Open Enrollment for 2008 Runs through November 27

Faculty and staff have the opportunity to change enrollments in -- or add eligible dependents to -- their UC-sponsored insurance plans, including medical, dental, vision and legal plans, during Open Enrollment. Open Enrollment is the UC employees' annual opportunity to change their health and welfare options, add eligible family members and enroll/re-enroll in the Health Care and Dependent Care Reimbursement Accounts. Changes made during November are effective January 1, 2008. UCSF will conduct a series of presentations on changes in Open Enrollment for faculty and staff. The presentations, all scheduled from noon to 1:30 p.m., will be held on the following dates at these locations: * Nov. 1, Parnassus, School of Nursing, room N 721 * Nov. 6, Mount Zion, Herbst Hall * Nov. 7, China Basin Landing, room 6702 * Nov. 8, Mission Bay, Rock Hall, room GD 102 * Nov. 9, Laurel Heights, Presidents Room, Sub-level 1 * Nov. 13, Parnassus, room C 701 * Nov. 14, San Francisco General Hospital, Carr Auditorium * Nov. 19, Mission Center, room 126 In addition, UCSF will host an Open Enrollment Carrier Fair on Friday, Nov. 16, from 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Millberry Union Conference Center on the Parnassus campus. Carrier representatives will be available to provide information and answer questions. The good news is that some premium rates will decrease from 2007, while others will increase only modestly, according to UC. Through a strategic and well-thought-out medical plan bidding process, University leaders have once again been successful at providing UC employees with competitive health and welfare benefits at a fair cost. To read about Open Enrollment highlights and significant changes for 2008, please visit UC's At Your Service website here. Among the changes: * This year, the ARAG Legal Plan is open for enrollment. * PacifiCare Plan is being discontinued and current PacifiCare members will need to take action during Open Enrollment to enroll in a new plan. PacifiCare members who do not take action during Open Enrollment will default to the Health Net plan and may need to contact the plan in January to re-enroll with a desired PCP. * CIGNA Choice Fund replaces the Definity Health Plan and will be an option for all eligible UC employees. * Definity Health members that do not take action during OE will default to the new CIGNA plan, and remaining health reimbursement account dollars will roll over into the new plan. * United Behavioral Health (UBH) will administer the behavioral health component for all plans with the exception of CRE and Kaiser Permanente, whose members may choose to use UBH or their current plan options. * Out-of-Network behavioral health benefits will only be available through the Blue Cross PPO plan. For more information about the Open Enrollment, visit UCSF's benefits website. Related Links: At Your Service (Open Enrollment)