The benefits offered at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center (SVMC) is one part of what makes it one of the Best Places to Work in Vermont, according to Vermont Business Magazine. This summary of benefits is available to eligible employees of SVMC and its subsidiaries.
All benefits are subject to change. Benefits requiring a payroll contribution from employees will be identified. Employees may select them at their option. Payroll contributions are based primarily on the costs of the benefit and an employee's Full-Time Equivalency (FTE) status. Employees must be at least a 0.5 FTE to be eligible for most benefits.
Elected benefits become effective on the first day of the calendar month following the date you complete one full month of continuous service as an employee, provided you are regularly scheduled to work at least 20 hours per week.
This outline is strictly a summary of the benefits SVMC offers. More information is available by calling the Human Resources office.
Please note: Providers are employed directly through Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, which offers a different benefits package. Please contact our physician recruiter at 802-440-4246 for more information about provider benefits.
Summary of benefits
Health, dental, and vision insurance
- Health insurance: Employees can select from one of two health insurance plans for themselves and their dependents. Employees must make a payroll contribution for health insurance coverage. SVMC pays for part of this coverage.
- Dental insurance: Employees may select one of two dental plans for themselves and their dependents. Employees are obligated to make a payroll contribution for dental insurance coverage. SVMC pays for part of this coverage.
- Vision insurance: Employees may select one of two vision plans for themselves and their dependents. SVMC pays for the basic plan and makes contributions towards the vision plus plan. Employees are obligated to make a payroll contribution for the vision plus plan.
Life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance
SVMC provides benefit eligible employees with one times their annual salary of basic life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) coverage up to a maximum of $450,000. Employees can select supplemental life insurance and AD&D coverage up to five times their base annual earnings up to a maximum of $1,025,000 when combined with the basic life insurance.
An employee can purchase life insurance for a spouse or dependent children at minimal cost through payroll deduction. An employee's spouse is covered for $10,000 and each child from age six months to age 26 is covered for $5,000.
Disability
- Short-term disability (STD): Employees can choose one of two STD plans. Both plans provide up to 26 weeks of disability pay. The regular plan provides 35% of gross wages and the plus plan provides 60% of gross wages. Both programs require a payroll contribution and SVMC pays for part of this coverage. This coverage is available to employees who are on the accrual Earned Time (ET) Plan.
- Salary continuation: Employees who are on the "use it or lose It" non-accrual Paid Time Off (PTO) plan will automatically be enrolled at no charge in a Salary Continuation Plan. Should an employee be unable to work because of a disability, this plan provides a combination of full pay and 60% of gross pay, depending on one's years of service.
- Long-term disability (LTD): SVMC provides a long-term disability program (LTD) that pays 60% of wages for up to 24 months. Only employees who are classified as 0.9 FTE or greater are eligible to participate in the plan. LTD benefits begin after six months of continuous disability.
403(B) retirement savings plan
SVMC sponsors a retirement savings plan that allows you to make pre-tax contributions and/or after-tax Roth Contributions. SVMC will match your contributions dollar for dollar up to three percent of your annual income and 50 cents on the dollar on the next two percent. (Eligibility requirements apply.) Employees who participate in the plan get to choose from a variety of investments to meet their retirement goals.
Time off
SVMC employees receive Earned Time (ET) or Paid Time Off (PTO) instead of vacation, holiday, sick, and personal time. Employees accrue ET based on their actual hours worked up to a maximum amount per pay period. Employees can build up a maximum of one times the annual accrual of ET days. If an employee reaches that amount and does not use ET days, then accrual will stop until the level of ET is reduced below the maximum. Employees start to accrue ET days when they begin work at SVMC. Salaried employees are given their annual PTO allowance at the beginning of the fiscal year, and it does not accrue.
Health savings and flexible spending accounts
- Health Savings Account (HSA): An employee is eligible to open an HSA when they enroll in the SVMC HDHP plan. An HSA is a tax-advantaged account that lets you save money to pay for eligible health care expenses now and in the future. Any money in your account at the end of the plan year carries over for future use without a "use it or lose it" condition. Your entire account balance is always yours, even if you change health plans, change jobs, or retire. There is no limit on how much you can accumulate over time in your account.
- Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA): A special provision of the Internal Revenue Code allows employers to set up HCFSAs for employees. A HCFSA allows employees to set aside money through payroll deduction on a pre-tax basis to pay for healthcare expenses. By contributing to a HCFSA, employees can decrease or eliminate taxes on salary used for healthcare expenses. Any money not used within the calendar year will be lost.
- Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA): The DCFSA can save taxes on day care expenses for a dependent child under age 13. Employees can also cover day care expenses for a disabled spouse or other disabled dependent.
Tuition assistance
Benefit eligible employees may apply for tuition assistance for continuing education after one year of employment. Additional information is available by referring to the Tuition Assistance Policy on the SVMC Intranet, or by contacting the Human Resources department.
Employee assistance program (EAP)
Employees have access to a valuable Employee Assistance Program (EAP) at no cost. EAP personal advocates will work with you and your household family members to help you resolve issues you may be facing, connect you with the right mental health professionals, direct you to a variety of helpful resources in your community, and more.
Employee discounts
All SVMC employees receive discounts at the Putnam Café. Discounts are also available for some cell phone service and at local health and fitness centers.
Other benefits
- Childcare: Employees have the opportunity to utilize our on-campus SVMC facility for childcare pursuant to the rules and regulations. The Learning Tree is available for dependent children ages six weeks to five years as capacity allows. Learn more about childcare at SVMC.
- Medical Services Library: Subscriptions to medical journals and help with research is available at the Medical Services Library.
- Pharmacy: Employees are able to use the hospital pharmacy for over the counter and prescription medications. Medications are less expensive at the hospital pharmacy than at drug stores. Insurance does not cover medications purchased at the hospital pharmacy.
- Mail room: Employees may use the hospital mail room to buy stamps and send personal mail.