Health Insurance
The High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) is employer-provided health insurance coverage administered by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (Blue Cross NC) utilizing the Blue Options Network. Generally, temporary employees who are designated as full-time are eligible for this plan through their agency employer.
Determining Part-Time and Full-Time Status
A “full-time employee” is an employee who is employed at least 30 hours per week on average. Employees who work fewer than 30 hours per week on average are “part-time employees.” (26 U.S.C. § 4980H(c)(4))
Agencies are required to determine full-time or part-time status of their temporary employees. (NCGS § 135-48.40(e)). Temporary Solutions makes this determination on behalf of agencies employing workers through Temporary Solutions. Generally, this happens at three intervals:
- At the start of each temporary assignment. The determination is based on the agency employer’s reasonable estimate of how many hours the temporary will work each week on average annually. Agencies communicate this estimate to Temporary Solutions during the recruitment or placement processes, prior to onboarding. Temporary Solutions will notify you if the temporary assignment is full-time or part-time in your offer letter.
- During the temporary assignment. If during the assignment the agency employer reasonably estimates that the employee will work less than 30 hours per week on average in a year (part-time) or 30 or more hours per week on average in a year (full-time).
- Annually at the Initial Measurement Period (IMP) or Standard Measurement Period (SMP) lookback. The Affordable Care Act permits employers to “look back” over a period of time to determine whether the employee worked a full-time or part-time schedule. The IMP lookback occurs one year after initial temporary employment. The SMP lookback occurs each year in November.
Rehired State of NC Retirees
Rehired North Carolina state government retirees typically work 29 or fewer hours on average per week per year. Working more than this amount may affect your State Health Plan benefit. Please refer to our page on Re-Employment After Retirement for more information.
Re-Employment After Retirement