Frequently Asked Questions
What date should my census data be pulled as of?
Census data should always be pulled as of July 1st of the current fiscal year. For example, if the report is for the 2019-2020 fiscal year, and you are pulling the data in January 2020, your report should be as of July 1st, 2019.
Do we have to use the census template you send us?
By using our spreadsheet you will know that you are providing all of the necessary data for both your active employees and current retirees. Utilizing the template will also mitigate the number of questions we ask about your data.
What do I use as my Unique Identifier?
The unique identifier, required for both active employees and retirees, should remain consistent throughout the employment and retirement of an employee. For that reason, we suggest that districts use an employee ID number or a WinCap / nVision ID number. Questar III will never require you to provide social security or Medicare ID numbers, but some districts do prefer to use either of these as their unique identifier.
Do you need information for retirees contributing 100%?
Yes, please provide this information even if the retiree is responsible for 100% of their medical coverage, dental, and/or vision. There is still a small liability to the district for theses retirees due to the implicit rate subsidy. This is also true of surviving spouses that are contributing 100%.
Is it important for me to label the type of coverage my retirees have?
Yes, please label whether your retirees have Individual coverage (I), Individual Medicare coverage (M), Two Person Medicare coverage (2M), Family coverage (F), or One over 65 and One under 65 coverage (F1M1). This helps us give you the most accurate report. It will also help mitigate any questions and can potentially reduce the time it takes us to review your data.
Do I need to include the percent contributions for my retirees and their dependents, as well as their total monthly premiums and monthly contributions?
Yes, we use this information to confirm the data that we have received and to make sure that we are valuing the correct information. As always, there is a team member available to answer any questions and assist with data.
Should I include Medicare Part B reimbursement in the premiums on the census data?
No, the medical premiums and contribution on the census data should only refer to the medical premiums. Medicare Part B reimbursements and deductions are separate and are calculated differently. Therefore, we have added column R on the retired employees sheet of the census spreadsheet for our districts to input Medicare Part B reimbursement amounts.
Why don’t the Participant Counts on the GASB 75 Report match the counts provided by the district?
There are many possible reasons for this. During the “scrubbing process,” the Questar III BOCES GASB 75 team meticulously cleans the data received from the district. In doing so, individuals may be deleted from the Census. This occurs for various reasons, but an example would be if an individual was hired after the Actuarial Valuation date, that individual would be deleted, or if an individual is not eligible for OPEB at retirement, that individual would also be deleted.
