Mission Statement
The Maryland National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) designs, develops and administers quality, cost-effective benefit programs.
We offer our employees a competitive benefits package.
Your 2026 Benefits
Benefits Summaries
Open Enrollment 2027 and Your Medical Plans
Open Enrollment 2027 will be October 19 – November 6, 2026. This is your annual opportunity to review your core benefits and make changes to meet your needs for next year.
New Medical Plan – Cigna
Effective January 1, 2027, Cigna medical plans will replace those currently administered by UnitedHealthcare.
There will be no changes to the medical plan designs; your deductibles, co-pays, coinsurance, and coverage remain the same. Only the administrator is changing.
Kaiser Permanente will continue to be available as an HMO option.
Save the Date
As you prepare for Open Enrollment, please mark the following dates on your calendar for the Benefit Fairs that will provide you with an opportunity to meet with benefit vendors, learn more about your options, and have your questions answered. You can also attend one of the Group Information Sessions held at convenient locations throughout the Commission.
Benefit Fairs
- October 20, 2026: 10:00 a.m.–3:00 p.m.
PRA – Auditorium - October 21, 2026: 11:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Brookside GardensÂ
What You Should Do Now
Watch your mail.
The official announcement for Open Enrollment 2027 that includes beneficial information about the transition from UnitedHealthcare to Cigna and
the schedule for the Group Information Sessions will be mailed to your home address.
Questions?
Contact your Health & Benefits Team at benefits@mncppc.org or 301-454-1694.
IRS Limits – Retirement Savings Plans
2026 Retirement Savings Account Annual Contribution Limits 457 & Roth/Traditional IRA
Employees may contribute up to $24,500 to the 457 Deferred Compensation Plan. Employees who are age 50 or older may contribute up to $32,500.
Some employees may qualify for the 3-Year pre-retirement catch-up limit of $49,000.
Contributions are usually made on a pre-tax basis, which lowers taxable income, but employees may choose pre-tax, Roth (after-tax),
or a combination of both, as long as the total contributions stay within IRS limits.
Note: If your 2025 W-2 Box 3 wages exceed $150,000, your age-50 catch-up ($8,000) must be contributed to the Roth 457 (after-tax).
Employees may also contribute to a Roth IRA or Traditional IRA. The annual contribution limit is $7,500, with an additional $1,100 catch-up contribution allowed for those age 50 or older. IRA contributions are made on an after-tax basis.
For questions or assistance, contact Daisy Jones, MissionSquare Retirement Plan Specialist Phone: 202-759-7172 or Schedule Your Appointment Here.
Health and Welfare Benefit Plans
Health Plans
Employee Health & Benefits Guide, Handbook and Forms – Health, Life, LTD, Sick Leave Bank and Flexible Spending Account
Employee Benedits Handbook
Health Plan Price Transparency in Coverage
Employee and Retiree 2026 Benefits Guide
Retiree-Survivor Benefit Enrollment Form
Benefit Enrollment/Change Form
2026 Flexible Spending Account Election Form (PDF)
Life Insurance Beneficiary Designation Form (Basic/AD&D/Supplemental/PDF)
FOP Additional Life $50k Designation of Beneficiary Form
Securian Term Life Certificate of Insurance
Securian Brochure Life Insurance Plan Summary
Securian Group Life Insurance Evidence of Insurability Worksheet
Sick Leave Bank Enrollment Form
Guide to Viewing Current Benefits and Designating Your Group Life Beneficiaries Using ESS
M-NCPPC Behavioral Health Resources Snapshot 2020
What Happens to Your Benefits When You Separate or Retire?
Opt-Out Group Life Insurance Form
457 Deferred Compensation Plan
Easy Online Enrollment – MissionSquare 457, Roth and Traditional IRAs
Maximize Your MissionSquare 457 Plan Retirement Benefits
MissionSquare (formerly ICMA-RC) 457 Enrollment Form (Employer Plan Number – 303368)
MissionSquare (formerly ICMA-RC) Emergency Withdrawal Form 457
457(b) Enroll or Change Contribution Election Form
457 Deferred Compensation Plan Leave Deferral Election Form
Legal Resources Program
Pre-Paid Legal Plan
M-NCPPC provides a legal services plan that requires a minimum of 12 months of enrollment. Through Legal Resources, participants can get high quality advice, consultation and courtroom representation for commonly used legal services.
This service however, may not be used for any agency-related lawsuits.
Benefit Eligibility
If you are a career or appointed employee or a Commissioner, you and your eligible dependents may enroll in this benefit. Post-tax deductions are taken from your paycheck.
How The Plan Works
- You can enroll in this plan once a year during our annual open enrollment.
- You choose a law firm from the Legal Resources network. The attorneys at that law firm will provide all the services covered by the plan.
- All attorney fees for services are covered in full by your payroll deduction.
- The monthly fee includes unlimited use of covered services for your entire family.
Note: Legal Resources cannot be used for actions against the M-NCPPC.
Example of Savings
| Legal Need | Estimated Attorney Fees | Legal Resources Attorney Fees |
|---|---|---|
| Attorney Fees to Purchase Home | $400 – $600 | $0 |
| Civil Action Court Representation | $600 – $1,500 | $0 |
| Credit Issues | $150 per hour | $0 |
| Juvenile Court Appearance | $400 – $1,000 | $0 |
| Traffic Court Representation | $300 – $750 | $0 |
| Uncontested Divorce | $750 – $1,200 | $0 |
| Unlimited Advice and Consultation | $150 – $175 per hour | $0 |
| Warranty Consumer Disputes | $150 per hour | $0 |
| Will Preparation | $400 – $500 | $0 |
Note: These are just a few of the legal services offered. Many other services are included for your monthly fee.
You may continue this program at the current rates for up to 2 years after you leave the agency.
For more information, contact the Health and Benefits Office at 301-454-1694.
Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
VOYA administers the FSA plan. The 2025 Health Care FSA annual election limit is $3,200. The Dependent Care FSA limit remains $5,000 (limit is $2,500 if you are married filing jointly). The annual FSA limits are governed by IRS.
In order to participate in the FSA program, you must re-enroll each year during open enrollment. You have until March 15th of the year following plan year to use any remaining funds in the prior year account(s) or 90 days following termination of employment to submit receipts for expenses incurred during the plan year. If you terminate, all expenses must be incurred prior to my termination, unless you elect to continue after-tax payments to the plan after my termination.
To find out more about the Flexible Spending Accounts and eligible expenses, go to www.voya.com.
Sick Leave Bank
The Sick Leave Bank is a short-term, income-replacement disability plan designed to provide income-replacement , once you exhaust your accrued leave (except for 80 hours of annual leave) in the event of your own serious illness (including pregnancy), the illness of a family member-children up to age 26 or parental responsibilities (newborn, adoption, foster care).
Joining
Full-time or part-time career employee’s may join the plan within their first 60 days of hire/rehire or open enrollment.
Purpose of Use
The Sick Leave Bank is only to used to cover lost wages up to 80% of your base pay rate. Up to 688 hours each calendar year for an employee’s own serious illness; up to 240 hours each calendar year for parental responsibilities and up to 160 hours for the serious medical condition of a family member. (Part-time employee’s maximum hours is one-half of those stated.)
Contributing Time
Employees must contribute the required hours of sick leave as designated each year for membership in the Sick Leave Bank. Full-time employees must contribute 8 hours and part-time employees must contribute 4 hours per year; this is subject to change based on the balance of hours in the bank. Contributions are taken within the first quarter of the calendar year and are reflected as a reduction in your leave balance.
Long Term Disability (LTD)
Long Term Disability (LTD) is a mandatory benefit for career employees. This benefit protects an individual’s income in the event of an illness or injury that prevents one from working. The LTD plan pays 66 2/3% of your basic monthly earnings, up to a maximum monthly benefit of $6,000. For example, an employee who earns $1,500 a month would be eligible for an LTD benefit of $1,000 a month, calculated as: 66 2/3% x $1,500 salary. The Commission pays 80% of the premium and the employees pay 20%.
Eligibility
To apply for LTD you must contact MetLife at 1-866-729-9201. MetLife will determine whether you are eligible for LTD benefits. This process takes anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks. To ensure that you continue to receive income, you should file your application after being disabled for 60 days. If you have been disabled or expect to be disabled for more than 120 days, you must apply for LTD. If you do not apply before 60 days have lapsed, you may not be eligible for other income programs such as the Sick Leave Bank or the Commission’s Disability Pay program for work related injuries or illnesses.
Once you have been approved for LTD, you will no longer be able to use your accrued leave or the Sick Leave Bank. The Health and Benefits office will coordinated the start of your LTD payments with your department.
Family & Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides eligible employees up to 12 workweeks of unpaid leave per calendar year for FMLA approved events. The mandated leave allowance is inclusive of other available leave and permits employers to offset the total 12-week entitlement with any paid leave taken under the FMLA.
Commission employees are required to use certain types of accrued paid leave as available under the Merit System Rules and Regulations (MSR&R) before Leave-Without-Pay can be granted. Once the required amount of paid leave has been used the employee may request Leave-Without-Pay for the balance of the 12 workweeks. For instance, if an employee is required to use 30 workdays (6 workweeks) of Sick Leave before requesting unpaid leave, she/he has 30 workdays (6 workweeks) which may be taken as Leave-Without-Pay under the FMLA.
Certification of Health Care Provider for Employee’s Serious Health Condition (WH-380-E) (PDF)
Certification of Health Care Provider for Employee’s Serious Health Condition (WH-380-E) (Spanish) (PDF)
Certification of Health Care Provider for Family Member’s Serious Health Condition (WH-380-F) (PDF)
Certification of Health Care Provider for Family Member’s Serious Health Condition (WH-380-F) (Spanish) (PDF)
FMLA Notice of Eligibility and Rights and Responsibilities (WH-381) (PDF)
FMLA Notice of Eligibility and Rights and Responsibilities (WH-381) (Spanish) (PDF)
FMLA Designation Notice (WH-382) (PDF)
FMLA Designation Notice (WH-382) (Spanish) (PDF)
Certification of Qualifying Exigency for Military Family Leave (WH-384) (PDF)
Certification of Qualifying Exigency for Military Family Leave (WH-384) (Spanish) (PDF)
Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of a Current Service Member for Military Family Leave (WH-385) (PDF)
Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of a Current Service Member for Military Family Leave (WH-385) (Spanish) (PDF)
Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of a Veteran for Military Caregiver Leave (WH-385-V) (PDF)
Certification for Serious Injury or Illness of a Veteran for Military Caregiver Leave (WH-385-V) (Spanish) (PDF)
Family and Medical Leave Act Certification of a Serious Health Condition (PDF)
FMLA Application Form (PDF)
FMLA Instructions (PDF)
FMLA Poster (English) (For Printing) (PDF)
FMLA Poster (Spanish) (For Printing) (PDF)
