Open enrollment news is coming early this year:
- Employees who belong to Western Health Advantage HMO (health maintenance organization) learned Aug. 26 that the university will drop WHA as a medical plan option next year.
- As a comparable alternative, the university will offer its existing UC Blue & Gold HMO (administered by Health Net) at rates that will come down to be among the lowest of all of UC's medical plan options. UC Blue & Gold's provider network includes UC Davis Health and UC Davis Medical Group, as well as Hill Physicians, Mercy Medical Group, Meritage, Woodland Clinic and St. Joseph Health.
- Existing members of UC Blue & Gold HMO will also benefit from the cost reduction.
- All other employees can switch to UC Blue & Gold HMO during open enrollment so they can also benefit from the cost reduction.
UC Blue & Gold and Western Health Advantage HMOs have nearly matching medical provider networks. So, if you move from WHA to UC Blue & Gold, you should be able to keep your providers with uninterrupted access — only your insurance card will change. See the FAQ for exceptions.
The switch will be automatic, unless you choose one of UC's other health plan options during open enrollment, Oct. 31-Nov. 26. WHA members to whom this applies include employees, retirees and their eligible dependents.
When open enrollment begins, you will see yourself enrolled in UC Blue & Gold HMO by default, in the online system. If you take no action by the open enrollment deadline, your switch to UC Blue & Gold will take effect Jan. 1. Or, you can choose a different plan — so long as you act before the open enrollment deadline.
Reason for the change
“UC Davis wants employees and their families to have access to the best care, the most innovative technology, and the best expert clinicians through the most affordable, cost-effective health plans,” reads an FAQ posted on a website dedicated to the transition from WHA.
“By making this change, we can bring down premiums and health care costs for our employees, while also ensuring more of our employees have access to the high quality of care provided by UC Davis Health or other providers in the UC Blue & Gold HMO network.”
UC Davis will subsidize UC Blue & Gold's reduced premiums for employees for the next five years “to help grow the (plan's) insurance pool and reduce the cost of health care for our employees,” the FAQ states. “Unfortunately, it is not possible to subsidize retiree premiums.”
Open enrollment booklets arrive in October
The annual open enrollment booklet — with complete information, including monthly premiums — will arrive by mail at home addresses toward the end of October. Open enrollment will open Thursday, Oct. 31, and close Tuesday, Nov. 26, two days before Thanksgiving. Information also will be posted to UCnet as open enrollment approaches.
Important notes for this year's open enrollment:
- UCPath — Access to the open enrollment website will be through UCPath, which goes live Sept. 27 at UC Davis, UC Davis Health and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. For more information about UCPath, visit http://ucpath.ucanr.edu.
- Duo — To use UCPath, you must be signed up for Duo multifactor authentication. See “How to Move to Duo.” Need help with Duo? IT Express consultants are attending all Davis campus UCPath town halls in August and September. The consultants will answer questions about Duo and/or help people enroll on the spot. The town hall schedule continues through Wednesday, Sept. 25, with one town hall held weekly. See the schedule here.
IT Express is also glad to help with Duo support questions at other times. Call 530-754-HELP (4357), chat online or send an email.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
You can enroll in pet insurance any time of year, not just during Open Enrollment, and your coverage will be effective the day your application is approved by Nationwide. That means you can enroll beginning Oct. 25 for coverage in 2018, or you can enroll midyear when you welcome a new furry, feathered or scaly family member.
Plans are available for most house pets – dogs, cats, birds, small mammals, even exotic pets such as reptiles.
Animals categorized as livestock (including horses) are ineligible.
Beginning Oct. 25, learn more and enroll on the Nationwide website at http://petinsurance.com/uc, or call Nationwide at (877) 738-7874.
- Author: Pamela Kan-Rice
Open Enrollment has begun! Through 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 20, you can make changes to your benefits or the family members you enroll — just choose your location under "make changes" on the Open Enrollment website.
Highlights of this year's Open Enrollment include low cost increases for most of UC's medical plans and a few important changes, including new benefits eligibility rules for domestic partners, changes for Health Net Blue & Gold and new voluntary pet insurance. Make sure to read your Open Enrollment booklet and visit the website to learn all about your choices for this year.
Important reminders
Even if you're happy with your benefits and don't plan to make a change, make time for a few important steps:
- Enroll or re-enroll in a flexible spending account (FSA). Your other benefits will continue if you don't take action, but you must re-enroll each year to continue your FSA.
- Review all of your plan options to make sure you're still enrolled in the best benefits for you and your family.
- While you're signed in to your benefits account, make sure your personal information is up-to-date and complete.
New resources on the Open Enrollment website
Visit the Open Enrollment website for resources to help you better understand your benefits choices.
Compare your costs for different types of care with Which medical plan is right for you? and Which Medicare plan is right for you?
New educational videos offer user-friendly explanations of all sorts of topics, including:
- What's Changing
- Cost Scenarios
- Choosing a Medical Plan
- Tax-Advantaged Accounts
- Maximizing Your Benefits
Get started today, so you have plenty of time to make informed decisions about your 2019 benefits!
/span>/span>Highlights of this year's Open Enrollment include low cost increases for most employees, a new pharmacy benefits administrator for PPO plans and suggestions for how to manage your costs and stay well. Make sure to read your Open Enrollment booklet and visit the website to learn all about your choices for this year.
If you're happy with your benefits, Open Enrollment may not feel like a priority. It's worth your time, though, to take a few important steps:
- Enroll or re-enroll in a flexible spending account (FSA). Your other benefits will continue if you don't take action, but you must re-enroll each year to continue your FSA.
- Review all of your plan options to make sure you're still enrolled in the best benefits for you and your family.
- Make sure your personal information is up-to-date and complete.
Open Enrollment ends on Nov. 21 at 5 p.m.
Your Open Enrollment website and booklet will be available the week of Oct. 23, with all of the details about your options and costs, and what's changing in 2018.
“We are pleased that we have been able to keep premium costs exceptionally low for the overwhelming majority of our people,” said Dwaine B. Duckett, vice president of Systemwide Human Resources. “Employees still have an array of choices of high value, high quality plans at low rates — allowing them to improve or maintain their health and the health of their families.”
This message in Spanish
2018 highlights
- Continued low costs — Most faculty and staff will see medical plan premium increases of less than $10 a month across all salary and coverage levels. Premium increases for UC Care will be a bit higher, ranging from $17-$53 a month. UC will continue to adjust premiums by pay level to ensure costs are distributed fairly, and to offer dental and vision plans for you and your family at no cost to faculty and staff. See this year's rates here.
- Explore UC's diverse options or stay in current plan — UC will continue to offer the same choice of quality medical plans next year. Health care needs can change over time, so take a moment to review UC's full range of plan choices to make sure you have the best fit for you and your family.
- Changes for 2018 – See below for details about a new pharmacy benefits administrator for UC's preferred provider organization (PPO) plans and network changes for members of Western Health Advantage (WHA).
- Ways to manage your costs — You don't have to sacrifice the quality of your care to keep your costs down. Here are a few suggestions:
- If your medical need is not an emergency, save time and money by skipping the emergency room and getting the care you need from your plan's advice nurse, telemedicine provider or urgent care center.
- Consider enrolling in UC's Flexible Spending Account (FSA) or Health Savings Plan with a Health Savings Account to lower your tax bill by paying for health care costs with pretax dollars.
- To help you make informed health care choices, take advantage of tools like Castlight (available with UC's PPO plans) to compare doctors and medical services for cost, quality and convenience.
- Benefits to help you stay well — Seeing your doctor regularly for check-ups helps you prevent problems later on, and check-ups (and other preventive care) are free with every UC plan. You should also check your plan's website for information about free wellness and health management tools. For example, your plan may offer fitness and nutrition classes, health coaching programs, discounts on gym memberships, and apps or online tools to help you manage your care.
Changes to UC's PPO pharmacy benefits
For 2018, Anthem Blue Cross will replace OptumRx in administering pharmacy benefits for all of UC's preferred provider organization (PPO) medical plans. Anthem currently administers medical and behavioral health benefits for UC's PPO plans, and will continue in that role in 2018. This change will affect faculty, staff and retirees enrolled in the following PPO plans:
- Core
- UC Care
- UC Health Savings Plan
- UC High Option Supplement to Medicare
- UC Medicare PPO with Rx
UC is working to minimize disruption for members, but you should expect changes to the formulary, to processes and to pharmacy, mail order and specialty networks. There are a few steps you should take to make sure you're prepared for the change. Please look for further details during Open Enrollment.
Changes for Western Health Advantage members
Although UC Davis Health has ended its ownership and commercial network participation in Western Health Advantage (WHA), UC and WHA have come to a special arrangement for UC employees. Through this arrangement, UC WHA members and their families may continue to see their current UC Davis Health primary care provider (PCP) or select a UC Davis Health PCP in the future. WHA members will not have access to the Advantage Referral program, which allowed you to self-refer to specialists within WHA's network. Instead, starting in 2018, your PCP will refer you to an appropriate provider if you require specialty care.
As soon as your Open Enrollment booklet arrives, take time to review your choices so you'll have the right benefits for you and your family in 2018.
/span>