The 2011 Open Enrollment (OE) period for all Maryland state insurance benefits is now underway and will last until Thursday, May 26.
OE offers eligible faculty, staff and retirees (including eligible direct -pay employees-contingent staff, lecturers, and part-time faculty) the opportunity to evaluate and compare their current benefits coverage to the coverage and costs for the new plan year beginning July 1. Most changes can be made during OE without any special enrollment restrictions.
This year?s OE is voluntary; therefore individuals who have no changes or corrections to their plans do not need to take any action. However, regular employees who would like to have flexible spending accounts (FSA) during the new plan year must reenroll during OE. Remember that OE does not affect or involve either of the USM benefit plans (Unum Group Life and Long Term Disability insurance).
Long Term Care Insurance
All regular faculty and staff employees (including direct-pay employees) who work at least 20 hours per week, as well as their legal spouses, parents, parents-in-law, grandparents, grandparents-in-law and children age 18 or older and their spouses, are eligible to enroll in Long Term Care insurance (LTC) offered through the Prudential Insurance Company of America during the OE period. While coverage for new employees within the first 60 days of their original date of hire is guaranteed all other employees and family members must provide medical history to be approved for coverage. Applications for LTC can be downloaded from Prudential?s website at {www.prudential.com/gltc} (use group name: maryland; password: marylandltc) or by calling them at 1-800-732-0416. All applications for LTC coverage must be submitted directly to Prudential by the end of the OE period.
Details for this OE period, including the new premium rates and the benefits booklet with summaries of the available coverage, are posted on the State?s website accessible at {http://dbm.maryland.gov/benefits/Pages/HBHome.aspx}. Please note that anyone who may have lost or misplaced their benefits booklet should print another copy from the State?s website.
Questions or concerns should be directed to Dave Curtis, x46018 {dcurtis@towson.edu} or
Gail Price, x46017 {gprice@towson.edu} in the TU Benefits Unit.
