UNIVERSITY PAYROLL and Benefits recently sent a memo to benefits eligible employees. The memo read:
THE STATE Department of Central Management Services (CMS) has announced that the annual Benefit Choice Enrollment period will begin May 1. The CMS letter, which you will receive at your home address, has defined the enrollment period as May 1 through May 31, but due to unforeseen contract issues, the Benefit Choice Period end date is unknown at this time. UPB Benefits Services has released to employees all the information available and will continue to keep employees updated as we receive additional information. Since the final decision regarding the FY2012 managed care contracts is not complete, the only Benefit Choice change that you can make beginning May 1, is to enroll in either of the two Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) - Medical Care Assistance Plan (MCAP) and/or Dependent Care Assistance Plan (DCAP). New enrollees in MCAP will receive the MyFBMC Visa Card for next year, at no charge. [Note: If you currently have the Visa card, it will continue to work, so do not discard it.]
FOR CHANGES to health, dental, life and adding or dropping dependents, the NESSIE Benefit Choice enrollment form will not be available to you until the health plan contracts are finalized. Whenever that happens, CMS has confirmed that employees will be given an opportunity to make informed elections based on premiums and health plans available in their counties.
PLEASE NOTE that any FSA enrollments, which you submit during the month of May, may be changed again, once the new managed care contracts have been finalized.
THE LIMITED Benefit Choice Options booklet is located on the University’s web-based NESSIE system at https://nessie.uihr.uillinois.edu/pdf/benefits/BC_Booklet.pdf.
BENEFIT CHOICE Dependent related changes effective July 1, 2011:
- Dependent child under the age of 26 will be eligible for health, dental and life insurance coverage.
- Dependent children are eligible regardless of marital status.
- Stepchildren are not required to live with the employee in a parent child relationship.
- Child life insurance coverage will be guarantee issue for all dependent children (no health statement required) during the FY2012 Benefit Choice period only. Birth certificate is required.
- The student and adult child relationship types will not be used after July 1. Employees will select from the list of relationship types, such as natural child or stepchild, regardless of dependent's age.
- Dependents currently in the student category will be changed to adult children after July 1 by CMS.
- The semi-annual certifications have been eliminated; therefore, dependent relationships will not change in the future. A Fall annual certification will be required only for dependents in the disabled, other and veteran adult child categories.
- The domestic partner category ceases to be an option on June1; therefore, no new enrollments will be permitted during the Benefit Choice period. Current domestic partner enrollees will be grandfathered in and retain coverage.
- New domestic partners will be eligible under the new Civil Union Partner provision effective June 1, 2011.
OTHER CHANGES effective July 1, 2011:
- The Quality Care Dental Plan has a new claim administrator - Delta Dental. Two types of dental PPO networks will be added, although the dental premiums and Schedule of Benefits have not changed. Additional information is available in the Benefit Choice Option booklet.
- Minnesota Life once again has been chosen as the life carrier and there will be a change to premiums and coverage.
- Long-Term Care (LTC) insurance will no longer be offered. Employees currently enrolled in the LTC program will continue to have coverage as long as premiums continue to be paid.
*** Refer to the Benefit Choice Options booklet for information on other changes in response to the Federal Healthcare Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. ***
ONCE CONTRACTS are final with the managed care plans, employees will receive notice that the NESSIE enrollment form is open. Employees may make elections to their State health and life plan enrollments, opt into or opt out of the State group health insurance plan (if you have other non-state group coverage), opt into or opt out of the dental plan and enroll or re-enroll in FSAs. You may also add (documentation is required) or drop dependents. Changes will become effective on July 1, 2011.
BY ACCESSING the “Benefit Choice” option in NESSIE at https://nessie.uihr.uillinois.edu/cf/benefits/index.cfm?Item_ID=10 you can make your benefit changes online. The UPB Benefits Services office will send an email to employees once the NESSIE Benefit Choice “benefits” enrollment form is open. If you need assistance, select the Help link that appears on every screen for answers to common questions and phone numbers to call for assistance.
IF YOU have any questions about your benefit plans or your options at this time, please contact your campus UPB Benefits Services office or send email to benefits@uillinois.edu.
Urbana UPB Benefits Services - (217) 333-3111
Chicago UPB Benefits Services - (312) 996-6471
Springfield UPB Benefits Services - (217) 206-7144
UPB Benefits Services (Toll-Free) - 866-669-4772, Select Option #1
Dependent and OPT OUT Documentation fax - (217) 244-3135
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