The spring 2006 Open Enrollment period for all Maryland state insurance benefits ends this 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, 2006-June 30, 2007. Changes can be made during Open Enrollment usually without any special enrollment restrictions (except for term life and Long Term Care insurance for family members, direct pay employees and retirees) and will be effective on July 1, 2006. This Open Enrollment 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.
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, should 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 Open Enrollment period. 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 hand deliver an active OE worksheet to thw TU OHR before the June 14 deadline in order to enroll or make any changes.
All other faculty and staff members will have to hand deliver their completed OE worksheets, along with all other required dependent documentation, to the TU OHR by the June 14 deadline to make their changes. Please do not send them through campus mail!
Effective Date for Changes
All OE transactions become effective July 1, 2006. As in years past, OE does not affect or involve either of the USM benefit plans–UNUM Group Life and Long Term Disability insurance.
Flexible Spending Accounts
Although this OE is voluntary, all regular employees who want to have the Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) for FY 2007 (July ?06-June?07) must make that election before the deadline. 26 pay employees should plan on 24 deductions for their FSAs and 21 pay faculty will have 19 FSA deductions for the new plan year.
Other OE Information
Other pertinent OE information including rates, the changes to the Long Term Care Insurance plan and dependent eligibility requirements are available on the State of Maryland Web site accessible from the State of Maryland Open Enrollment Information link on the OHR home page at {http://wwwnew.towson.edu/adminfinance/hr/} under News and Announcements. Additional materials and assistance will be available at the two remaining Open Enrollment House Call Outreach Sessions (see separate Daily Digest reminder for that schedule).
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 OHR Benefits Unit.
