November is open enrollment for University of California Laboratory employees and retirees. During open enrollment, Nov. 1 through Nov. 30, Lab employees and retirees make decisions about their UC health benefits for 2004.
University of California Laboratory employees have new options for medical care in 2004, said Sandy Haire of Benefits and Employment Services (HR-B). The Lab's "Health Care: Pathways to Change" initiative, Haire said, is making changes to bring UC Lab employees and retirees the services and choices they've requested.
United Healthcare is the Lab's new health-care provider effective Jan. 1, 2004. United Healthcare offers three different plans with wide network coverage areas in New Mexico and across the nation. Haire said many Lab employees expressed interest in exploring new health plan designs that might be available. Among the plans United Healthcare will offer is a new type of consumer choice health plan, which UHC calls its iPlan. This plan is only available to active UC Lab employees.
Open enrollment for active employees has moved to the Internet (http://atyourservice.ucop.edu) online. In addition to being simpler and easier than the telephone enrollment, online enrollment provides significant cost savings for printing and postage. Internet tools, such as the Medical Plan Chooser (available Nov. 1), can help employees in making decisions about their health care, said Haire. Active UC employees won't have to use the telephone to sign up for health-care coverage in 2004 and they won't receive a personalized open enrollment statement at their homes since enrollment this year is being done online. Employees can then print out their health plan choices when they complete open enrollment.
Active UC employees can make open enrollment transactions from their computer at home if they have access to the Internet, and or from computers at the Laboratory or the local public library. Human Resources (HR) Division generalists or HR-B also can help employees find a computer for open enrollment purposes.
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Employees who need help making open enrollment changes online should
contact HR-B at 7-1806.
UC Lab retirees must make open enrollment changes by telephone using the open
enrollment action line.
Haire said the selection of United Healthcare addresses employee issues about service and coverage area, but doesn't solve the problem of rising costs. She noted that nationwide, health insurance premiums are expected to rise an average of 15 percent in 2004. "In the current economic climate, double-digit increases challenge us to find creative solutions to ensure you and your family have access to the best benefits possible. We continue to search for creative ways to soften the impact of premium increases on you and your family," said Haire. For example, Haire said, four levels of medical insurance premiums based on salary have been established. Those employees earning the least will pay the lowest premiums in 2004. And the Tax Savings on Insurance Premiums program (TIP) allows UC Lab employees to pay medical plan premiums on a pretax basis as well. UC will continue to provide dental and vision coverage, and basic life and disability insurance at no cost to employees. Additionally, employees will see significant reductions in employee costs for supplemental disability and life insurance, thus freeing up dollars to help reduce the costs of medical premiums. The Health Care Reimbursement Account, introduced last year, also helps employees save on taxes by putting pretax money aside for out-of-pocket health care costs. Haire added that active UC Lab employees can learn more about benefits plans for 2004 at a benefits fair Nov. 5 in the J. Robert Oppenheimer Study Center at Technical Area 3. Plan representatives will be on hand to answer questions. A list of open enrollment presentations can be found at www.lanl.gov/ worklife/benefits/health/ openenrollment/ OEpres.shtml online or see the accompanying box. For more information about current health care issues, go to the Health Care: Pathways to Change Web site at http://www.lanl.gov/health/ online. |
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Open enrollment presentations for employees, retirees begin Nov. 4 Benefits and Employment Services (HR-B) is holding presentations for University of California Laboratory employees and retirees to discuss new health-care plans with United Healthcare for 2004. In addition, a open enrollment fair is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Nov. 5 in the J. Robert Oppenheimer Study Center at Technical Area 3. The fair is open to all UC Laboratory employees. Six presentations are scheduled for active UC employees at various locations around the Lab, in Carlsbad and Las Vegas, Nev. Five presentations are scheduled for UC retirees in Los Alamos, Santa Fe, Española, Albuquerque and Las Vegas, Nev. The schedule of open enrollment presentations for active UC employees is below:
The schedule of open enrollment presentations for UC retirees is below:
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