PEBTF announces major benefit enhancements
The Pennsylvania Employee Benefits Trust Fund (PEBTF) announced significant enhancements to the current Plan of Benefits for covered Commonwealth employees and their eligible dependents.
AFSCME-represented employee contributions are negotiated in the union contract, so these improvements come with no increase to employees’ biweekly healthcare contributions.
The new PEBTF benefit enhancements are as follows:
- On August 1, 2024, inpatient hospice will be covered under the medical benefit.
- On August 1, 2024, PEBTF’s dental plan’s network of dentists, provided by United Concordia, will expand to access an additional 1,186 dentists in Pennsylvania through their Elite Prime and Elite Plus networks.
- On August 1, 2024, the new hire waiting period decreases from 90 days to 30 days for family PEBTF health coverage (medical, prescription drug, dental, vision and hearing aid benefits).
- On January 1, 2025, the eyeglass frame allowance will increase from $150 to $175. Transition lenses will be covered at a reimbursement of $65 for single vision and $70 for bifocal/trifocal lenses (coverage for transition lenses had previously been excluded).
- On January 1, 2025, the following changes will be made to the dental plan: The annual dental plan maximum will increase from $1,500 to $2,000; Preventive and diagnostic dental services will no longer apply to the annual plan maximum; The orthodontic lifetime maximum will increase from $1,750 to $2,250; Dental implant coverage, which had previously been excluded, will be covered at 60% plan allowance.
“The great benefits we have gained as union workers allow us to serve the people of Pennsylvania to our fullest. Having that security goes a long way in improving life on and off the job. These benefit enhancements only increase that sense of security and remind us why we stand together as workers,” said Susan Bosco, 11-year Commonwealth employee and member of AFSCME Local 2456.
“Healthcare is expensive, but AFSCME members kept our costs at a minimum through negotiations while gaining enhanced benefits through our role on the Board. We need to keep a strong union membership to keep strong benefits. Without that, we have nothing,” said Jerry Lombardo, Montgomery County PennDOT Employee and AFSCME Local 2159 President.
Council 13 is proud to be a major part of these efforts and will continue to advocate on behalf of workers in our role on the Board.
“These improvements are important to fulfilling our mission to provide union members and their families with affordable, quality health and welfare benefits. Good union jobs go a long way to hiring and retaining the skilled workforce to provide the critical services that Pennsylvanians deserve,” commented Mike Sukal, Secretary of the PEBTF and Administrator of AFSCME Council 13.
The high quality and low cost of these benefits for employees is maintained through having a strong union. More union members mean a louder voice for workers in collective bargaining sessions and board meetings alike.
If you or your coworkers are not yet union members, you or they can join by contacting the Member Resource Center at 1-800-5-AFSCME, by texting ‘UNION’ to 237263, or by visiting https://memberlink.afscme13.org/signup.
Information about these benefit enhancements and more can be found at pebtf.org.