ALEX® is an easy-to-use online tool that will help you select the best-fit employee benefit plans for you and your family. ALEX will ask you a few questions about your health care needs (your answers remain anonymous, of course), crunch some numbers, and help to educate you the plans that best fit your personal needs. It’s that easy! Visit ALEX during Open Enrollment at https://start.myalex.com/dchr/.

How long does it take go through ALEX?

Going through the entire ALEX experience and clicking every possible button can take about 30 minutes or so, but the actual duration of your experience will depend on your needs. Most users spend about 7 minutes with the tool. Also, you can always save your place in ALEX and return later simply by providing your email address.

How can I make the most of my ALEX experience?

ALEX is best experienced on a desktop computer with sound (either headphones or speakers), but you can also use it on an Android or iOs (Apple) mobile device.

Will I need to do anything to prepare?

Using ALEX is very simple. You won’t have to dig through your insurance records or anything like that, but if you’d like to prepare for the questions about your medical needs, here’s what you’ll be asked about your maternity care needs and expected number of:

Doctor Visits (Primary Care and Specialists)
Hospital Stays
ER visits
Surgeries (Inpatient and Outpatient)
Prescriptions (Occasional and Ongoing)

How does ALEX calculate recommendations?

ALEX estimates the total yearly out-of-pocket costs (a combination of your premium contributions and the costs for the services you plan to use) for each plan and educates you on the plans with the lowest overall cost to you based on your personal preferences. ALEX’s cost data is based on health insurance plan design features and average procedure cost data.

• DC Government Employee Benefits Guide
• How to Enroll in Your Benefits Guide

For additional enrollment resources, including illustrated, step-by-step guides, checklists and more, please visit our How to Enroll page.

Health benefits and life insurance coverage begin following the first pay period in which a payroll deduction was made to pay for the benefit, although other benefits programs (such as the Defined Contribution Pension Plan) may have additional requirements.

Benefits-eligible employees include:

• • All full-time permanent employees
• • Part-time permanent employees who generally work at least 30 hours per week
• • Employees with temporary full-time appointments of at least 13 months who are employed by agencies under authority of the Mayor
• • Temporary and intermittent employees who work for at least 90 days within a 12-month evaluation period and are paid at least 30 hours per week (or 120 hours per month) are eligible to participate only in an HMO health care plan. Learn more about the Affordable Care Act Expansion.
• • Several of the District’s independent agencies also participate in benefits programs provided to agencies under full authority of the Mayor.

Eligible employees may enroll in plans during the designated annual Open Enrollment period or within 30 days of their initial employment. Changes to plans can be made within 30 days of a qualifying life event. Learn more about qualifying life events. Health, vision and dental benefits and life insurance coverage begins the first full pay period after the election; for Flexible Spending Accounts, coverage begins following the first pay period in which a payroll deduction was made to pay for the benefit, other benefits programs may have additional requirements.

If you add family members to your coverage, you are required to provide documentation to verify coverage eligibility for the dependents that you add during the new hire, qualifying life event or Open Enrollment process. When you enroll online, you must also submit dependent eligibility verification. Failure to comply will result in a cancellation of health care coverage for that dependent.

For additional information on enrolling dependents, including your spouse, state-registered domestic partner or legal union partner, child(ren) and/or foster child(ren), please visit our Dependent Eligibility Verification page.

Medical

• Family members eligible for coverage under Self Plus One or Self and Family enrollment are:
• • Your spouse (including a valid common law marriage)
• • Children under age 26, including legally adopted children, recognized natural (born out of wedlock) children and stepchildren (including children of same-sex domestic partners).
• • A child is eligible for coverage under your Self Plus One enrollment (if they are the designated covered family member) or Self and Family enrollment, if a state-issued birth certificate lists you as a parent of that child.
• • Under certain circumstances, you may also continue coverage for a disabled child 26 years of age or older who is incapable of self-support.

Dental

• Eligible family members include:
• • Your spouse
• • Unmarried, dependent children under age 26, including legally adopted children and recognized natural children who meet certain dependency requirements. This also includes stepchildren and foster children who live with you in a regular parent-child relationship.
• • Under certain circumstances, you may also continue coverage for a disabled child 26 years of age or older who is incapable of self-support.

Vision

• Eligible family members include:
• • Your spouse
• • Unmarried, dependent children under age 26, including legally adopted children and recognized natural children who meet certain dependency requirements. This also includes stepchildren and foster children who live with you in a regular parent-child relationship.
• • Under certain circumstances, you may also continue coverage for a disabled child 26 years of age or older who is incapable of self-support.

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (202) 442-7627
Fax: (202) 727-8478

For Employee Benefits and Retirement Frequently Asked Questions, please visit FAQ - Benefits and Retirement Administration page.

Health Benefits
Disability and Life Insurance
Retirement
Deferred Compensation
Dental and Vision
Life and Disability Insurance Provider
SmartBenefits
Commuter Benefit