HR, Payroll and Benefits News
Benefit Enrollment and Change Period Begins October 3
September 7, 2011
There are important changes to your benefits for 2012 that may require you to take action during the Benefit Enrollment & Change Period that begins on October 3, 2011 and ends on October 28, 2011 for all participating plans. This is the only time during the year when you are eligible to make benefit plan changes unless you have a life event (marriage, birth, divorce...) that allows you to add or change benefits.
Detailed benefit information will be available in late September online at the 2012 Benefit Enrollment and Change Period website. Please also watch your email for details.
You may take the following actions during the benefit enrollment and change period:
- Change health insurance plans
- Change from single to family health insurance or add additional family members to family health insurance
- NEW: Enroll for health insurance if you are not currently enrolled
- Enroll in plans that have an open or special enrollment (VSP, Dental Wisconsin, EPIC Benefits+, UW Employees, Inc. Life Insurance)
- Add or remove eligible dependent children age 19-25 or a domestic partner to or from health insurance, VSP, Dental Wisconsin and EPIC Benefits+
- Add or remove the optional vision insurance offered under EPIC Benefits+ (this option will be limited in the future)
- Enroll in UW Employees, Inc. Life Insurance (if not currently enrolled)
- NEW: Increase your Individual and Family Life Insurance coverage level (if already enrolled)
- Enroll in Employee Reimbursement Account (medical expense and dependent care)
- Cancel coverage under any plan for the 2012 plan year - must submit application on or before December 1, 2011.
All benefit enrollments and changes made during this period will be effective January 1, 2012.
Watch for benefit plan changes effective January 1, 2012:
- If covered by an HMO or are covered by and receive in-network benefits from one of the Preferred Provider Plans (WEA Trust or WPS Metro Choice), you will pay 10% coinsurance for non-preventive medical services, up to an annual maximum of $500 per person or $1,000 per family.
- If covered by the Standard Plan, you will pay 10% coinsurance for non-preventive in-network medical services, up to an annual maximum of $800 per person or $1,600 and per family after a $200 deductible per person or $400 per family. A number of benefits have been modernized and modified.
- EPIC Benefits+ removed the excess medical portion of its plan and added a benefit that will pay $100 for each day of hospitalization in excess of three days or following a surgical procedure at a hospital or ambulatory surgical center.
- Adult children, whether dependent upon you or married, will be eligible for coverage under State Group Health Insurance, VSP, Anthem DentalBlue, Dental Wisconsin and EPIC Benefits+ until the end of the month in which they turn age 26 (they were previously eligible until the end of the month in which they turned 27).
- Coverage under all benefit plans, except State Group Life Insurance, will end at the end of the month in which you terminate employment or retire.
- Benefits will increase under UW Employees, Inc. Life Insurance and any beneficiary designation on file with the plan prior to October 1, 2011 will be invalid and you will be required to submit a new beneficiary designation. All employees who have coverage in effect prior to the open enrollment will receive a mailing in early October that includes information about how to designate your beneficiary(ies) online (will include your login and password).
Prior to the Benefit Enrollment & Change Period, you should review the benefit plans in which you are currently enrolled by visiting My UW and viewing both the Benefit Information module and your earnings statement on the Work Record tab.
Source: UW System Administration
Categories: Annual Benefits Enrollment (ABE)