The 2013 Open Enrollment (OE) period for all Maryland state insurance benefits is now underway and will last until Tuesday, April 30.
OE offers eligible faculty, staff and retirees (including eligible direct- pay employees, contingent staff, lecturers and part-time faculty) the opportunity to evaluate and compare their current benefits coverage to the coverage and costs for the new short plan year July 1, 2013 – December 31, 2013. Changes can usually be made during OE without any special enrollment restrictions.
This spring’s OE is voluntary; therefore individuals who have no changes or corrections to their plans do not need to take any action. However, regular employees who would like to have flexible spending accounts (FSA) during the new short plan year must re-enroll during OE. Remember that OE does not affect or involve either of the USM benefit plans (Unum Group Life and Long Term Disability insurance).
How Will the Short Plan Year Affect You?
During this short plan year, there will be several areas that may affect employees and retirees enrolled in medical, prescription drug and or dental plans. Among those are:
- Deductibles and out of pocket maximums will be one half of the normal full year amounts. For example, PPO medical plan members who use an out of network provider would be subject to a $125 deductible instead of $250 and their out of pocket maximum will be $1500 instead of $3000.
- Prescription drug out of pocket maximum for an individual employee will be $500 instead of $1000; individual retirees will be $750 instead of $1500.
- Routine vision care benefits, which are included in the medical plans, will be available during the short plan year and again beginning in January 2014 for the new calendar year plan year.
- Dental PPO deductibles will be $25 for an individual and $75 maximum for a family. The plan year maximum will be $750 instead of $1500.
- Maximum contributions to the Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) will also be limited to one half of the normal full year amount. Healthcare FSA maximum will be $1,250/$104.16 per pay period and Dependent Care FSA maximum will be $2,500/$208.33 per pay period. There will be a total of 12 pay periods for the short plan year. Eligible healthcare expenses incurred between July 1, 2013 and March 15, 2014 will be eligible for reimbursement and all reimbursement claims for monies contributed during the short plan year must be submitted to ConnectYourCare by April 15, 2014 to avoid forfeiture of any remaining contributions from the short plan year.
Details for this OE period, including the new benefits booklet showing the changes to the medical and life insurance plans, along with the new premium rates, are posted on the Open Enrollment link on the state’s website, accessible at http://dbm.maryland.gov/benefits/Pages/HBHome.aspx .
T3 is utilized as the primary means to share additional information about Open Enrollment so be sure to check it often for updates and reminders!
Questions should be directed to Dave Curtis, x4-6018, or Gail Price, x4-6017.
