The 2004 Open Enrollment (OE) period for all Maryland state insurance benefits begins Monday, Dec. 6 and will continue through Wednesday, Dec. 22. Remember that this fall?s OE will only cover a six month period from January 1, 2005 through June 30, 2005. There will be another OE in spring 2005 for coverages from July 1, 2005 through June 30, 2006.
The State of MD will not be printing a new 2005 benefits booklet for this OE. All regular employees will instead receive a multi-page benefits summary sometime during the week of December 6 at their campus address. This summary will include information on the changes in coverages between 2004 and 2005. Employees should use their summary
along with their 2004 benefits booklet to review their options for 2005. The 2004 benefits booklet is also available on the Maryland Department of Budget and Management?s DBM) Web site: {http://www.dbm.maryland.gov}. Click on the Employee Services tab
and then under Most Popular Content section the link to the 2004 Health Benefits Booklet.
Retirees and currently enrolled direct pay employees (contingent staff, part-time faculty and lecturers) will receive their summary materials directly from EBD at their home address. Any non-regular employee who wants information concerning 2005 benefits should also utilize EBD?s Web site for more details and obtain materials from Towson?s
Office of Human Resources during the OE period.
Based on 2004 rates, all the medical plans (except for the Aetna POS) will increase in cost from approximately 9.2% (CareFirst BC/BS POS) to 21.9% (Optimum Choice HMO); the Prescription Drug plan will increase approximately 16.1% (but with no increase in co-pays!) and the UnitedConcordia DHMO plan will increase approximately 4.5%. The complete 2005 rate sheets (for both regular and direct pay enrollees) are available on DBM?s Website under the Health Benefits and Open Enrollment link.
Additional information will be included in future Daily Digest updates.
Please contact Dave Curtis, x46018, e-mail: {dcurtis@towson.edu} or Gail Price, x4-6017 e-mail: {gprice@towson.edu} in the TU Benefits Unit with any OE questions or concerns.
