Open Enrollment
The 2008 open enrollment (OE) period for Maryland State insurance benefits is now underway and will last until Wednesday, May 14.
OE offers eligible faculty, staff and retirees (including eligible direct pay employees) the opportunity to evaluate and compare their current benefits coverage to the coverage and costs for the plan year beginning July 1, 2008. During OE, eligible employees also have the opportunity to make changes to their coverage, typically without any special enrollment restrictions. Here is what you need to know about this year?s OE:
? Benefits and rates for this OE will be effective July 1, 2008 ? June 30, 2009.
? This year?s OE is voluntary. You do not need to take action unless you would like to change your benefits, or you are a regular employee who wants to have a flexible spending account for the new plan year.
? The major change for the new plan year is that dependent children may be eligible for insurance coverage through the end of the month that they turn 25, regardless of their student status.
? Details on the open enrollment period, including rates and the new benefits booklet, can be found at {http://www.dbm.maryland.gov/portal/server.pt?space=CommunityPage&cached=true&parentname=MyPage&parentid=2&in_hi_userid=1332&control=SetCommunity&CommunityID=281&PageID=0}.
New Life Insurance Vendor
Metropolitan Life will be the new vendor for the state?s term life insurance plan, effective July 1, 2008. Current enrollees in the Standard life insurance will automatically be rolled over into MetLife at the same coverage level unless changes are made during OE.
All employees who plan on keeping their state term life insurance with MetLife must complete new life beneficiary forms to aid in the transition from the Standard. Those forms will be available at all of the OE Outreach sessions or directly from the state?s Web site listed above. Also, please note that this OE activity does not involve the separate group life insurance plan offered through the USM by Unum (which shows on your paystub as GROUP LIF INS). Changes to that coverage can be made at any time throughout the year.
Be sure to check Daily Digest for more information about open enrollment. Questions should be directed to Dave Curtis at x4-6018 and {dcurtis@towson.edu} or Gail
Price at x4-6017 and {gprice@towson.edu}.
