The 2009 Open Enrollment (OE) period for all Maryland state insurance benefits is now underway and will last until Tuesday, 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. Changes can be made during OE usually without any special enrollment restrictions.
This year?s OE will be voluntary; therefore no action is necessary if you do not have changes or corrections, unless you are a regular employee who wants to have a flexible spending account during the new plan year. Remember that OE does not affect or involve either of the USM benefit plans (Unum Group Life and Long Term Disability Insurance). Current members of Kaiser HMO medical plan and Dental Benefit Providers DHMO dental plan will need to select new coverage since those plans will no longer be available as of July 1.
Attention Regular Faculty and Staff Employees
All pre-packaged OE materials received by Towson?s OHR Benefits Unit from the Maryland State Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for regular faculty and staff employees have been distributed via campus mail. Unfortunately, we did not receive materials for a large number of regular employees who currently have state benefits. While the state is trying to locate the missing materials and provide us with additional booklets to complete the distribution, we ask that all regular employees who have received their OE materials take a moment to open their envelopes to check the contents of their DBM packet. The remaining OE packets will be sent out via campus mail once the additional booklets are received from EBD.
Details for this OE period, including the rate sheets and new benefits booklets with summaries of the available medical and dental plans, are posted on the state?s Web site accessible from the State of Maryland Health Benefits link posted in the announcements box on the OHR homepage at {http://wwwnew.towson.edu/adminfinance/hr/}.
Daily Digest is utilized as the primary means to share additional information about OE. Be sure to check it often for updates and reminders!
Questions about OE should be directed to Dave Curtis, x4-6018 and {dcurtis@towson.edu} or Gail Price at x4-6017 and {gprice@towson.edu}.
