- Bastrop Independent School District
- Employee Benefits
- Enrollment Information & FAQs
New Hires
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- New hires have 31 DAYS FROM THEIR ACTIVELY AT WORK DATE to enroll in benefits.
- Example: Your first active at work date is 8/4/25 you have until 9/2/25 to complete your benefit enrollment.
- Even if you do not need/want to enroll in any benefits, you are required to decline/waive coverage, and most importantly select a beneficiary for the free $10,000 term life insurance benefit BISD provides for you.
- If you do not complete your enrollment by the 31-day deadline, you will not be able to enroll in benefits until next year’s open enrollment. The only exception is a qualifying life event, see QLE FAQs below.
- The Employee Benefits Center has information regarding all of our plan offerings, enrollment instructions, links to all provider websites, the Benefit Guide and the link to check your HSA/FSA accounts.
OPEN ENROLLMENT for CURRENT EMPLOYEES
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- Open enrollment begins mid-July and runs through mid-August each year. Communication with date/time information is sent out via email and postal mail each year.
- During open enrollment, you can review your current benefit selections and make changes to your health plan, dependents, and other coverages.
- If you do not make any changes, you will continue to remain enrolled in your current selections, with the exception of your FSA, HSA and Sick Leave Bank elections. If you wish to remain enrolled in those benefits you have to re-enroll each year.
- In addition to those listed above we have additional changes for the 2025-26 school year. If you wish to remain enrolled in Accident, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity, or Group Term Life, you MUST RE-ENROLL in each coverage with the new companies. If you do not re-enroll the coverage will be dropped.
Qualifying Life Event FAQs
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When do I have to notify the Benefits department of a life event?
You must notify the Benefits department within 30 days of the date the life event occurs. There are no exceptions to this rule, and you risk losing coverage or having to carry double coverage if you miss this important deadline.
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What benefits am I allowed to change when I have a life event?
Medical, dental, vision, FSA, disability, and term life insurance, depending on the Qualified Life Event experienced.
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Who qualifies as an eligible dependent?
- Your spouse (not including common law spouse or domestic partner)
- A child under the age of 26 including: natural child, step child, foster child, an adopted child or a child who is lawfully placed for legal adoption.
- A disabled child of any age
- A child under the legal guardianship of the employee - Legal guardianship documentation or tax return showing the child as a dependent may be required.
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When can I add my spouse as a qualifying event?
- Marriage (marriage certificate required)
- Loss of spouse’s insurance coverage due to job loss (documentation required)
- Loss of spouse’s Medicare or Medicaid insurance coverage (documentation required)
- Loss of spouse’s COBRA coverage (documentation required)
- Spouse’s employer has benefit open enrollment (documentation required)
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When can I add my child as a qualifying event?
- Birth or adoption (birth certificate or hospital verification of birth facts required)
- Loss of child’s insurance coverage because of a spouse or ex-spouse’s job loss (documentation required)
- Loss of child’s CHIP/Medicaid insurance coverage (documentation required)
- Loss of child’s COBRA coverage (documentation required)
- Divorce (divorce decree required)
- Spouse’s employer has benefit open enrollment (documentation required)
- Court ordered change in who is responsible for child’s insurance coverage (documentation required)
- Relatives other than parents (e.g. grandparents, aunt, uncle) must be able to show legal guardianship of the child or that they claim the child on their tax return as a dependent (documentation required)
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When can I drop my spouse or child as a qualifying event?
- Divorce (documentation required)
- Separation from spouse is NOT a qualifying event
- Death (death certificate required)
- Spouse’s employer has benefit enrollment and enrolls in new benefits (documentation required)
- Spouse changes employer and enrolls in new benefits (documentation required)
- Court ordered change in who is responsible for child’s insurance coverage (documentation required)
Resources
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- Marketplace Exchange Notice
- BCBS Enrollment Videos - Learn all the ins and outs of your health plan and about the additional benefits that are included with your health plan.
- BCBS Plan Specific Resource Guides
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