Open enrollment benefits period starts with Friday fair

October 5, 2011

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The open enrollment period for benefits for University of Florida employees starts Friday with a Benefits Fair from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Touchdown Terrace. There will be food, prizes and opportunities to talk to various insurance, retirement and Gator Perk vendors.

Each year, open enrollment provides faculty and staff the opportunity to review or adjust insurance plans for the upcoming calendar year. This year, to coordinate with the state of Florida’s changes, UF Human Resources is providing two distinct benefit enrollment periods. New enrollments or changes can be made during the following periods:

• Enrollment for UF plans: Oct. 7 – Nov. 18
• Enrollment for state plans: Nov. 7 – Nov. 18

The deadline for both periods will end at 6 p.m. Nov. 18. Changes made during open enrollment will take effect Jan. 1, 2012, which is the start of the benefit plan year.

Notable changes employees should watch for this year include:

• There will be one HMO provider for the majority of Florida counties. If the employee is in an affected HMO, his or her insurance will be transferred to the designated HMO in your county, unless the county has two HMO options OR there are two HMO options between the counties where the employee works or lives. Employees should review state of Florida benefits summary carefully to determine which health plan they are mapped to OR actively make a choice during the state’s enrollment period to ensure health plan preference is noted for 2012. Review the state’s HMO FAQ page for details on HMO changes.

• Medco will be the new pharmacy manager for both the PPO and HMO plans. Member ID cards will be mailed in December. Review the state’s Prescription FAQ page for more information on the pharmacy benefit change.

• UF Term Life (employee, spouse, and dependent life insurance) will offer guarantee issue (no medical application) for $10,000 on each employee, and $5,000 for spouse and dependents up to plan limits. Review the UF Group Term Life page for brochures and additional information.

• UF Long Term Disability (disability income replacement) will offer a guarantee issue this year. New participants may enroll without a medical application, and current participants already in the plan may change coverage elimination periods. Review the UF LTD page for brochures and additional information.

• UF Long Term Care (skilled nursing care facility or home care coverage) will offer a guarantee issue this year. Employees may enroll without a medical application, and current participants may increase coverage. Coverage is also available for certain family members by medical application. Review the UF LTC page for brochures and additional information.

• Alta Hospital Insurance will change its name to CIGNA.

• Some dental and supplemental plans’ rates will increase.

Employees should have received a Benefits Statement from People First summarizing only their “state” benefits along with their People First ID (PFID). Both the PFID and password are required to access online benefits record. Passwords expire every 90 days. To reset the password prior to open enrollment, review the “Forgot Your Password?” instructions on the People First website.

Because the state’s enrollment period is shorter this year, employees should make it a priority to complete transactions early. They can avoid experiencing long wait times or dropped calls due to People First’s high call-volume by completing changes online via the People First website.

In addition to the state plans, UF offers a number of supplemental plans that are managed locally. Please note that these plans will not be found as an option on the People First website. To sign up for a UF plan, employees will need to complete the appropriate enrollment form found on the HRS website and return it to University Benefits or an HRS satellite office.

Information sessions designed to assist employees with making changes to both state and UF plans will be available at the Human Resource Services Building on Oct. 26 and Nov. 2. These sessions will provide a general overview of changes and assistance in completing online enrollments using the People First system. For more information about these sessions as well as other Open Enrollment information, visit HRS’s 2011 Open Enrollment web page.

Employees are also encouraged to watch their e-mail for UF’s monthly InfoGator e-newsletter for additional information regarding open enrollment.