Health Insurance for Teachers

What types of teachers are eligible for health insurance?

Health insurance eligibility for teachers can depend on what coverage is offered through the school's benefits, district, or the state and local government. Teachers are typically offered coverage options for themselves and their family, as part of their benefits package with their school.

Coverage can include support for higher education groups and K-12 employees and is not just limited to teachers, but also administrators and faculty staff. Eligibility for K-12 employees can include administrators, bus drivers, custodians, food service employees, paraprofessionals, and teachers. Higher education employees can include faculty, administrators, and staff.

In addition, health plans may also cover employees' spouses, partners, children under the age of 26, and children with developmental disabilities. Specific health plan coverage will depend on which plan you’re offering as well as your specific state.

Depending on the health insurance plan, teachers may not be eligible if they are part-time employees or have worked at the school for less than six months. Ensure all employees review their health plan details for eligibility information.

Do substitute teachers get health insurance?

You may or may not choose to offer health insurance to substitute teachers in your school or district. Health benefits for substitute teachers may be:

• Less comprehensive than those for regular teachers
• Dependent on the teacher's contract type
• More expensive than those for regular teachers

What kinds of insurance can teachers get?

The common types of health insurance plans for K-12 and higher education employees include medical, dental, and vision coverage. Plans may also include options for supplemental, pharmacy, savings and spending accounts, and health and wellness benefits and programs.

Common Types of Health Insurance Plans for Teachers and Administrators

There are several types of health insurance plans for teachers, educators, and school staff to compare and choose from.

Medical Plans

Medical plans for teachers and other educators differ based on whether there is a higher or lower deductible cost to meet, the providers offered in that network, and costs associated with copays and coinsurance for preventive and urgent care.

Some common types of medical plans include the following:

• Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs)
• Exclusive Provider Organizations (EPOs)
• Medical Indemnity
• Point-Of-Service (POS)
• Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs)

Dental Plans

When choosing the right dental plans to offer your school’s staff, think about what’s beneficial to your specific group of employees. Does the plan require teachers, educators, and administrators to choose a primary care dentist? How big is the dental provider network? What are deductible and coinsurance costs like?

Some common types of dental plans include the following:

• Dental Preferred Provider Organization (DPPO)
• Dental Health Maintenance Organization (DHMO)
• Dental Indemnity
• Dental Exclusive Provider Organization (DEPO)
• Dental Point of Service (DPOS)

Vision Plans

Group vision plans vary based on whether coverage for routine vision care (eye exams, lenses, frames, etc.) and preventive treatment is covered in-network or out-of-network.

Every plan has different costs for premiums, coinsurance, and copays. When selecting a vision plan to offer your school, university, or district, be sure to encourage employees to compare what providers and prescriptions are considered in-network. This will help teachers and employees avoid paying unnecessary out-of-pocket expenses.

Not sure which coverage type is best?

Learn more about medical plans and dental and vision plans from Cigna Healthcare^SM to find the right types of health insurance for your school or district.

How much does health insurance for teachers cost?

The cost of health insurance for teachers can depends on the type of plan, coverage, and family size. Employers often share the cost of premiums with teachers, while other expenses—like copays, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums—vary by plan.

Is health insurance for teachers free?

While health insurance for teachers isn’t typically free, many districts and states subsidize the cost. Employers may cover a portion of the premiums, while teachers are responsible for remaining costs, including copays and deductibles.

What other health benefits can employers offer K-12 and higher education employees?

Along with their health plan, teachers and other school employees may be offered the following health benefits:

Supplemental Insurance

Supplemental insurance can include accident, critical illness, and hospital insurance that help provide coverage and protection for unexpected life events.

Health, Wellness, and Behavioral Programs

Health and wellness programs and behavioral and mental health programs can include many additional benefits. Teachers and their dependents may have access to:

• 24/7 customer service for using their plan and/or member portal
• Digital tools and resources that encourage a healthy lifestyle
• Personalized coaching and resources for well-being

Pharmacy Benefits

Teachers can get prescription medication benefits through their health plan, depending on the plan you offer. This could include things like coaching, cost savings benefits, medication management, as well as home delivery options.

HRA, HSA, and FSA Spending Accounts

Spending and savings accounts are designed to motivate teachers to engage in healthy life choices and provide flexible solutions to manage health care costs.

Do teachers get health insurance during the summer?

Schools, colleges, and districts normally choose to offer health insurance year-round. Even though teachers may not be considered "under contract" during the summer months, full-time teachers, staff, and administrators are usually given health coverage for 12 months. If a teacher's contract is not renewed for the following school year, they may not have summer health coverage.

Do teachers get health insurance when they retire?

Retired teachers may be eligible for a variety of Medicare plan options. They may have access to specialized health plans through their former district or state programs. To be eligible for group Medicare plans, retirees have to meet certain requirements. Think about your employee population to determine if offering group Medicare plans to retired teachers and administrators would be a desirable choice.

How do I choose the right health insurance for teachers?

To pick the right health insurance plan for your school district, school, college, or university, be sure to first consider the current health needs of your employees.

It may also be helpful to make sure to:

• Review your summary of benefits and coverage (SBC) and key plan details.
• Choose plans that have a focus preventive care, such as regular screenings and checkups for health maintenance.
• Offer wellness options and mental health support to lead a healthy lifestyle.
• Compare plan options and spending account options for cost savings.

Find out how Cigna Healthcare can help

Public sector employees serve people at the local level. At Cigna Healthcare, we do the same. Our specialized public sector team, which includes education, is dedicated to promoting the health and well-being of teachers, administrators, and staff members. Our integrated benefits and scalable outreach programs are designed to educate, engage, and support education customers with the goal of making a difference in people’s lives and driving positive outcomes.

To meet the specific needs of teachers and other education employees, we developed the Cigna Smart Support^® Program—a service offering created to promote employee wellness and manage costs. Components include:

• A dedicated Smart Support call team with 24/7 live customer service.
• Personal Health Care Advocates.
• My Personal Champion^® program, which provides a single point of contact for employees who need additional support during periods of complex medical care.
• Wellness tools on Cigna.com and the myCigna^® app for mobile phones.

Ready to build the right benefits package for your teachers, administrators, and education staff? Contact your broker or Cigna Healthcare representative to get started.

This page is not intended for use in CA, OH, and NV.