HR, Payroll and Benefits News
Annual Benefits Enrollment Period: October 1 – 26, 2018
October 11, 2018
The Annual Benefits Enrollment (ABE) period, October 1 - 26, 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, 2019.
There are changes to benefits for 2019 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 2019 benefits changes. The Department of Employee Trust Funds It’s Your Choice Decision Guide is available on the website. Note: There are changes to the Supplemental Dental Insurance plans that require you to take action during ABE, since neither EPIC Benefits+ or Dental Wisconsin will be available in 2019. 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 2019 for the health plan carrier you select. You will receive a mailing from your current health plan with 2019 provider information.  You may also view a list of providers by using the Available Health Plan interactive map on the It’s Your Choice website.
- 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
- Visit with ALEX! ALEX is the UW System’s online personalized benefits counselor that 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 get started with ALEX 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, see: 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.
- 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)Â
- Supplemental Dental Insurance – Delta Dental
- Vision Insurance - VSP
- Individual & Family Life Insurance
- Accidental Death & Dismemberment (AD&D) InsuranceÂ
- Flexible Spending Account (FSA) including Health Care FSA, Limited Purpose FSA, and Dependent Day Care FSA (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)Â
- Health Savings Account (HSA) (Graduate/Short-Term Academic Staff benefits are not eligible for the HSA)
Act
How to Make Elections
Beginning October 1, use Self Service 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.
Don’t miss your chance to enroll in or make changes to your benefits for 2019!  All benefit elections must be submitted by 4:30 p.m., Friday, October 26, 2018.  If you have questions, contact your human resources office.
Source: UW System HR
Categories: Annual Benefits Enrollment (ABE)