Frequently Asked Questions - ESOS MESPA SEA

You may call MESSA at (800) 336 – 0013. You may set up your own personal account at www.messa.org.

You may call Delta Dental at (800) 482 – 8915 or access their web site at www.deltadentalmi.com.

You may call VSP-3 Vision at (800) 225 – 5877 or access their web site at www.vsp.com.

 You may call Colonial Life regarding optional: Accident, Hospital or Critical Illness Plans at (800) 325 – 4368 or access their web site at www.coloniallife.com

You may contact Health Equity at (877) 218 - 3432 or access their web site at www.healthequity.com.

You may contact AMERIFLEX at (888) 868 - 3539 or access their web site at www.myameriflex.com.

All employees pay a portion of their total MESSA premium amount based on the medical/health premium cap limits as set forth by the State of Michigan and 10% of ancillary benefits (non-medical/health plans). This amount is deducted on a pre-tax basis from the individual’s bi-weekly payroll.   For health insurance, you must elect a MESSA plan, either Pak A  through E.  Paks A, C, D, and E include:  medical, dental, vision, life, and long term disability. If you are already covered under a medical insurance plan, complete the Opt-out of Medical form and return it to Human Resources with a copy of your current health insurance identification card. 

MESSA guidelines require all MEA members to participate in a plan. MESSA Pak B (includes: dental, vision, life, and long term disability, excludes: medical) is the available option for members who do not require medical coverage.  All employees will still have to pay their portion of the premium.

For Enrollees in Pak A or D (includes: medical, dental, vision, mental health, life and long term disability insurance)  these are traditional PPO health plans with in-network deductibles ranging from $500 per individual to $2,000 per family. Your in-network co-pay is now $20 for physicians office visit, $50 for hospital emergency room co-pay,  $25 for urgent care co-pay and a mental health/substance abuse co-pay of $20. 
For Enrollees in Pak C or E (includes: medical, dental, vision, mental health, life and long term disability insurance)  these are high deductible PPO health plans with in-network high deductibles of $1,400 for an individual and $4,000 for two or more people.  Once you have satisfied the annual deductible, there are no co-payments on exams and many medications are free. Some procedure may have a 20% coinsurance.
For Enrollees in Pak F (includes: medical, dental, vision, mental health, life and long term disability insurance) this is a traditional Essentials health plan with an in-network $375 individual and $750 family deductible and a 20% coinsurance.

The SPS District has arranged a premium only cafeteria plan for its employees. This plan was set up to allow employees to pay for their portion of the medical health coverage premium with pre-tax dollars. The plan is pre-arranged and employees are not required to do anything to take advantage of the pre-tax deductions. However, if employees do not want the pre-tax deduction, they must complete the Section 125 Cafeteria Plan form sent in the mail and return it to Human Resources and thus, the deductions will be taken out after taxes.

All public school employees in the state of Michigan may select a pension plan through the Office of Retirement Services.  If you are already enrolled with ORS, your pension plan will continue through the Southfield Public School District.  To contact ORS: (800) 381 – 5111 or www.michigan.gov/ors where you may also set up your own personal account.  If you are currently purchasing service credit, you must contact ORS and the SPS Payroll Department (248-746-8553) to have your account transferred to this District.

A 403(b) plan, also known as a tax-sheltered annuity (TSA) plan, is a retirement plan for certain employees of public schools, employees of certain tax-exempt organizations, and certain ministers. Individual accounts in a 403(b) plan can be any of varying types, including: (a) An annuity contract, which is a contract provided through an insurance company or, (b) A custodial account, which is an account invested in mutual funds. Generally, retirement income accounts can invest in either annuities or mutual funds. There are three benefits to contributing to a 403(b) plan. The first benefit is that you do not pay income tax on allowable contributions until you begin making withdrawals from the plan, usually after you retire. The second benefit is that earnings and gains on amounts in your 403(b) account are not taxed until you withdraw them. The third benefit is that you may be eligible to take a credit for elective deferrals contributed to your 403(b) account. The SPS District has arranged for TSA Consulting Group, Inc. to act as the third-party administrator for the 403b plan.  To contact the TSA Consulting Group, Inc.: (888) 796-3786 or online at:

https://www.tsacg.com/individual/plan-sponsor/michigan/southfield-public-schools/.