John L. McClellan Memorial Veterans Hospital

VA Benefits

Paid Time Off:

• 26 Days paid annual (vacation/personal) leave
• 13 Days paid sick leave each year with no limit on accumulation
• 11 Federal holidays with pay annually
• 5 Days paid absence to attend approved CME courses

Insurance:

• Health Insurance: VA employees have an outstanding number of health insurance plans from which to choose (premiums are partially paid by VA) Lifetime Healthcare Insurance options available
• Dental & Vision: Our insurance options also include exceptional vision and dental plans (premiums are partially paid by VA)
• VA employees have the option to use Flexible Spending Accounts, which allow you to use tax-free dollars to pay for medical, dental, and vision care expenses that are not reimbursed by your health insurance plan
• Term life insurance, family, and additional coverage options are available with the cost shared by the Federal Government
• Long-term care insurance is available as an option

Federal Retirement Plan:

• VA employees are covered by the Federal Employees Retirement System (FERS). FERS is a three-tiered retirement plan composed of 1) Social Security benefits, 2) FERS-RAE basic benefits (pension), and 3) Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) which is a 401K-type plan
• How is the pension funded? VA employees automatically contribute 4.4% of their salary each pay period and the VA contributes 12.2% of the employee’s salary each pay period for a total annual contribution percentage equal to 16.6% of the employee’s salary
• Similar to the 401(k) savings plans widely available in the private sector, the TSP allows employees to tax defer a portion of their income each year, subject to the requirements of the Internal Revenue Service. For calendar year 2020, employees under the age of 50 may contribute up to $19,500, while those over age 50 are eligible to make catch-up contributions that allow them to defer up to $25,500.
• The Federal Government also provides an automatic basic contribution (1% of salary) and up to 4% of salary in matching contributions, depending on the amount of the employee contribution
• For retired military personnel, these benefits are in addition to full monthly retirement pay or pension
• In addition to FERS, VA provides health care insurance coverage for retired personnel
• Disability Retirement
• Employees are vested in a federal pension after only 5 years service

The Best Care and the Best Careers…The mission of the Veterans Healthcare System is to serve the needs of America's veterans by providing primary care, specialized care, and related medical and social support services. To accomplish this mission, the VA needs to be a comprehensive, integrated healthcare system that provides excellence in health care value, excellence in service as defined by its customers, and excellence in education and research, and needs to be an organization characterized by exceptional accountability and by being an employer of choice.

The Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System (CAVHS)… a flagship Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) healthcare provider, is one of the largest and busiest VA medical centers in the country. Its two hospitals, located in Little Rock and North Little Rock, anchor a broad spectrum of inpatient and outpatient healthcare services, ranging from disease prevention through primary care, to complex surgical procedures, to extended rehabilitative care. This System serves as a teaching facility for more than 1,500 students and residents enrolled in more than 65 educational programs; its principal affiliate is the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

What makes Little Rock a special place… the capital of Arkansas and a metropolitan statistical area with a population of 666,401. The 11-county Metro Little Rock Alliance (MLRA) population, representing a 50-mile radius surrounding Little Rock, has a population of 967,789. Residents within the MLRA live within an hour’s drive of Little Rock, where major industry sectors include the medical, service, government and advanced manufacturing industries. Little Rock got its name from the famed La Salle Expedition in 1682, when the party landed at “La Petite Roche” on the southern banks of the Arkansas River. It became the seat of Arkansas’ new territorial government in 1821 and was incorporated as a city in 1831. In 1836, Little Rock was named capital of the newly admitted State of Arkansas.

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