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StarGazer101

What does Medical EE - SR mean on my pay stub? Can't figure out this deduction

So I've been going through my recent pay stubs more carefully (trying to budget better this year), and I noticed something I can't figure out. There's this line item that says "Medical EE - SR" and it's taking out money every paycheck. I've never really paid attention to the breakdown before, just looked at the final amount. I'm not even sure if this is the right place to ask, but can someone explain what "Medical EE - SR" actually means? Is this normal or something I should be concerned about? I've been at this company for about 8 months and just realized I don't understand half the abbreviations on my pay statement.

This is definitely a medical insurance-related deduction. On pay stubs, "EE" typically stands for "Employee" - it's an industry abbreviation used in payroll systems. The "SR" portion most likely indicates a specific tier or type of medical coverage. From what I can tell from your description, this is probably your employee contribution toward your medical insurance premium, specifically for a "Senior Rate" or "Standard Rate" plan (depending on your company's terminology). It's completely normal to see this on your pay stub - it represents the portion of your health insurance that you're paying through payroll deduction before taxes.

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Paolo Romano

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Thanks for explaining! So is "Medical EE - SR" different from just regular health insurance? I see another deduction called "Health Ins" on my stub too. Are they taking out money twice for the same thing?

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Great question! "Medical EE - SR" and "Health Ins" are likely not duplicate charges. Companies often break down different aspects of your healthcare coverage. For example, "Medical EE - SR" might be specifically for your medical insurance (doctor visits, hospitalizations), while "Health Ins" could cover other aspects like dental, vision, or supplemental coverage. You should definitely check with your HR department to get the exact breakdown of what each deduction covers. They can provide you with documentation that explains all your benefits and associated payroll deductions in detail.

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Amina Diop

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I was super confused by all these weird payroll codes too! I tried figuring them out on my own but it was impossible. I ended up using https://taxr.ai to upload my pay stub and it explained everything - the "Medical EE - SR" on mine was for the "Employee - Standard Rate" medical plan I selected during enrollment (as opposed to the premium plan which would have been way more expensive). The tool translates all that payroll jargon into normal human language and even explains how each deduction affects your taxes. It was honestly a relief to finally understand where all my money was going!

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How does the tool actually figure this out? Wouldn't it need to know the specific codes my company uses? All these abbreviations seem like they could mean different things at different places.

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I'm a bit skeptical. There are hundreds of different payroll systems out there and they all use different codes. Does it work with all of them or just the major ones? My company uses some ancient system from like 1995 I swear.

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Amina Diop

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The system analyzes thousands of different payroll formats - it has a database of common codes plus it uses context clues from the rest of your stub to figure out what each line means. It works by pattern-matching your stub against ones it's seen before. For those ancient systems, it actually tends to work better because older payroll systems use more standardized codes than newer customized ones. It doesn't need to know your specific company's system because it recognizes the patterns of how deductions are typically categorized and labeled.

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I just tried taxr.ai after seeing the suggestion here and wow - it actually worked for my weird pay stub! My "Medical EE" code turned out to be my portion of the premium for our group health plan, and the "SR" part meant "Self + Spouse Rate" (I have family coverage). I seriously thought my company was just making up these codes to confuse us, but apparently they're standard abbreviations in payroll systems. The tool even showed me how much I'll save in taxes because these premiums are being deducted pre-tax. Definitely helped me understand what I'm actually paying for!

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Javier Torres

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If you're still confused after checking with HR, you might want to try getting someone on the phone at the insurance provider. I had a similar issue last year with weird deductions and kept getting the runaround from our HR department. I used https://claimyr.com to get through to an actual human at my insurance company (check out how it works: https://youtu.be/_kiP6q8DX5c) and they were able to explain exactly what each of my medical deductions meant and why they were different amounts. Turns out I was paying for some supplemental coverage I didn't even know I had signed up for during open enrollment! Saved me like $80/month once I got it straightened out.

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Emma Wilson

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Wait, what exactly is this service? Does it just call the insurance company for you? Couldn't you just do that yourself?

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QuantumLeap

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This sounds like some kind of scam honestly. Why would I pay someone else to make a phone call I could make myself? And how would they even have the authority to discuss my personal insurance information?

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Javier Torres

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It's not just calling - it navigates the entire phone tree and waits on hold for you, which can literally take hours with insurance companies. When someone finally picks up, it alerts you to join the call. It saves you from listening to that awful hold music for 40+ minutes. They don't discuss your personal information at all. They just wait on hold and then connect you directly once a real person is on the line. You're the one who actually talks to the representative about your specific situation. It's basically just a hold-waiting service that saves you time and frustration.

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QuantumLeap

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I was totally wrong about Claimyr! After commenting here I actually tried it because I was getting desperate with my insurance situation. I'd been trying to reach my provider for three days about a similar payroll deduction question. They got me through to a rep in about 25 minutes when I had been hanging up after an hour on previous attempts. The agent explained that my "Medical EE - SR" was actually for a Senior Rate plan that I was incorrectly enrolled in (I'm nowhere near senior age!). Got it fixed and am now saving $43 per paycheck. Sometimes you gotta admit when you're wrong - this service actually delivered.

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Malik Johnson

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Just wanted to add - if you log into your benefits portal (most companies have one), you can usually see a detailed breakdown of all your deductions there. Mine shows exactly what "Medical EE" means and breaks it down by coverage type. Worth checking before spending time on hold with anyone!

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I can never remember my login for our benefits portal and our HR person gets annoyed when I ask for resets lol. Is there usually a way to see this info on the physical pay stub itself? Like a legend or something?

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Malik Johnson

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Most pay stubs don't include a legend or key for the abbreviations, unfortunately. However, many companies provide an annual benefits statement that explains all deductions in detail. Check your email around the time of open enrollment - there's usually documentation there that explains everything. If you're stuck with the login issues, try looking for a "forgot password" link on the portal login page. This typically sends an automatic reset link that doesn't involve bugging HR. Alternatively, many larger companies now have automated HR chatbots that can help with basic questions about payroll codes without needing to talk to a person.

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Ravi Sharma

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FYI - sometimes "SR" can mean "Supplemental Rate" too. When I worked at my last job, I had regular medical coverage plus a supplemental critical illness policy, and it showed up exactly like this. "Medical EE" was the base plan and "SR" was the add-on. Worth checking if you have multiple types of coverage.

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Freya Larsen

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I think it varies by company too. At my previous job, "SR" meant "Self + Room/Boarder" because I had a domestic partner on my insurance who wasn't legally a spouse. So many different systems all using the same abbreviations for different things!

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Jamal Carter

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This thread has been super helpful! I work in benefits administration and can confirm that payroll codes are unfortunately not standardized across companies. "Medical EE - SR" could mean several different things depending on your employer's system: - Employee - Standard Rate (most common) - Employee - Senior Rate (age-based pricing) - Employee - Spouse Rate (family coverage) - Employee - Supplemental Rate (additional coverage) The best approach is definitely to check with your HR department first, as they'll have the specific definitions for your company's codes. If you can't get clear answers there, your insurance card usually has a member services number that can help explain what coverage you're actually paying for. One tip: if you're budgeting, remember that most medical insurance premiums are deducted pre-tax, which reduces your taxable income. So while you see the deduction on your gross pay, it's actually saving you money on taxes compared to paying the same amount out-of-pocket after taxes.

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