Step 1: Review all your benefit plan options before making your elections
Get to know your benefits. New employees have 35 days from their date of hire to enroll in benefits.
Start reviewing the City's benefit plans now, so you're ready to make your plan selections.
Review plan summaries and coverage in more detail. Remember - Customized and interactive plan comparisons can be obtained within your benefits portal. Simply select the plans you wish to compare during your plan election phase and hit compare once selected.
Review all the Benefit Plan Summaries and Guides
Go deeper into City of Portland Benefits: HRAR 10.01
Thinking about a Flexible Spending Account (FSA)?
Be sure you know the rules and uses for each of the 2 FSA plans offered through the City. A Healthcare FSA is for eligible out-of-pocket healthcare expenses for you and your dependents, while a Dependent Care FSA is for daycare or eldercare expenses.
Learn more: Flexible Spending Accounts
Meet Your Benefits! Attend New Employee Orientation
We offer a New Hire Orientation on the 2nd Tuesday of each month - except for July and December.
Register for full New Employee Orientation
➡️For December 9, 2025 session only- Register for December Meet Your Benefit Session
Can't attend the New Hire Benefits Orientation? View the New Hire Benefits Presentation below.
Step 2: Watch Your Email for Your Benefits Portal Log-In Access.
Once your new hire information has gone through the system, you will have access to enroll in benefits via your online benefits portal. If you try to log in before you receive the email from us, and experience issues with access, it could be that you aren't in the system yet.
Check your status by emailing benefits@portlandoregon.gov, and we will see where your information is in the process.
Ready to enroll?
Access Your Online Benefits Account Here
Step 3: Select your benefits in your Benefits Portal
After receiving your new hire email from the benefits office, log in to your account and sign up for your benefit plans. Do this within 35 days of your hire date. You can review your benefit elections any time in your Benefits Portal.
Customized and interactive plan comparisons can be obtained within your benefits portal. Simply select the plans you wish to compare during your plan election phase and hit compare once selected.
The City Benefits office will send you a confirmation email once you have been approved.
Step 4: Upload Supporting Documents, if Necessary
After you've chosen your benefits, you may need to upload required documents.
You can submit required documents by uploading them to your documents center within your benefits online account or email to benefits@portlandoregon.gov.
If you are adding dependents, you must provide:
- Spouse - Copy of marriage certificate or license
- Children- Copy of birth certificate(s), signed adoption paperwork, or court-appointed guardianship paperwork
- Domestic Partner - Notarized domestic partnership Affidavitand Declaration of Oregon Registered Domestic Partnership if registered with the State of Oregon.
If opting out of City sponsored health plans, you will need to provide proof of enrollment in other coverage.
After you've enrolled - what's next?
- Elect your beneficiaries for your life insurance
- Create online accounts for each of your benefit plans (Example: Moda members: Set up your Garner account, create your Moda Dashboard account, etc).
- If you enrolled in a Flexible Spending Account make your Navia FSA account and learn how to manage your FSA.
- Within 60 days of your hire date, take advantage of your Guarantee Issue period for additional Supplemental Life Insurance and Long-Term Disability Insurance.
- Consider enrolling in a Deferred Compensation (457 Plan),Your participation can begin the first of the month after you complete 30 days of employment.
- Bookmark helpful resources for the future - like CityStrong, Financial Wellness Education and Gender Affirming Care and Culturally Specific Resources
- Update our office if you have a Qualifying Life Event (like birth of a child or divorce)
- Use your benefits! Reach out to benefits@portlandoregon.gov if you have any questions.
Default Enrollment
Employees have 35 days from their employment start date to enroll in benefit plans. If an employee does not enroll within 35 days, they are automatically enrolled in the default plans below, and will not be able to change this default enrollment until the next annual enrollment period (July 1st of each year).
Full-time Employee Default Enrollment
- Medical Plan: CityCore (Moda) PPO Employee only coverage o Portland Police Association (PPA): CityNet (Moda) PPO Employee only coverage
- Dental Plan: Delta Core Employee only coverage
- Vision Plan: Basic Vision Service Plan (VSP) Employee only coverage
- Basic Life Insurance for employee only based on your union affiliation
- Basic long-term disability (if you are eligible for this plan). You will not be eligible for the buy-up long term disability plan unless you apply with evidence of insurability at a later date.
- There are no default Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan or Dependent Care Assistance Program elections. You must actively enroll in the MERP and DCAP plans to participate in these options.
Part-time Employee Default Enrollment
- Part-time employees (30 hours or less per week) are not enrolled in any City-sponsored medical/vision or dental plans. You may receive a pro-rated share of the single party opt-out cash if/when you provide proof of enrollment in other group medical coverage.
- Basic Life Insurance for employee only based on your union affiliation
- Basic long-term disability (if you are eligible for this plan). You will not be eligible for the buy-up long term disability plan unless you apply with evidence of insurability at a later date. There are no default Medical Expense Reimbursement Plan or Dependent Care Assistance Program elections. You must actively enroll in the MERP and DCAP plans to participate in these options.
Preventive Care Initiative
The Preventive Care Initiative applies to Non-Represented employees and union employees represented by PPA, PPCOA, PROTEC 17, Recreation Leaders, Portland City Laborers (PCL), PPA-BOEC, DCTU, CPPW, and PFFA.
You are required to see your Primary Care Provider for a preventive exam (checkup) every two years to maintain your 5% premium share as a full-time employee. Ensuring employees have these important screenings is an important step to better health and better health outcomes. Sharing in the responsibility of good health will help keep the costs for benefits within sustainable levels.
Learn more about the Preventive Care Initiative when you sign up for benefits, by navigating to the microsite within your benefits portal titled Preventive Care Initiative.