The 2007 Open Enrollment period for all Maryland state insurance benefits is now underway! Please be aware that this year the State of Maryland has set different ending dates for regular and direct pay employees. Regular faculty and staff employees will have to complete their OE actions by use of the Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system by Sunday, May 13. Direct pay employees (contingent staff, lecturers and part-time faculty members) will have until Friday, May 18 to return their completed OE worksheets to Towson?s Office of Human Resources (OHR).
OE offers all eligible faculty and staff and retirees, including eligible direct pay employees, the opportunity to examine and evaluate their current coverage and compare with the coverage and costs for the plan year beginning July 1, 2007. Changes can be made during OE usually without any special enrollment restrictions. 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. Please note that the benefits and rates for this OE will be effective for July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008.
How to Make Changes
Active regular, faculty and staff members who received a yellow pre-printed OE Summary Statement in their OE packet, 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/7days a week during the Open Enrollment period but will close at 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, May 13, 2007. 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 the month and day of your birth. When calling the IVR, be patient and listen carefully to all the prompts to ensure the changes
you want to make are processed. Pay particular attention to your dependent information so that they are listed correctly for each plan you intend them to be on. Active regular faculty and staff members who did not receive a yellow pre-printed OE Summary Statement 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 (available from the OHR and at the OE Outreach sessions) before 5 p.m. on Monday, May 14 in order to enroll or make any changes.
Direct pay employees will have to hand deliver their completed OE worksheets, along with all other required dependent documentation, to the TU OHR by the 5 p.m., Friday, May 18 deadline to make any OE changes.
Effective Date for Changes
All OE transactions become effective July 1, 2007. As in years past, OE does not affect or involve either of the USM benefit plans – UNUM Group Term 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 2008 (July ?07-June?08) 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.
Additional information will be included in future Daily Digest updates.
Questions should be directed to Dave Curtis, x46018, email: {dcurtis@towson.edu} or Gail Price, x46017 email: {gprice@towson.edu}.
