HR, Payroll and Benefits News

What You Need to Know About Your 2018 Insurance Benefits
November 15, 2017

Review your 2018 Benefit Enrollments

As 2017 draws to a close, now is a great time to review your 2018 insurance coverage and any changes you made during the Annual Benefits Enrollment (ABE) period which ended on October 27, 2017.

To view your Benefits Summary, log in to the MyUW portal for UW System institutions or for UW-Madison. Launch the Benefit Information module. Choose the Summary tab at the top of the page and click View Benefits Summary Detail at the bottom of the page. At the top of the Benefits Summary page enter 01/01/2018 in the As Of date field and click Refresh to see your 2018 elections.

2018 Premiums

Premiums for 2018 coverage will be reflected on the pay check dated December 21, 2017 for University Staff (paid bi-weekly) and January 2, 2018 for Faculty, Academic Staff, and Limited Appointees (FA/AS/LI) (paid monthly).

Health Insurance

• For most employees there are no changes to the employee premium contributions for State Group Health Insurance in 2018 as employee premium contributions will be the same as 2017. Crafts workers and employees paying the less-than-full-time rates may see their premium costs increase.
• Annual deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums for health insurance plans will reset at the beginning of the new plan year, January 1, 2018.
• Health insurance plan member cards are typically sent by health plan providers to participants by the end of December. The 2018 plan cards are effective January 1, 2018, and you will need to present your card at appointments that occur on or after January 1, 2018.
• Employees enrolled in the State Group Health Insurance program and their covered spouses and dependents must select a primary care provider (PCP).
• Employees that do not currently have a designated PCP, should contact their health plan to request assistance in selecting a PCP for themselves and their dependents.
• If employees do not select a PCP for themselves and their dependents, their health plan will contact them directly. In most cases, the health plan will auto-assign PCPs and provide information on how to change them.

Pharmacy Benefits

• Navitus pharmacy cards (prescription drug coverage) for 2018 will only be sent to newly enrolled employees. Participants covered in 2017 will not receive a new card. 
• Some pharmacies will no longer be in-network including CVS Pharmacy, Target and certain out-of-state pharmacies. 
• Certain over-the-counter medications will no longer be covered such as steroid nasal sprays (Flonase®) and medication to treat heartburn (Prilosec®).
• Lumicera and UW Specialty Pharmacy are replacing Diplomat Specialty Pharmacy as the preferred specialty pharmacy. Level 4 preferred drugs (specialty medications) must be filled at one of these pharmacies. Navitus will mail information to affected members.
• Serve You Rx is replacing WellDyneRx as the mail order pharmacy. Navitus will mail information to affected members.
• New discount drug list– Prescriptions that are not covered by the pharmacy benefit may be available at a discounted rate. This may include drugs for infertility, weight loss, cosmetic or other lifestyle needs as prescribed.
• Find in-network pharmacies and formulary lists on the Navitus website, or call Navitus at 1-866-333-2757 with questions.

Wellness Wisconsin Program

To be eligible for the Wellness Incentive for 2018, a health screening, health assessment and a health engagement activity (new) will need to be completed. Watch for more information from StayWell early in 2018.

Uniform Dental Benefits

• Bitewing x-ray coverage reduced from 2 per year to 1 per year.
• Sealant benefit – maximum age for sealants increased from 16 to 19 years of age, once per lifetime for first and second molars only.
• New - Medicament coverage – Medicament is a topical alternative to a filling intended to be a short-term solution, typically for primary teeth. The rate of application is low and used in limited situations. For example, application of medicament could be used as an alternative to general anesthesia for a primary tooth cavity in a child with special needs.
• New - Evidence-Based Integrated Care Plan (EBICP) benefits – Expands benefits for specific health conditions which are considered to be at risk for adverse dental impacts. EBICP also provides additional dental cleanings.

Dental Wisconsin – Select Plan & PPO Plan

• Premiums for Select Plan are increasing slightly, Premiums for the PPO Plan are decreasing slightly
• Annual maximum benefit increased from $1,000 to $1,250 per member
• Waiting periods for basic and major restorative services have been removed
• Waiting period for orthodontics may not be waived
• If you enrolled during ABE, you will be subject to: 
• Graduated dental benefits: 
• 2018: $600 annual maximum benefit
• 2019: $800 annual maximum benefit
• 2020: $1,250 annual maximum benefit (full benefit)
• Orthodontic waiting period is 24 months

EPIC Benefits+

• Premiums are decreasing
• Waiting period for orthodontics may not be waived
• If you enrolled during ABE, you will be subject to: 
• Graduated dental benefits: 
• 2018: $750 annual maximum benefit
• 2019: $1,000 annual maximum benefit
• 2020: $1,500 annual maximum benefit (full benefits)
• Orthodontic waiting period is 24 months

VSP 2018 Changes

• No change to premium
• Increase in contact lens and frame allowances from $130 to $150
• Contact lens exam copay reduced from $60 to $40
• New - Full coverage for UV protection coating on eyeglass lenses
• New - Primary EyeCare Supplemental Coverage, which includes additional benefits at a $20 copay
• Treatment for eye pain or infection
• Testing for sudden vision changes
• Cataract monitoring exams
• Retinal screenings

Flexible Spending Account (FSA)

• If you enrolled in the FSA for 2018, your first deduction for 2018 elections will be on the January 2, 2018 pay check for employees paid monthly, and the January 4, 2018 pay check for employees paid weekly. 
• TASC cards will be sent to all new participants. 
• Current FSA participants (those who participated in 2017 and have elected to continue participation in 2018) will not receive a new TASC card. Current participants should continue to use the TASC card that they have which will be loaded with their 2018 elected amount. 
• December 31, 2017 is the last day to incur expenses for the 2017 plan year. 
• March 31, 2018 is the last day to submit claims for 2017 FSA expenses. However, participants should substantiate all 2017 claims as soon as possible or be at risk of having payroll withholding.

Health Savings Account (HSA)

• If you enrolled in HSA for 2018, your first deduction for 2018 elections will be on the January 2, 2018 pay check for employees paid monthly and the January 4, 2018 pay check for employees paid bi-weekly.
• For 2018, the HSA annual maximum contribution increased from $3,400 to $3,450 for single coverage and from $6,750 to $6,900 for family coverage.

Individual and Family Life Insurance and UW Employees, Inc. Life Insurance Premiums

• If you are moving into a new premium age category as of January 1, 2018, your premium will increase on the pay check dated December 21, 2017 for employees paid bi-weekly, and January 2, 2018 for employees paid monthly. Any premium change due to coverage level increases made during the Individual and Family Annual Increase Option period will also begin on these pay checks.

Income Continuation Insurance

• The Income Continuation Insurance (ICI) premium will be increasing by 20%, effective February 1, 2018.

Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) Contributions

Employee and Employer Contribution Rates
The Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) employee and employer contributions rates for 2018 will decrease slightly for most employees. The employer contribution rate will decrease 0.1% from 6.8 to 6.7%, and the employee contribution rate will decrease 0.1% from 6.8 to 6.7% for a total decrease of 0.2%.

Protective employees without Social Security will see a 0.1% decrease in WRS contributions. Decreases will occur on the January 4, 2018 pay check for employees paid monthly, and the January 2, 2017 pay check for employees paid bi-weekly. Protective employees with Social Security will see no change in their contribution rate.

Additional Contributions
In addition to the employee-required contribution, employees may also contribute extra money to their WRS account on a post-tax basis. These deductions can be made through either payroll deduction or by sending a check to the Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF).

Additional contributions begin to earn interest on January 1 after ETF receives contributions. Payments received in 2017 will not earn interest for calendar year 2017, but will begin earning interest on January 1, 2018. You may want to consider this when deciding what time of year to submit additional contributions to your account.

There is a limit to the amount that you can contribute on an annual basis. Use the Maximum Additional Contribution Worksheet to determine how much you can contribute this year. To elect additional contributions, complete the Additional Voluntary Contributions Form and submit it to your human resources office.

See the Additional Contributions Brochure for more information.

Source: UW System Human Resources
Categories: Insurance