Senior Physician, Medical Director, Chief I, Chief II, Chief III MegaFlex Benefits Plan

The County of Los Angeles offers a competitive benefit package for our employees.  For full-time non-represented employees participating in the County’s MegaFlex plan, benefits include a tax-free cafeteria benefit allowance, health insurance, optional life insurances, disability benefit plans, flexible spending accounts, retirement plans, and paid time off.  Other benefits enjoyed by all employees include an award-winning wellness (including financial well-being) program, commuter benefits plan, and employee assistance program to name a few.

Tax-free cafeteria benefit allowance

If you participate in the MegaFlex Benefit Plan, the County provides a monthly benefits allowance equal to 14.5% of your monthly salary, to purchase a number of tax-free benefits.  Any money from your MegaFlex allowance that you did not spend to purchase benefits will be added to your paycheck as taxable cash and is considered taxable income.  After five years of eligible employment, your benefits allowance increases from 14.5% to 17% of your monthly salary.

The MegaFlex Benefits include medical and dental insurance for you and your eligible dependents,  group variable universal life, accidental death & dismemberment (AD&D) insurance, short-term disability (STD),  long-term disability (LTD), LTD health insurance, elective annual leave, and flexible spending accounts. 

Medical and dental insurance

You will choose from a number of medical plans that range from catastrophic coverage to health maintenance organizations to preferred provider plans.  Based on the level of coverage, and the number of eligible dependents, monthly premiums range from $277.00 per month to $1,183.00 per month.  Vision coverage is included in the County’s medical plans.  Dental plan premiums range from $10.73 per month to $75.49 per month, again based on the type of dental insurance coverage and number of your eligible dependents.

Life insurance

The County offers an optional group variable universal life insurance program at affordable group rates. You may purchase coverage amounts equal to one-half to eight times your annual salary. The County pays half the monthly premium rate; this amount is treated as taxable income to you.  You pay your portion on an after-tax basis. 

If you enroll in the optional life program, you may also purchase coverage for your spouse/domestic partner and dependent children in amounts ranging from $5,000 to $20,000.

Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) insurance is available in amounts ranging from $10,000 to $350,000.  he maximum death benefit for each child covered by AD&D insurance is $25,000. AD&D coverage is also available for the employee’s spouse/domestic partner and dependents. 

Disability insurance

As a MegaFlex participant, you receive County-paid short term disability income replacement equal to 70% of your monthly salary in lieu of state-sponsored disability insurance after a 14-day waiting period following a disability. You may purchase additional coverage to replace 100% of your monthly salary for 21 days after a 7-day waiting period and 80% thereafter.  These short term disability benefits last up to 26 weeks from the date of disability.  

Optional long term disability benefits begin after 26 weeks of short term disability benefits have been paid, or after a six-month waiting period following a disability. You may elect to purchase income replacement coverage equal to 40% or 60% of your monthly salary.  

Long term disability health insurance continues your medical coverage while receiving long term disability benefit payments. As a MegaFlex participant, you are covered under the “core” long term disability health insurance provisions at no cost to you. The “core” long term disability health insurance fund pays 75% of the your monthly medical plan premium; you pay the other 25%.  You may also purchase 100% LTD health insurance that pays 100% of the monthly medical plan premium while you receive LTD benefit payments.

Flexible spending accounts and other pre-tax benefits

Flexible spending accounts allow you to set aside pre-tax dollars to pay for eligible out-of-pocket health care and dependent care expenses.  Participation in this program provides you with a tax advantage, but these are “use it or lose it” accounts.  

Health care spending account

Health care expenses for you and your dependents that are eligible for reimbursement include expenses that are not reimbursed by medical, dental or other health coverage.  When signing up for a health care spending account, you may set aside from $10 to $200 per month on a before-tax basis. 

Dependent care spending account

A dependent care spending account allows you to use non-taxable County contributions and pre-tax contributions deducted from your own salary to pay certain eligible dependent care expenses.  When signing up for the dependent care spending account, you may set aside from $10 to $400 per month on a before-tax basis.  If you elect to participate in the dependent care spending account, the County will make a tax-free contribution to your account of $75 per month.   

Day Care Facilities

Many medical facilities have lower cost onsite child care for staff.

Commuter benefit plan

The County encourages all employees to use public transportation to commute back and forth to work when available.  Employees may pay for transit passes, van pools, tickets, and other eligible commuter expenses on a before-tax basis.

Retirement plans

Retirement plan administered through the Los Angeles County Employee Retirement Association [LACERA]

The County of Los Angeles offers new employees a comprehensive contributory retirement plan that provides a wide range of preretirement, post-retirement, and continuing benefits for eligible survivors and beneficiaries. County plans administered through LACERA are defined benefit plans; and as such they promise to pay a specified monthly benefit at retirement. The monthly allowance you receive is a lifetime benefit – it cannot run out.

All new physician participants in the County are enrolled the General Plan G.  You contribute a flat rate percentage of pensionable compensation on a before-tax basis [the 2021 rate is 9.11%].  In 2021, your pensionable compensation will be $153,671.00 or 120% of the current social security tax limit.  [Employees earning less than $153,671.00 have pensionable compensation based upon their annual earnings.]  Your final pension depends upon your age at retirement [1% of your pensionable compensation per year of service at 52 years of age increasing annually to 2.5% of your pensionable compensation per year of service at 67 years of age] and your years of service with the County.  More information can be found at lacera.com. 

It should be noted that County employees DO NOT pay into the retirement portion of Social Security, but employees do pay the Medicare Hospital Insurance Tax portion of Social Security, at the rate of 1.45%.  Please also note that the tax increases from 1.45% to 2.35% for income earners above $200,000.00.

Additionally, the County offers two defined contribution plans for you to defer a portion of your salary, with a matching contribution by the County.  Participation in these plans is voluntary.

Savings Plan [401(k)]

The County of Los Angeles Savings Plan is a voluntary supplemental retirement plan that meets the requirements of Internal Revenue Code 401(k).  The Plan permits you to defer a portion of your salary and may receive a matching contribution of up to 4% of your base salary and MegaFlex allowance.  Please note that the matching contribution is currently suspended due to the COVID-19 affected financial crisis.

Deferred compensation & thrift plan [457]

The County of Los Angeles Deferred Compensation and Thrift Plan, also known as the “Horizons Plan,” meets the requirements for an eligible deferred compensation plan under Internal Revenue Code Section 457(b).  It is designed to permit you to defer a portion of your salary, and you may receive County matching contributions of up to 4% of your base salary.  Please note that the matching contribution is currently suspended due to the COVID-19 affected financial crisis.

Retirement health benefits

If you retire from the County of Los Angeles, you will be eligible for retiree health benefits through the Los Angeles County Employee Retirement Association.  After 10 years of service as a County employee, the County will contribute 40 percent of the benchmark plan premium toward one of a number of health plans.  For every year after 10 years of service, the County will contribute an additional four percent of the benchmark plan premium. After 25 years of service as a County employee, the County will pay at 100%.

Work schedules and employee time off

Flexible work hours

The County of Los Angeles encourages our physicians to maintain a healthy work/life balance.  In many cases, we provide weekly work schedule options that include five day – 8 hour day weeks, four day – 10 hour day weeks, or working 9 hour days, with alternating days off every other week.  

Overtime compensation

If it is medically required, any approved  overtime that you work will be paid at your hourly rate, or with compensatory time off – up to 240 hours each year.  You may defer 144 hours of the compensatory time off until the next calendar year.

Annual leave

As a newly hired or newly appointed Megaflex participant, you will accrue annual leave based on your active service at the rate of four hours per pay period, up to an annual maximum of 80 hours.  Unused annual leave may be banked until 240 hours of annual leave is accrued.

Elective annual leave

You may also buy from eight to 160 additional hours of elective annual leave from your Megaflex monthly benefits allowance.  This time off can only be used after the non-elective annual leave is exhausted, and must be used in the year it is purchased. 

Outside DHS employment

The County allows up to 24 hours per week to pursue other career interests.

Continuing medical education

In order to keep up on continuing medical education, you may take 10 compensated days each year to maintain, develop, or increase the knowledge, skills, and professional performance and relationships that you use to provide services for patients, the public, or the profession. 

Holidays

The County offers employees 12 paid holidays each year:

  • New Year’s Day
  • Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
  • President’s Day
  • Cesar Chavez Day
  • Memorial Day
  • Independence Day
  • Labor Day
  • Indigenous Peoples’ Day
  • Veteran’s Day
  • Thanksgiving
  • Day after Thanksgiving
  • Christmas