Newly hired employees have 60 days from the first day of employment to enroll in benefits. All submissions must be made in Oracle.
If you do not elect benefits during the 60-day window, you must wait until the annual Open Enrollment period to enroll.
2026 BCPS Active Employees Benefit Guide
MetLife Optional Life Insurance Notice:
As a new hire, the guaranteed issue amount is 3 times your salary in optional life insurance. If you wish to enroll your spouse in optional life insurance, the guaranteed issue amount is $50,000. You must be enrolled for employee optional life insurance to elect coverage for your spouse. You may elect $10,000 life insurance for your unmarried child/children up to the age of 26. Statement of health is not required for children.
If you wish to enroll in coverage beyond the guaranteed issue amounts, a Statement of Health is required by MetLife. You must return the completed Statement of Health directly to MetLife using the instructions found on the first page. If you are enrolling your spouse, a separate Statement of Health will need to be completed and submitted.
A link to this form can be found in our Forms Repository.
IMPORTANT FACTS TO CONSIDER AS A NEW HIRE
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The benefit elections you make as a new hire stay in effect until the end of the plan year. This is an IRS requirement which allows our plans to qualify as pre-tax deductions.
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Employees who experience a qualifying life event are permitted to make changes to their benefit elections within 30 days of the event or during Open Enrollment.
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If you and your spouse are both BCPS employees, you can each enroll in individual coverage, or one of you can elect two-person or family coverage. If you elect coverage separately, you cannot cover one another as dependents. Similarly, eligible dependent child(ren) may only be covered under one of you.
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Proof of dependent eligibility is required. Documentation may be copies of a marriage certificate, birth certificate, or adoption papers. Failure to provide this identifying information could result in a delay of coverage.
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Employees who submit false information intended to provide health care coverage for alleged dependents not eligible for such coverage may be subject to discipline up to and including termination of employment. Such employees will also be held financially responsible for all claims filed and will be required to reimburse the board for any payments made on behalf of or for the benefits of an ineligible person claimed as a dependent.
VERIFYING YOUR BENEFIT ELECTIONS
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As a newly hired employee, you must check your paystub to make sure the proper deductions are being taken. Contact the Office of Benefits and Retirement immediately if you notice a discrepancy.