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Benefits

Welcome to the LSU Benefits website! This site will provide guidance and support for all employees and retirees concerning their benefits and retirement needs. Whether you are a new or current employee of LSU or a retiree, we are here to serve you. Browse through our website for information regarding health insurance, supplemental benefit plans, retirement plan options, and eligibility. Feel free to contact us with questions, concerns or comments.

Click here for the Benefits & Retirement Summary Snapshot

Click here for the Leave Without Pay (LWOP) Benefits & Retirement Snapshot

Below are links that will take you directly to information regarding the various benefit options:

Annual Enrollment
Each year during the month of October, eligible employees have an opportunity to add or change their Health Plan and Voluntary Benefit elections for an effective date of January 1.

News

Louisiana Supreme Court take up Cash Balance Plan

The Louisiana Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments Tuesday, March 19 in a constitutional challenge to the Cash Balance Plan for newly hired state employees as well as new employees of post-secondary educational institutions and management boards who do not choose to participate in the Optional Retirement Plan (ORP).

The Cash Balance Plan passed in the 2012 legislative session, but in January a state district court judge ruled its passage was unconstitutional because it did not receive the constitutionally required two-thirds vote. The Jindal administration is seeking to have the district court's ruling reversed. The Retired State Employees Association of Louisiana is the plaintiff in the case. As always, TRSL will keep you posted on any further developments.

Upcoming Retirement Education Workshop - TRSL and Social Security

A TRSL representative will be present to discuss the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) associated with Social Security benefits, as well as TRSL retirement eligibility and how a TRSL benefit is calculated.

Date: Wednesday, March 27
Location: Retirement Systems Building, 4th Floor Boardroom
Address: 8401 United Plaza Boulevard, Baton Rouge
Time: 4:30 - 6:30 p.m.

All TRSL members are invited to attend. You can register for this workshop or any of the upcoming workshops/webinars online at our TRSL Workshop Registration page.

For more information, please contact TRSL:
Email: retire.edu@trsl.org
Phone: 225-925-6446, ext. 2822
Toll Free (outside the Baton Rouge area): 1-877-275-8775, ext. 2822

TRSL Responds to Questions about ORP Employer Contribution Rate

How does the new Cash Balance Plan affect Optional Retirement Plan (ORP) employer contribution rates? In response to that and other related questions, TRSL has prepared a fact sheet.

Click here to access the TRSL Responds to Questions about ORP Employer Contribution Rate fact sheet

Click here to access the Cash Balance Plan Basics fact sheet provided by TRSL

Do you know about the Premiums Only Plan?

Monthly Premiums and Tax-Saver Premiums Only Plan
Employees' premiums are payroll deducted on a bi-weekly or monthly basis, depending on the Employee’s pay schedule. The premiums for employees are eligible for tax sheltering under the Tax-Saver Premiums Only Plan.

Premiums Only Plan (POP)
• If you enroll in the Premiums Only Plan, your premiums for medical, dental, vision, long term disability, AD&D and life insurance offered through the Office of Group Benefits may automatically be deducted pre-tax from your paycheck before your taxable income is determined.
• There is no cost to participate in the Premiums Only Plan.
• There is no tax liability on the money put into the Premiums Only Plan.
• If you enroll in Premiums Only Plan and want to cancel any of the benefits being tax-sheltered under this plan, you may only do so if you experience a qualifying event.
• If you do not experience a qualifying event, you may only cancel your participation during annual enrollment in October for a January 1 effective date.
• Enrollment in Premium Only Plan rolls over automatically from Plan Year to Plan Year; if you wish to cancel the Premium Only Plan you can do so during annual enrollment in October for a January 1 effective date, or within 30 days of a qualifying event if cancellation is consistent with the qualifying event.
• You are not required to re-enroll in the Premiums Only Plan. Your elections for the Premiums Only Plan will rollover unless you opt out of the Plan during Annual Enrollment

Changes in Participation During the Year
Due to the tax advantages you enjoy under this program, the Internal Revenue Service imposes some restrictions on the changes you can make during the Plan Year. Once you have elected to participate in one or more of these accounts, you cannot change or revoke this election except during Annual Enrollment or if you experience a qualifying event.

A qualifying event only allows for changes to an existing election. If you did not make an election to participate in the Plan during Annual Enrollment or within 30 days of being eligible for benefits, a qualifying event will not allow for enrollment in the Plan mid-year. The only exception to this rule is in cases where there is a loss of other coverage.

Use the following form to enroll in the Premiums Only Plan

*If you did not make an election to participate in the Plan during Annual Enrollment or within 30 days of being eligible for benefits, a qualifying event will not allow for enrollment in the Plan mid-year.

Click here to view the list of Qualifying Events

This page was last updated Thursday, April 25, 2013