Employee Benefits

Benefits

Offering a competitive and comprehensive benefits package is one of Shields’ many commitments to our employees. Refer to this page for all benefits information, including:

Health Care and Health Insurance offerings

Additional Employee Benefits

Not finding what you're looking for? Check our Perks & Wellness page for more Employee Resources!

2025 Benefits Guide

2025 Benefits at a Glance

WORKDAY

REVIEW YOUR PAY, BENEFITS & SCHEDULE

ADP

VIEW ARCHIVED PAY STUBS & TAX STATEMENTS

Medical & RX

401k

Shields offers a 401(k) plan through Fidelity. Employees can elect a traditional pre-tax 401(k) or a post-tax ROTH 401(k).

2025 IRS Contribution Limits:

Regular Contributions: $23,500.00
Catch-up Contributions (must be age 50+): $7,500.00

**Please note that there is no separate election for catch-up contributions for employees age 50+. Instead, contributions will continue after the regular IRS maximum has been reached, until you reach the catch-up maximum or change your contribution percentage.

Fidelity QDRO website: https://qdro.fidelity.com

If you need to file for a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO), please visit the website above for further information and instructions.

Life & Disability Insurance

Health Insurance

Comprehensive PPO medical coverage is administered through HPI, Health Partners Inc., using the Harvard Pilgrim and United Health Care networks, and supported with white-glove health navigator support from Accolade. For prescription drugs, OptumRx is the pharmacy benefits manager, separate from HPI.

Employees working 24 hours or more per week are eligible.

Search | Provider Lookup Online

**To be eligible for the reimbursement, the member must belong to a qualified facility for four consecutive months and pay out the expense; they may receive up to $150 reimbursement. They may submit 60-90 days following the close of that calendar year they were eligible to receive the reimbursement.

Dental

Vision

Medicare

Voluntary Benefits

Employee Assistance & Wellness Support

Colonial Life Benefits

MRI & PET/CT Employee Discount

Employees and dependents covered under the HPI plans through Shields:
Members utilizing a Shields facility in Massachusetts will receive the discounted rate for the technical portion of their scan.

MRI $260.00
MRI with contrast $320.00
PET/CT $1400

Employees will receive a bill directly from a Radiologist group for the professional portion of the bill.

Scans performed outside of Massachusetts, in Wellesley, and at Cape locations, excluding Yarmouth, are not eligible for the discounted rate. Scans at those locations will be eligible for the Service Loyalty Reward.

Employees and dependents NOT covered by the HPI plan or sites not eligible for the above:
Employees will receive a $75 Service Loyalty Reward. The appropriate form can be found on the employee perks page and must be completed within 30 days of the scan.

Tuition & Student Loan Assistance

Tuition Assistance Program

To support our employees' professional growth and development, Shields Health is pleased to offer tuition assistance for graduate, undergraduate, and adult education courses relevant to employees’ career paths and Shields Health’s business needs. Please note that this assistance is subject to specific policy requirements.

Eligibility

- Employees regularly scheduled to work 40 hours per week with at least six months of continued employment are eligible for up to $5,000.00 per year in tuition assistance.

- Employees regularly scheduled to work 24–39 hours per week with at least six months of continued employment are eligible for up to $2,500.00 per year in tuition assistance.

Please note:

Employees who voluntarily reduce their hours below 24 per week prior to completing a course will be ineligible for the tuition assistance benefit.

If an employee reduces their weekly hours to under 40 but remains at 24 hours or above per week between course approval and completion, tuition assistance eligibility will be changed from $5,000.00 to $2,500.00 per year.

Post-Course Service Requirement

Employees receiving tuition assistance are required to remain employed with Shields Health for at least one year following the completion of the course, working at a weekly schedule equal to or greater than the average number of hours for which tuition was approved and reimbursed.

For example, if an employee received tuition assistance based on working 40 hours per week, they must continue working 40 hours per week for one year following the course completion.

Failure to meet this post-course employment requirement may result in the employee being required to repay a prorated portion of the tuition assistance received.

Tuition Assistance/Reimbursement Procedure

Prior to starting a course, employees are required to complete the Tuition Reimbursement Request Form (located on the InfoHub) and submit it to the Human Resources department for approval. Reimbursement will not be made if the course is not approved in advance.

Upon successful course completion, employees must furnish proof of their grade to Human Resources. This must be done within 30 days of completing the course to receive reimbursement.

Human Resources will initiate payment of tuition reimbursement upon confirmation that the specified grade requirements are met.

Guidelines

Shields Health will reimburse eligible employees who meet the following criteria:

- The course must be job-related, a requirement for a degree program, or a business necessity.

- Approved courses must be through an accredited educational institution. Some exceptions for professional organizations apply and will be reviewed by HR after receiving the Tuition Reimbursement Request Form.

- Employees must achieve at least a B- grade or Pass (for pass/fail courses). If the grade is lower, the employee is responsible for the course cost.

Additional Eligible Expenses

In addition to tuition, other related expenses eligible for reimbursement include:

- Lab fees

- Certain required school fees (excluding books, activity fees, library fees, student union fees, and parking)

Shields reserves the right to substitute or change this policy at any time without notice.

Tuition Assistance Form

Student Loan Assistance

Shields is proud to offer eligible employees the Fidelity Student Debt Program, to help you pay off your loan(s) faster and save money. Employees will be able to apply a maximum of forty (40) hours of accrued and unused PTO to be applied to active student loan debt. Enrollment information will be sent to employees via email annually.

Why are we doing this?

Because you asked and we listened. We know that student debt is a very real obstacle to everything from making ends meet to reaching your retirement goals. We worked with Fidelity to find a way to help you pay off your loan(s) faster so that you can focus on more important things.

HOW IT WORKS

Required Notices

As an employee, the benefits available to you represent a significant component of your compensation package. They also provide important protection for you and your family in the case of illness or injury.

Your Right to a Paper Copy: You have a right to request and obtain a paper version of any electronically transmitted document.

To request a paper copy, contact the plan sponsor at Humanresources@shields.com or 617-376-7470.

The following documents contain summary information about your benefits.

MBTA

Veterinary Insurance

ID Shield

Resources

Check back here for relevant Employee Benefits resources, like tutorials and tools released during the annual open enrollment process.

2026 Open Enrollment New & Noteworthy

2026 Open Enrollment

Important: Open Enrollment Begins November 12

Open Enrollment for 2026 benefits will take place from Wednesday, November 12 through Wednesday, November 26. Unlike previous years, this will be an active enrollment, meaning that you must take action if you wish to continue your current Shields Health benefits. Your coverage will not automatically roll over.

To help you prepare and understand this year’s changes, I encourage you to join our Listen & Learn session on Wednesday, November 12 at 1:00 p.m. During this session, we’ll review the key updates, answer your questions, and walk through the new process in Workday.

Here are a few highlights of what’s changing this year:

Medical

- We are replacing the EPO plan with a more traditional PPO plan that offers greater flexibility when choosing providers.

- We are switching to Express Scripts (ESI) as our new Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) to enhance prescription coverage and service options.

- Our High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs) will continue to be available at the $2,500 and $4,000

- Employer HSA contributions will remain the same for employees enrolled in an HDHP.

Please note: HSA accounts are only available with HDHP plans.

Rates

- There will be a change in rates this year. Additional details will be provided in the Benefits Guide and reviewed during the Listen & Learn

The Benefits Guide will be distributed on Friday, November 7 and will include detailed information on each plan option, rates, and step-by-step enrollment instructions through Workday.

Please keep an eye out for additional communications from myself and the Human Resources team to ensure you have all the information needed to make your elections.

Thank you for your attention and participation in this important process.

New & Noteworthy

Benefits

WORKDAY

ADP

Medical & RX

MBTA Pass

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