• The 2024–2025 Benefits Open Enrollment period has ended. Review your elections on BenefitSolver.com.

Eligibility & Enrollment Options

Eligibility

  • Eligible employees must be actively at work on the plan's effective date for new benefits to be effective.

    New Employees

    You have 31 days from your actively-at-work date to make benefit elections. 

    Existing Employees

    When it’s time to enroll in your benefits, your First Financial Account Representative will be available by phone to assist you with making your elections (during open enrollment only). Your elections can be made anytime during annual enrollment online from your work or home computer. Before enrollment, take time to educate yourself on the available benefits and what options would work best for you and your family by visiting the Employee Benefits Center.

    Mid-year Benefit Changes

    You may add or cancel coverage during the plan year if you have a change in family status. You must notify the benefits department within 31 days of the change (60 days for newborns). Please contact your HCDE Benefits team to get the paperwork in on time.

    Qualifying Life Events Include:

    • Changes in household, including marriage, divorce, legal separation, annulment, death of a spouse, birth, adoption, placement for adoption, or death of a dependent child
    • Loss of health coverage, attributable to your spouse’s employment
    • Losing existing health coverage including job-based, individual & student plans
    • Losing eligibility for Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP
    • Turning 26 and losing coverage through a parent’s plan 

     

    Declining Coverage

    If you are eligible for benefits, but wish to DECLINE coverage, please complete the online enrollment either on your work or home computer. Under each option, you will need to select “waive.” You must still complete the beneficiary information.

We're Here to Help

Benefits Information Video Library

  • Harris County Department of Education and First Financial are excited to provide you with a custom website filled with information about your benefits. Visit the Employee Benefits Center to see current benefit options for your employer, as well as find claims, important phone numbers, and enrollment information. 

    There’s no need to register for site access. Click the link below, and you will be directed to your Employee Benefits Center. 

    Visit Employee Benefits Center

Enroll Online

  • To begin online enrollment, visit https://www.benefitsolver.com and log in with your BenefitSolver username and password.

    If you have forgotten your username or password, click the "Trouble logging in?" link. The company key is hcde (case-sensitive).

    If this is your first time logging into BenefitSolver, click Register to get started. The site will request your social security number, date of birth (mm/dd/yyyy), and company key (hcde), which is case-sensitive. The site will ask you to create your username (8 characters or longer) and password (8 characters or longer) and have a combination of letters and numbers. 

    Enroll/Make Changes to Benefits

Get Help With Enrollment by Phone

  • Call 855-765-4473 and follow the prompts to be connected to your local First Financial branch office. Hours of operation are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (local time) Monday through Friday. There is an option to leave a voice message for a representative to call you back. Phone calls will be returned as soon as possible or the next business day if it is after hours. 

Sign Up In-Person

  • Human Resources staff and representatives from First Financial will be available on-site to assist HCDE staff and address questions regarding benefits.

    On-Site Enrollment Dates

    Dates will be announced before the 2025–2026 open enrollment period.