By Lisa A. Gagnon, Director, Workforce Benefits and Well-being
Office of Human Resources
October is an important month if you’re eligible for the State Insurance Package! Take advantage of the annual open enrollment period from Oct. 1 through Oct. 31 to make select changes to your coverage and take a few minutes to learn about what changes are coming to your programs in 2019. Open enrollment changes can be made online once you access your PEBA MyBenefits profile, and a summary of program changes are below. More information about open enrollment and program changes can be found inside the Office of Human Resources’ (OHR) Open Enrollment Guidebook.
New benefits in 2019
-Patient cost-sharing increases – Standard Health Plan members
While there are no premium increases for 2019, some patient cost-sharing features, such as copayments and deductibles, will increase for Standard Plan members. Details can be found on page 4 of OHR’s Open Enrollment Guidebook.
-Adult well visits covered – Standard and Savings Health Plan members
–Adult well visits will be a covered benefit under the Standard Plan, subject to copayments, deductibles and coinsurance in covered years.
–What’s actually covered? Per the frequency schedule listed on page 9 of the Open Enrollment Guidebook, evidence-supported services, as recommended in the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) A and B recommendations, are included as part of an adult well visit. After talking with your doctor during a visit, the doctor can decide which services you need and build a personal care plan for you.
–Additional preventative programs are available annually and are described on pages 10-13 of OHR’s Open Enrollment Guidebook.
-Naturally Slim
–This free, 10-week online program will teach the behavioral skills necessary to lose weight and keep it off long-term. Learn more on page 14 of OHR’s Open Enrollment Guidebook.
Administrative changes in 2019
-MoneyPlus is a tax-favored accounts program, which allows you to use tax-free funds to pay for qualified medical and dependent care costs. You fund the accounts with money deducted pretax from your paycheck.
-ASIFlex is the new flexible spending accounts administrator. ASIFlex replaces WageWorks.
-2019 medical spending account holders will have the ability to carry over up to $500 of unused funds into 2020 in lieu of the annual grace period.
-2019 dependent care spending account holders will have the ability to extend the use of their account through March 15, 2020, far longer than the previous Dec. 31, 2019.
-2019 health savings account holders will experience a change in their account holder. Central Bank replaces Optum Bank.
-More information can be found beginning page 25 of OHR’s Open Enrollment Guidebook.
