The spring 2006 Open Enrollment (OE) period for all Maryland state insurance benefits is now underway and will continue through Wednesday, June 14.
OE offers all eligible faculty and staff, including eligible direct pay employees (contingent staff, part-time faculty and lecturers) and retirees, the opportunity to examine and evaluate their current coverage and compare with the coverage and costs for the new plan year: July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2006. Changes can be made during OE usually without any special enrollment restrictions (except for term life and Long Term Care insurance for family members) and will be effective on July 1, 2006. This OE is voluntary, therefore no action will be necessary if no changes or corrections are needed unless a regular employee wants to have flexible spending accounts during the new plan year or an employee wants to enroll in the new Long Term Care Insurance plan.
How To Make Changes
Active regular, faculty and staff members who had benefit deductions from their May 31, 2006 paycheck, as well as retirees who are currently enrolled, will have to use the state?s Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system to make any changes during OE. The IVR phone lines are in operation 24 hours a day / 7 days a week during the OE period, including any emergency leave periods. The IVR will close at 11:59
p.m. on June 14, 2006. The IVR voice phone numbers are 410-669-3893 or 1-888-578-6434; TTY IVR number is 410-333-5244. In order to access the IVR, you must use your Social Security number and special PIN, which is the 4-digit number of your month and date of birth. Active regular faculty and staff members who did not have State benefit deductions from their May 31, 2006 paycheck should also attempt to use the IVR as well; if the IVR system does not allow you access, you will have to complete and return an active OE worksheet before the June 14 deadline in order to enroll or make any changes.
Special Note for Direct Pay Employees
If you are currently enrolled in any of the MD State benefit plans, your OE packet has been mailed to you at your home address directly from the Maryland Department of Budget and Management (DBM) as long as they have contract dates for the new plan year beginning July 2006. Those who are not currently enrolled but have an active contract beginning July 2006 must request an OE packet from the OHR Benefits Unit; you will not automatically receive any OE materials. To check on the status of your Direct Pay OE materials, call DBM?s Employee Benefits Division at 410-767-4775 or 1-800-307-8283. Direct Pay employees will have to complete and return an OE worksheet before the June 14 deadline to TU?s Office of Human Resources in order to enroll or make any changes during this OE.
In addition to rates, other pertinent OE information including details of changes to the Long Term Care Insurance plan and dependent eligibility requirements, are available on the DBM Web site accessible from the Open Enrollment State of Maryland Information link on the OHR homepage at {http://wwwnew.towson.edu/adminfinance/hr/} under News and Announcements.
Additional information will be included in future Daily Digest updates.
Questions or concerns should be directed to Dave Curtis, x4-6018 or {dcurtis@towson.edu}, or Gail Price, x4-6017 or {gprice@towson.edu} in the TU Benefits Unit.
