Pulse readers get answers to their medical, dental and insurance benefits questions from the Human Resources benefits division's customer service representatives, Veronica Rodriguez, Nicola Stanley, Margaret Baptiste, Elizabeth Rodriguez and Marina Mendoza.

Does the city offer commute alternatives for work?

Can my wife, who is a city employee, become my dependent when she takes a leave of absence?

Q. I am concerned about driving my car downtown to work. I worry about the high cost of gasoline, traffic congestion, contributing to poor air quality, and freeway/street construction. Does the city offer commute alternatives?

A: The city sponsors the Employee Transportation Program for all city employees. The program includes all bus passes, VPSI vanpools, METROLIFT, senior and disabled passes. It is free to employees who work at certain downtown locations.

Eligible employees may apply for a METRO Transit Pass that allows them to park their cars at METRO’s parking lots and take a bus into downtown. For emergency purposes, the program provides transportation to a parked vehicle, if METRO does not provide midday service to that location. Downtown locations are: 1801 Main, 1200 Travis, 611 Walker, 900 Bagby, 901 Bagby, 1400 Lubbock, 1301 Travis, 61 Riesner, 319 St. Emanuel, 500 McKinney, 1415 Fannin, Suite 200, 500 Jefferson, 1001 Avenida De Las Americas, 510 Preston Avenue, 1307 Crawford and 333 Preston. Additionally, if employees need to occasionally drive to work, they may park for free at designated city parking lots.

Employees who don’t work downtown may buy local 30-day passes for any route and receive a 10-percent discount. The cost of passes is deducted from employees’ payroll checks. Passes are delivered to employees’ work locations by the end of the month for use the following month.

Employees should contact their department transportation coordinator for additional information or the benefits division at (713) 837-9400, or visit 611 Walker, 4th Floor, 8 am -5 pm, M-F.

METRO offers other options, including a database that helps commuters coordinate carpools. Visit www.hou-metro.harris.tx.us/services/
commuter.asp for more information.

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Q: My wife and I work for the city. Soon, she will take a leave of absence, and will not receive any paychecks. Right now, premiums for her benefits are deducted from her paychecks. Can she become my dependent under my benefits plan?

A: Yes. Your wife’s leave-of-absence status is a family status change for the medical and dental plans. As a result, you may immediately add her to your medical, dental and life insurance plans. There are several points you need to remember:.

• If she wishes to maintain basic life insurance coverage of one times her salary, she must pay the biweekly premium. Otherwise, as your dependent, she will have only $2,000 in basic life insurance.

• If she was paying for voluntary life insurance and wishes to retain it, she has to pay the biweekly premium. Otherwise, as your dependent, she will be eligible for 50 percent of your voluntary life insurance of up to $50,000.

• If you don’t have voluntary life insurance and she waives all coverage during her absence, she will be covered for only $2,000 under your basic life insurance.

• To retain AFLAC policies, she must pay the premiums during her leave of absence. Non-payment will result in cancellation of those policies. In that case, she may re-enroll during the annual open enrollment in March. The policies will become effective May 1.

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