Open Enrollment Begins Oct. 30
It’s that time of the year when University of California employees have the option of making changes to their medical plan. Open enrollment begins at 8 a.m. on Oct. 30 and goes until 5 p.m. on Nov. 25. For 2015, UC is not making any changes to its medical plans. All existing plans will be available next year, with a few benefits enhancements and no major changes. This is a good time for UC San Francisco employees to consider any potential changes to their personal situation, plan ahead for significant medical issues and take stock of their physical well-being. Complete details about open enrollment can be found in the sections below.
Medical Plan Enhancements
- Chiropractic and acupuncture services will be covered for up to 24 visits combined. Your cost for the services depends on your medical plan.
- Purchase a 90-day supply of maintenance medications for the prices of a 60-day supply at medical plan participating pharmacies.
- Out of pocket maximums for all medical plans, except UC Care, now include both medical services and prescriptions. UC Care has a separate out of pocket maximum for prescription drugs.
- Western Health Advantage is expanding its service area to include Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties.
- Blue Shield Health Savings Plan, Core and UC Care are adding the Teladoc, a telemedicine program, which allows members to speak with a U.S. board-certified doctor on the phone or via videoconference any time of the day or night for non-emergency after-hours consultation. Health Net Blue & Gold offers a similar program called MD Live.
Other important changes for 2015
- ARAG Legal is open for enrollment with an enhanced identity theft benefit
- Premiums for the 7-day and 30-day waiting periods for Supplemental Disability are increasing; if you're enrolled, you may want to consider increasing your waiting period.
- The Health Flexible Spending Account (FSA) will have a different carryover rule for plan year 2015, impacting your options for remaining account funds at the end of 2015. **Remember, you must re-enroll annually in both the Health FSA and the Dependent Care FSA to participate**
New Tools to help employees choose and use benefits wisely
- UC is also introducing a series of short, educational videos to help employees and their families understand their benefits and use them wisely. Available online and via mobile devices, the videos address some of the complexities of using health insurance and answer basic questions such as what’s the difference between an HMO and a PPO. View the videos here.
Open Enrollment Resources
- Read more on UCSF Open Enrollment Website and the UCOP Open Enrollment Website.
- Also visit UCSF helps desks set up at various campuses during the Open Enrollment period.
- To make benefits changes beginning Thursday October 30 at 8am, log into https://atyourserviceonline.ucop.edu/ayso/ and click on the Open Enrollment box.
- This Open Enrollment does not apply to residents and clinical fellows. Postdoctoral scholars should visit the Garnett-Powers & Associates website for information on Open Enrollment.
Editor's note: This story was adapted from a story by Anne Wolf at the UC Office of the President.
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