Benefit Plans

County of Los Angeles employees say their benefits play a large role in what makes the County such a great place to work. DHR strives to provide a level of customer service worthy of that view. We administer four highly competitive flexible benefit plans (Options, Choices, Flex and MegaFlex) with their corresponding medical, dental and life insurance plans. These programs – made possible by Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code – allow County employees to choose among a variety of pre-tax and after-tax benefits, The County provides each employee with a monthly “benefit allowance” to use to pay for these benefits.

General Information

County of Los Angeles employees say their benefits play a large role in what makes the County such a great place to work. DHR strives to provide a level of customer service worthy of that view. We administer four highly competitive flexible benefit plans (Options, Choices, Flex and MegaFlex) with their corresponding medical, dental and life insurance plans. These programs – made possible by Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code – allow County employees to choose among a variety of pre-tax and after-tax benefits. The County provides each employee with a monthly “benefit allowance” to use to pay for these benefits.

Choices Benefit Plan – for employees represented by the Coalition of County Unions.
Options Benefit Plan – for employees represented by SEIU Local 721.
MegaFlex Benefit Plan – for eligible non-represented employees.
Flexible Benefit Plan – for eligible non-represented employees.

Participants in one of these above plans may elect the following benefits:

Medical Coverage
Dental Coverage
Group Life Insurance
Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance
Health & Dependent Care Spending Accounts
Medical Coverage Protection (Long-Term Disability Health Insurance)
Short-Term Disability – for MegaFlex participants only
Long-Term Disability – for MegaFlex participants only

Part-time employees (except workers in student positions) who work an average of 20 hours or more per week during a period of three consecutive months may be eligible to enroll in a County medical plan. Part-time employees can learn more by contacting their departmental personnel office.

Depending upon employment status, the County provides the following retirement plans:

Defined Benefit Retirement Plans (Plans A,B,C,D,E and G) – to learn more about these plans, call LACERA at 800-786-6464 or visit their website at www.lacera.com.

Defined Contribution Retirement Plans – The County offers three supplemental retirement plans. Two are voluntary plans for full-time permanent employees and one is mandatory for all temporary, part-time and seasonal employees. These plans are governed by IRS code Section 401K and 457. To learn more about these plans, call Empower Retirement ® at 800-947-0845 or go to www.countyla.com.

The two voluntary supplemental retirement plans are:
Deferred Compensation & Thrift Plan (Horizons, 457 plan) for all full-time permanent employees.
Savings Plan (401k) for full-time permanent, non-represented employees.

The one mandatory supplemental retirement plan is:
Pension Savings Plan (457 plan) for all part-time, temporary, and seasonal employees of the County and Los Angeles Superior Courts who are not eligible to participate in the retirement programs provided through the LACERA or the Judges Retirement System.