questions regarding  your medical, dental and vision coverage, please contact Accolade at (866) 406-1275. 

Ancillary plan coverage will terminate on the end of the month of your last working day. 
  • Example: Last work day is Jan. 1, benefits terminate Jan. 31
Ancillary plans include:
  • Voya Life Insurance
  • Voya Long Term Disability
  • Aflac Accident, Critical Illness, and Hospital Indemnity
If you would like to continue your Voya Life Insurance or Long Term Disability plans after you separate, you may be allowed to either port or convert plan. To port or convert any plans, you must contact [email protected] within 31 days of your separation.
  • Employee Paid Supplemental Voya Life Insurance - you may port or convert this policy
  • Employer Paid Basic Voya Life Insurance - you may only convert this policy
  • Employee/Employer Paid Voya Long Term Disability - you may only convert these policies
Visit the Voya Life Insurance webpage for more information on porting or converting your life insurance policy. Visit the Voya Long Term Disability webpage for more information on converting your LTD policy.
If you would like to continue one of your Aflac plans after you separate, you may "port" your policy. You must submit your port form within 30 days of your separation.
Tax Savings Accounts include: 
  • Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
  • Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DC FSA)
  • Health Savings Account (HSA)
Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
  • You have 60 days from your last day worked to submit receipts for qualifying expenses incurred prior to your separation date.
  • After you separate, you cannot use your funds for new expenses. You can only submit for expenses incurred prior to your separation. 
  • Review the Submit a Claim webpage for instructions
    • Claims must be submitted within 60 days of separation
Dependent Care Spending Account (DC FSA)
You may not continue participation in this account but can file for reimbursement of your remaining funds for services obtained prior to your separation date. BCC will also handle this for you.

Health Savings Account (HSA)
With your HSA, you get to take this account and the funds with you. You will need to contact BCC at (800) 685-6100 or [email protected] about accessing the funds and/or rolling over into another account. 

Tax Savings Account Support 
  • BCC at https://www.benxcel.net will continue to handle all claims processed for your spending accounts. For any questions about reimbursement from your accounts, call BCC at 1-800-685- 6100. Any funds not reimbursed by the above date will be forfeited and used for program administration. Benxcel smartcare login: https://benefitcc.wealthcareportal.com/Authentication/Handshake
  • FSA/HSA Debit Card – Your debit card will be terminated on your separation date. All claims must be submitted manually to BCC.
  • All claims must be submitted manually to BCC within 60 days of your separation date. 
Vacation Payout at Separation/Retirement - Your final paycheck with the county will include the payout of accrued vacation, comp time, etc. Please review the HR Labor Relations Benefits-At-A-Glance webpage for specific information on your employee association payouts. For specific questions, contact your HR person in your department. 
 

To defer any vacation or sick leave balances to a Nationwide Deferred Comp account, you will need to contact Payroll the month before your retirement date:

The Post Employment Health Plan (PEHP) is designed to help employees defray the cost of health care after separation from County service.

There are two different types of PEHP accounts offered by the County and your account type is determined by your bargaining unit. When you retire or separate from County service, you can submit claims for qualified medical expenses to be reimbursed by the funds in your PEHP account. Review the PEHP webpage for more information on the accounts, how to access funds, and the PEHP Claim Form. 
In addition to meeting with Pension Trust, please take a moment to review our Retiree webpage, which provides the most up-to-date information on retiree benefits and available resources.

We also encourage you to enroll in the Retirement 301 – Retiree Health Benefits course on NEOGOV Learn. This self-paced course walks you through the retirement process and helps you prepare to retire with confidence.

Please note: You will need to be connected to the County’s VPN in order to access the course.
 
If you're planning to retire, be sure to reach out to Pension Trust at (805) 781-5465 to schedule a pre-retirement meeting approximately 4-6 months before your intended retirement date.

On the other hand, if you're separating from County service without retiring, Pension Trust will mail you a packet within 1-2 weeks after they receive your final payroll information. This packet will provide you with details on the available options, which may include a refund of your Employee Contributions and accumulated interest, the possibility of reciprocity with other California retirement systems, or the option to defer your retirement for a later time.

In the event that your contact information changes after you separate from employment, simply contact Pension Trust at (805) 781-5465 or log into the SLOCPT Member Portal to update your details.

For further information, visit: Pension Trust Website

When you separate from the County, you have several options for your Deferred Compensation account with Nationwide. You can choose to leave your funds in the account, roll them over to another eligible retirement plan or IRA, take a loan if available, or withdraw the funds—though withdrawals may be subject to taxes and potential penalties.

The right option will depend on your individual financial situation and long-term goals. We encourage you to speak with our Nationwide representative to review your choices and determine what works best for you.
 

Nationwide

You can continue coverage for yourself and dependents for a maximum of 18 months through a federal law called COBRA, unless you have comparable group coverage available to you through another employer. The cost of coverage will be the monthly cost of insurance plus 2%. Visit slocounty.ca.gov/premiums for current monthly premiums. 

You will receive a COBRA letter once your employee core benefits (medical, dental, and vision) end. For questions regarding continuing insurance coverage, contact Benefits Coordination Company (BCC) at (800) 685-6100. For additional information on COBRA, see the US Department of Labor COBRA Continuation Coverage website. 

Anthem's confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is available to support you and your household with a variety of concerns, including stress, anxiety, depression, substance use, relationship challenges, legal matters, parenting support, financial counseling, and dependent care resources. Best of all, this service is free for employees and their family members. 

If you separate from the county, you and your household can continue to access EAP services for 30 days following your departure. Any counseling authorizations obtained during that 30-day period will remain valid for up to 12 months or until all authorized sessions have been used. 

Get Started with EAP: 
Please contact your department HR NetFile (Form 700) Coordinator to initiate the process for your Leaving Office Statement. You may also contact the Clerk Recorders office for additional questions.  Public officials (designated board and commission members, employees, and consultants) must file Statement of Economic Interests (Form 700) and disclose their interests on or before the statutory deadline, when leaving office or employment. 

FAQs

You can purchase the County COBRA for up to 18 months. In some cases, dependents can purchase COBRA for up to 36 months with a specific qualifying life event. Visit the Department of Labor's COBRA continuation webpage for more information. 

No, you are not eligible for Cal COBRA once your County COBRA ends. You may be eligible to apply for individual coverage through Covered California, the State’s Health Benefit Exchange. Covered California is available at (800) 300-1506 or online at www.coveredca.com.

If PEHP is included in your employee association agreement, you are unable to opt out of a PEHP. Please review your respective County MOU or reach out to your employee association president for more information.

You have 60 Days from your separation date to submit claims to BCC for FSA reimbursement on purchases made on or prior to your last working date.