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| DENTAL |
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| Eligibility
& Enrollment |
Eligibility
You may participate in Valassis dental plans on the first of
the month immediately following your date of hire if you are a full-time
or an active part-time associate scheduled to work at least 20 hours
per week. Contribution level varies
based on part-time or full-time status.
Coverage begins on the day you become eligible, as long as you have
processed your enrollment.
When you enroll for dental coverage, you may elect to cover your eligible
dependents. You may enroll your:
- Spouse, Civil Union (CT + NJ only), your Domestic Partner and
- Children, including
- Unmarried children under age 19,
- Unmarried children from age 19 to age 25 if they are full-time
students and depend on you for primary support. Each year, the
health insurance carriers will request proof of your child’s
full-time student status.
- Children who became mentally or physically disabled before
reaching the maximum age of eligibility, if they depend on you
for support and maintenance. From time to time, you may be asked
to provide proof of the continuation of your child’s disability.
Children include your natural children as well as legally adopted children,
stepchildren and children you support who live with you in a parent-child
relationship.
If you do not have a dependent when you enroll, but you later gain
one—through marriage or the birth of a child, for example—you
may enroll your eligible dependent for coverage. You must do so within
31 days of your marriage, the birth of your child or the day you adopt
or receive legal custody of your child. If you do not enroll your eligible
dependent within this 31-day period, you will not have the opportunity
again until the next open enrollment period.
When your dependent child ceases to be a full-time student or reaches
age 25, whichever occurs first, he or she may continue coverage under
the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA).
See Continuation of Coverage.
Enrollment
You should enroll for coverage within 31 days of the date you are eligible.
If you do not enroll within this 31-day period, you will not have the
opportunity again until the next open enrollment period. Other than
during open enrollment, held each fall, you may enroll for dental coverage
only if you have a qualified change in status (see Making
Changes).
You may elect coverage for:
- Yourself only,
- Yourself and one dependent, or
- Yourself and two or more dependents.
When you enroll, you will need to indicate your plan option-DMO, Basic
PPO or Buy-Up PPO coverage level.
You may also decline dental coverage.
When Coverage Begins
If you are an active full-time or eligible part-time associate
scheduled to work at least 20 hours per week, coverage for you and your
eligible dependents begins on the first of the month immediately following
your date of hire, as long as you have enrolled in your benefits within
31 calendar days of your date of eligibility.
Dental Plan ID Card
If you are enrolled in one of the Cigna dental plans, you will
receive an ID card.
If you have a problem with coverage or you need information about the
appeals process, you may call Member Services at the toll-free number
on your ID card.
Cost
You and Valassis share the 2008 cost
of your Dental Plan coverage. The amount you pay for coverage depends
on the plan you choose and who is covered (you, you and one dependent,
or you and two or more dependents) and your full or part-time status.
Information about your share of the cost, which you make through payroll
deductions, is available during open enrollment from your Human Resources
Representative (legacy Valassis associates) or from the Associate Resource
Center (legacy ADVO associates).
Before-tax Contributions
Valassis offers certain tax-savings opportunities available under
current federal law. As a result, in accordance with Section 125 of
the Internal Revenue Code, contributions to your dental plans are made
with before-tax dollars, except for non-IRS qualified domestic partners.
This means that you make your contributions before federal income, Social
Security and, in most cases, state income taxes are withheld. As a result,
your taxable income is lower, so you pay less in taxes.
Because of these tax advantages, you may change your elections only
during open enrollment each fall, unless you have a qualified change
in status.
Effect of Before-tax Contributions on Other Benefits
Your Valassis pay-related benefits, such as life insurance and
disability income, will be based on your salary before your before-tax
contributions are deducted. Because you are paying less toward Social
Security, however, your Social Security benefits may be reduced slightly.
For most people, the current tax savings resulting from before-tax contributions
more than compensates for any reduction in Social Security benefits.
Post-tax Contributions on Benefits
All benefits extended to a taxpayer's domestic partner are taxable,
unless the domestic partner is an IRS-qualified dependent. Because of
the tax laws, non-IRS qualified domestic partner benefits cannot be
paid on a pretax basis and the value of the benefit must be included
in the associate's income. 
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