HR, Payroll and Benefits News
Annual Benefits Enrollment Period: October 2 - 27, 2017
October 5, 2017
The Annual Benefits Enrollment (ABE) period, October 2 - 27, is the only annual opportunity you have to enroll in or make changes to most of your benefits unless you have an eligible life event (family status or employment change) during the year. Changes made during ABE are effective January 1, 2018.
There are changes to benefits for 2018 that may require your action. In addition, certain benefits you may be enrolled in require action each year. Continue reading for more information.
Prepare
- Review your current benefits and visit the Annual Benefits Enrollment website for 2018 benefits changes. Note: Some State Group Health Insurance plans will no longer be available in 2018. Please review the information on the ABE website carefully to determine if you need to take action.
- Confirm that the doctors, clinics, hospitals and dentists you currently use will still be available in 2018 for the plan you select. You may also view a list of providers here.
- Some plans require that you enroll each year to continue your participation. If you are participating in one of these plans, you must enroll each year:
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA) including Health Care FSA, Limited Purpose FSA, Dependent Day Care FSA
- Health Savings Account (HSA) requires that you enroll each year you are enrolled in a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP)
- State Group Health Insurance Opt-Out Incentive Plan (new this year, you can enroll through Self Service in this plan)
- New this year, meet ALEX! ALEX is the UW System’s new online personalized benefits counselor who can walk you through your ABE benefits options. Through a series of easy, intuitive questions, ALEX will help you choose the benefits that best fit your needs based on your answers. To meet ALEX and get started click here.
- Attend a benefits fair to meet with health plan representatives and other benefits vendors. For a list of fairs throughout the UW System: UW System Benefits Fairs.
Decide
You may be eligible to enroll in, change, increase, decrease or cancel coverage for the plans listed below. For some plans you can add or delete dependents. Visit the Annual Benefits Enrollment website for opportunities and premiums for each plan.
Remember, this year you don’t have to navigate all of these benefits options alone. Let ALEX, the new online personalized benefits counselor, walk you through your options. It’s easy, educational, and it’s fun! To meet ALEX and get started click here.
- State Group Health (Graduate Assistants and Short-Term Academic Staff are not eligible for the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) or the Health Insurance Opt-Out Incentive Plan)
- Dental Wisconsin Dental Insurance
- EPIC Benefits + (includes dental, Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D), hospital/surgical benefits and optional vision insurance)
- VSP Vision Insurance
- Individual & Family Life Insurance
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA) including Health Care FSA, Limited Purpose FSA, Dependent Day Care FSA and Parking/Transit Accounts (University Staff Temporary Employees, Fellows, Scholars, Graduate Interns/ Trainees, or Post-Doctoral Fellows/ Trainees are not eligible to participate in Health Care, Limited Purpose and Dependent Day Care FSAs)
- Health Savings Account (HSA) (Graduate/Short-Term Academic Staff benefits are not eligible for the HSA)
Act
How to Make Elections
Use Self Service (eBenefits) to make your elections online. Log into the MyUW portal for UW System institutions or for UW-Madison. Go to the ‘Benefit Information’ module and click on the ‘Enroll’ link. You will receive a Confirmation Statement via email 24-48 hours after you have submitted your elections.
A Parking/Transit Account is the one exception that requires a paper application. To participate, you must complete, print and sign an application and submit it to your human resources office by 4:30 p.m., Friday, October 27, 2017. Mailed applications must be postmarked by October 27, 2017.
Don’t miss your chance to enroll in or make changes to your benefits for 2018! All benefit elections must be submitted by 4:30 p.m., Friday, October 27, 2017. If you have questions, contact your human resources office.
Source: UW System Human Resources
Categories: Annual Benefits Enrollment (ABE)