Mental health accommodations for King County employees
Crossposted from KC Balanced You King County is committed to supporting employees with mental health conditions in the workplace. For many people, employment is an essential part of our identity, well-being and mental and physical health. Employment provides a sense of purpose and allows us to build connections with others. Fostering a culture that promotes self-care and focuses on mental health as an important part of overall health and well-being is critical to building inclusion and providing support to employees in the workforce. A key part of this focus is to provide… Read More
EvergreenHealth remains in Regence network
Regence BlueShield and EvergreenHealth reached a contract agreement on Aug. 31, 2023. Services provided by Evergreen Health Providers and facilities will continue to be considered in-network by Regence. The provider network contract was immediately effective. If you are enrolled in the Regence KingCare Select Eastside Health Network or the Regence KingCare PPO medical plan and you see an Evergreen Health provider, there will be no disruption to your coverage or benefits. If you have questions, please call Regence BlueShield at 800-376-7926 or contact the King County Benefits team at 206-684-1556 or email KC… Read More
Executive Constantine proclaims National Payroll Week
King County Executive Dow Constantine is recognizing the dedication and expertise of King County’s payroll professionals by proclaiming Sept. 4 through Sept. 8, 2023 as National Payroll Week. “King County payroll professionals play a key role in maintaining the economic health of the County, in ensuring the economic security of families by carrying out diverse tasks such as processing paychecks, payments to child support, and tax withholding, reporting, and depositing,” Executive Constantine said in the Proclamation. Read the full Proclamation below.
Celebrating the team behind your pay
As we celebrate National Payroll Week, we’re highlighting the work of the Central Payroll Operations Team which ensure that all employees are paid accurately and on time every pay period. Central Payroll Operations works hard to ensure paychecks are received in a timely, smooth manner, with no hiccups or inconveniences to employees. The team also handles payroll taxes and provides employees with annual W-2 forms. “Payroll seems like it would be really simple: department timekeepers report time and time off, Human Resources reports changes to positions or pay rates and employees magically get a… Read More
State retirement plan contributions change Sept. 1, 2023
Employer contribution rates for some of the following retirement plans will change on Sept. 1, 2023, as approved by the State Legislature. The state Pension Funding Council adjusts contribution rates, as needed, to fund the retirement benefits earned by members. The PERS employer rate will change to 9.53% for all PERS plans. You will see the new employer contribution amounts under employer-paid benefits on your paystub beginning Sept. 14, 2023. More information is available on the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems (DRS) website. If you have any questions about the rate… Read More
Employees being contacted by firm purporting to represent King County retirement and financial plans
Recently, several employees have reported being contacted by a representative of Equitable financial services, stating that they represent King County employee retirement plans and attempting to get the employees to provide their personal financial information. Equitable does not represent any King County retirement or financial programs and is not a provider of any King County retirement or financial plans. Keep in mind, representatives for King County retirement and financial plans will not call you unsolicited. For security purposes it is recommended that you not give out any personal information to anyone you did… Read More
EvergreenHealth may be out-of-network starting Sept. 1, 2023
If you are a member of the Regence KingCare PPO medical plan, and you see medical providers who are part of the EvergreenHealth network, please note the following information about their contract with Regence BlueShield. Leaders from Regence and EvergreenHealth are currently in extended contract negotiations. Both organizations are working to reach an agreement before their current contract ends Sept. 1. Here is what you need to know: Most provider-health plan contract negotiations are resolved with no service disruptions and no provider network changes. If an agreement between EvergreenHealth and Regence is… Read More
Programs available to help get you on the path to feeling better
Several Health Support Programs are available to employees and family members covered by King County medical plans. These programs provide extra support when you need it, for example, when you need help understanding a new diagnosis, managing a chronic condition, or handling an illness. Program representatives may contact you by phone or email to provide additional information. A summary is provided below. For details, go to Health Support Programs. Omada Diabetes Prevention: Offered to Regence and Kaiser Permanente members If you or a family member are at risk for Type 2 diabetes,… Read More
How the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency impacts your employee medical and pharmacy benefits
During the COVID-19 National Emergency and the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency, some benefit coverages expanded temporarily to make it easier for employees to receive care. These emergencies officially end on May 11, 2023, and many of the expanded benefits will return to normal coverage levels and regular deductibles, copays, and coinsurance will apply. Items that will no longer be covered Over-the-counter COVID-19 tests will no longer be covered and will be an out-of-pocket expense. Medical benefits that are going back to “normal” COVID-19 PCR lab tests will be covered when ordered by an… Read More
Contribute sick or vacation time to help coworkers in need
King County’s leave donation programs allow you to help colleagues affected by catastrophic health conditions or injuries, or those who are caring for family members, by donating sick or vacation hours. The Emergency Medical Leave Fund allows you to donate accrued leave to a central fund that can be distributed to other employees who have a qualifying need. You can donate up to 80 hours of accrued vacation and 25 hours of accrued sick leave each calendar year. The Employee-to-Employee Medical Leave Donation Program allows you to donate any amount of your… Read More
Employee News 