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Monday, October 27, 2003
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Open enrollment begins Nov. 1
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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What to do at open enrollment
At open enrollment employees can
- change to a different medical plan;
- opt out of medical, dental, and/or vision coverage or if previously
opted out, cancel opt-out request and enroll in a new plan;
- enroll eligible family members in health plans;
- cancel coverage for a currently enrolled family member;
- enroll self and/or eligible family members in the ARAG legal
plan. The legal plan is open for enrollment for the first time
in several years. The ARAG Group has been selected to administer
the legal plan. Premiums will increase slightly, but the plan
will offer enhanced benefits and a larger network of attorneys.
- enroll or reenroll in the Dependent Care Reimbursement Account
(DepCare) and/or in the Health Care Reimbursement Account (HCRA);
- cancel Tax Savings on Insurance Premiums (TIP) participation
or re-enroll if previously cancelled.
Sandy Haire of Benefits and Employment Services (HR-B) emphasized
that UC Lab employees should make a medical plan enrollment choice
during
open
enrollment.
Those
who
do not
enroll
will be defaulted into a plan based upon their current enrollment
and address as of open enrollment. Employees who sign up for the
Select EPO plan must choose a primary care physician, or one will
be assigned by United Healthcare.
Creating a personal identification number
To make open enrollment changes online, active employees must
create a personal identification, or PIN number. Employees will
need their Social Security Number or user-name and their UC PIN
number to access the system online. Employees who have lost or
forgotten their PIN can get a new one by selecting the blue "Lost
PIN/Change PIN" button on the right side of the "At
Your Service" Web page 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:
| 9 - 10 a.m. |
Nov. 4 |
Physics Building Auditorium, Technical Area 3 |
| 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. |
Nov. 4 |
Louis Rosen Auditorium, Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE),
TA-53 |
| 9 - 10 a.m. |
Nov. 6 |
Rosen Auditorium, LANSCE, TA-53 |
| 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. |
Nov. 6 |
Physics Building Auditorium, TA-3 |
| 1 - 2 p.m. |
Nov. 13 |
Department of Energy Building, Las Vegas, Nev. |
| 11 a.m. - noon |
Nov. 17 |
Carlsbad Operations Office, Carlsbad, N.M. |
The schedule of open enrollment presentations for UC retirees is below:
| 9 - 10 a.m. |
Nov. 10 |
Okhay Casino Resort, NM 68, San Juan Pueblo, Española |
4 - 5 p.m.
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Nov. 10 |
Duane Smith Auditorium, Los Alamos High School, Los Alamos |
| 9 - 10 a.m. |
Nov. 12 |
Radisson Hotel, 750 N. St. Francis Drive, Santa Fe |
| 1:30 - 2:30 p.m. |
Nov. 12 |
Marriott Pyramid Hotel, San Francisco N.E. (off Interstate
25), Albuquerque |
| 9 - 10 a.m. |
Nov. 13 |
DOE Building, Las Vegas, Nev. |
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