Employee Health Benefits

Office of Human Resources

 

Annual Enrollment for 2027 Benefits

**More information on 2027 Annual Enrollment coming soon!**

Annual Enrollment Period: October 1 through October 16, 2026 
Effective Date for Changes: January 1, 2027 

All regular employees working a minimum of 30 hours per week are eligible to participate in the State of Tennessee Group Insurance programs, a comprehensive plan that includes health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance. To review all benefit options provided as an East Tennessee State University employee and/or faculty member please review the Tennessee Partners for Health website. Benefit enrollment will be completed using the state of Tennessee's website - Edison.

Logging into edison

ETSU employees have multiple ways to access Edison, the state of Tennessee's benefit enrollment self-service portal.

  1. Voyager:
    • Log into your employee self-service portal
    • In the Me section, select the icon for Eidson (Benefits)
  2. State of TN website:
  3. Single sign-on (No Edison ID needed!) by:
    • Logging into ETSU Webmail/Office 365.
    • Click the grid icon in upper left corner.
    • Click the Edison icon.  If you don't see it, click Explore all your Apps" to search for Edison and click to enter. 
      • Once you do this, you will always see Edison on your list!
      • You might be prompted to click an "Accept" button.  Click "Accept".
    • Once in Edison, you should select Benefit & Health at the bottom of the screen. ​
    • Click onto Benefits Enrollment.
    • Now you can add, remove or make changes to your insurance coverage at hire and during annual enrollment.

Available Benefit Options

Health Plan Options

Benefit eligible employees and faculty have multiple choices for health insurance plan types, benefit plan carriers, networks and tier of coverage. All medical plan options include pharmacy benefits, managed by CVS Caremark, telehealth and behavioral health services provided by Optum Health. 

Choose your plan:

    • Premier Preferred Provider Organization
    • Standard Preferred Provider Organization
    • Consumer-driven Health Plan/Health Savings Account

Choose your carrier:

    • BlueCross BlueShield of TN

    • Cigna

Choose your network:

    • BlueCross BlueShield of TN
      • Network S
      • Network P
    • Cigna
      • LocalPlus Network
      • Open Access Plus Network

Choose your tier:

    • Employee Only
    • Employee + Spouse
    • Employee + Child(ren)
    • Employee + Spouse + Child(ren) 

The state pays about 80% of the medical insurance monthly premium for state employees and dependents. 

Click here for more information about medical coverage.

Click here for health insurance premiums.

Health Savings Account

When an individual elects the Consumer Driven Health Plan (CDHP) they are auto-enrolled in the Health Savings Account (HSA) benefit with the state's contracted vendor, TASC. A HSA is a personal, tax-advantaged savings account used to pay for qualified medical expenses. Money can be contributed through payroll deduction and the state will contribute seed money to the account. 

2026 HSA Maximum Contribution Amounts:

  • $4,400 for employee only coverage
    • $500 will be contributed by the state as HSA seed money
  • $8,750 for all other tiers
    • $1,000 will be contributed by the state as HSA seed money
  • Members age 55 or older can save an extra $1,000 each year

If your CDHP coverage starts on or after September 2, you will not receive the state seed contribution for that year.

2027 HSA Maximum Contribution Amounts:

  • $4,500 for employee only coverage
  • $9,000 for all other family tiers
  • Members age 55 and older can add $1,000 more each year

If you wish to make contributions to your HSA benefit via payroll deduction, or update your HSA contribution throughout the year, please complete the HSA Election Form and return it to Human Resources at HRBenefits@etsu.edu. 

Click here for more information on CDHP/HSA Benefits. 

Curious what you can use HSA funds on? Check out the online HSA Store. 

Flexible Spending Accounts

Flexible spending accounts help you decrease your taxable income and increase your take-home pay. They allow you to pay certain expenses (such as health care and dependent care) from your pre-tax income rather than after-tax income. The maximum amount you can contribute to a FSA is set by the Internal Revenue Service. The limits are subject to change annually. 

Full-time, insurance-eligible employees (excludes offline agencies) can enroll in the following FSAs:

Medical FSA:

For medical, dental and vision expenses (Annual limit: $3,400/Carryover limit: $680). If you enroll in the CDHP/HSA, you do not qualify for a medical FSA.

Limited Purpose FSA:

For dental and vision expenses only (Annual limit: $3,400/Carryover limit $680). If you have the CDHP/HSA, the Limited Purpose FSA is a great way to save on vision and dental expenses.

Dependent Care FSA:

For certain dependent-care costs, such as after school care, baby-sitting fees or adult day care expenses to enable you or your spouse to work, look for work or attend school full time (Annual limit $7,500, up to $3,750 per spouse for married couples filing separately/No carryover amount).

Click here for more information about Flexible Benefits.

Dental

Two (2) dental plan options are offered at ETSU. Both dental options have specific rules for benefits such as exams and major procedures and have a four-tier premium structure just like health insurance.

Dental Insurance Options:

  • Cigna Dental Health Maintenance Organization (Prepaid)
  • MetLife, Dental PPO

You do not have to be enrolled in health coverage to be eligible for dental insurance.

Click here for Dental insurance premiums.

Vision

Voluntary vision insurance is available to state and higher education employees and dependents. Two (2) options are available: a basic and an expanded plan.

Both offer:

  • Routine eye exam once every calendar year
  • Frames once every two calendar years
  • Choice of eyeglasses or contact lenses once every calendar year
  • Discount on LASIK/Refractive surgery
  • Discount on hearing aids (includes Free Hearing Exam) through Your Hearing Network

The basic and expanded plans are both administered by EyeMed. 

Click here for more information about vision coverage.

Disability Insurance

The state offers voluntary disability benefits to full-time state and higher education employees.  The State Group Insurance Program long term disability and short term disability insurance plans are both managed by MetLife.


Please call the MetLife State of Tennessee Dedicated Customer Service Line with questions: 855.700.8001, Mon.-Fri., 7 a.m.-10 p.m., Central time.

Click here for more information about Short-Term and Long-Term Disability.

Life Insurance

Basic Group Term Life and AD&D Insurance

Designated beneficiaries will receive 1X the employee's base annual salary rounded to the next highest thousand ($50K minimum/$250K maximum, except when reduced at age milestones).The basic term life and basic accidental death and dismemberment coverage amounts decrease at ages 65 and over.

Employees can elect additional voluntary term life insurance, and also voluntary accidental death and dismemberment insurance for themselves, their spouse and their children.  Employees will pay the full premium for additional coverage.

Voluntary Term Life Insurance

Employees and their dependents (spouse and children) may enroll in voluntary life insurance coverage. This enrollment would be in addition to the basic life insurance coverage and the premium is paid by the enrollee.

Voluntary AD&D

Employees and their dependents (spouse and children) may enroll in this volutnary coverage at low group rates, no health questions asked. This enrollment would be in addition to the basic AD&D coverage and the premium is paid by the enrollee.

Click here to learn more about life insurance benefits.

Emotional Wellbeing Solutions 

The following Emotional Wellbeing Solution (EWS) services, formerly called the Employee Assistance Program, are offered at no cost to eligible employees and retirees, including eligible dependents and are meant to be a place to start when you’re going through life challenges or need extra support. Specialists are available 24/7 at 855.437.3486 to assist with stress, legal, financial, mediation and work/life services. They can help you find a network EWS short-term counseling provider, a plumber who works nights, services for your elderly parents, theater tickets, all-night pharmacies and much more.

Visit the Here4TN website today to see everything this program has to offer.