Kern County has multiple options for employees to consider for medical, dental, and vision coverage.

Important Notes:

• If you have coverage from another employer-sponsored health plan, you may choose to decline coverage
• You must either enroll in or decline coverage within 20 days of your date of hire. If you do not do so, you will be auto-enrolled in the lowest-cost plan option available.
• To enroll or decline coverage, see the Enrollment Forms section below. Enrollment and declination forms are completed through our secure online forms platform.

Health benefits coverage will go into effect the first day of the biweekly pay period following one month of continuous service, beginning on the day the employee physically reports to duty in the benefits-eligible position.

• Plan Year 2024 Effective Dates for New Hires (PDF)
• Plan Year 2025 Effective Dates for New Hires (PDF)

Plan Comparisons & Summary of Benefits and Coverage

Medical Plans (Including Prescription Benefit)

Kaiser Permanente

Dental Plans

Vision Plan

Important Notes:

• If you have coverage from another employer-sponsored health plan, you may choose to decline coverage
• You must either enroll in or decline coverage within 20 days of your date of hire. If you do not do so, you will be auto-enrolled in the lowest-cost plan option available.
• You must have an account for the online forms platform in order to submit a form. Create an account
• As of January 2021, the enrollment forms will no longer work with Internet Explorer. If you do not have another browser installed on your work PC, you can fill out the form from your home PC or smart phone/tablet.
• If you have questions about how to fill out the below forms, see the Health Benefits Online Forms FAQ.

Forms

• New Hire Health Plan Enrollment Packet
  Use this form if you wish to enroll in benefits with the County of Kern.
• New Hire Declination of Coverage Packet
  Use this form if you wish to decline benefits with the County of Kern. In order to decline coverage, you must be enrolled in another employer-sponsored health plan.

Eligibility Policy

• County of Kern Health Benefits Eligibility Policy (PDF)

Important Notices

• New Hire Important Notices (PDF)

As a new active employee, you are entitled to enroll in additional voluntary benefits. These include:

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)
• Health Savings Account (HSA)
• Various Voluntary Insurance Benefits

For more information about the voluntary benefits available to you, visit the Voluntary Benefits page.

Balancing the demands of life can be stressful - the good news is we can help. Your Employee Assistance Program is available to help you take control of your life! Through Anthem Blue Cross, County employees and their dependents can access three free counseling sessions, per incident, to help through the tough times.

• Employee Assistance Program Web Site

Federal Law, usually called COBRA, requires that most employers sponsoring group health plans offer employees and their families the opportunity for a temporary extension of health coverage (called "continuation coverage") at group rates in certain instances where coverage under the plan would otherwise end. Employees covered by the County's health benefits programs have a right to choose this continuation coverage if they lose health insurance coverage because of a reduction in hours or the termination of employment for reasons other than gross misconduct.