Benefits Open Enrollment runs September 22-October 17, 2008

Kyle Cavanaugh, Senior Vice President for Administration
Paula Fussell, Interim Vice President, Human Resource Services

This year’s benefits Open Enrollment period for UF employees will kick off Monday, September 22, and end Friday, October 17, at 5:30 pm EST. Open Enrollment is the only period during which changes to pre-tax employee benefits can be made unless you have a qualifying event (e.g., change in marital status, birth/adoption, leave of absence, change in FTE, etc.). Any changes made to elections during Open Enrollment will be effective January 1, 2009.

A Benefits Fair will be held on October 2 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and October 3, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the J. Wayne Reitz Union. Vendor representatives will be available to answer questions about a variety of benefits and attendees may register for a chance to win prizes.

Important Changes

Employees should watch for a number of changes this year. These include:

• New pre-tax state vision plan
• New state health option to cover eligible dependents up to age 30
• New “grace period” on your state Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) between 1/1/09 to 3/15/09 to incur eligible FSA expenses that can be reimbursed using your 2008 plan year balance
• Increased contribution limits on the state Health Savings Account
• State HMO options now available in Bay and St. Lucie Counties
• Relaxed requirements for medical underwriting for state accident and disability supplemental coverage with Colonial
• UF-sponsored Long Term Disability Plan (with no medical application required)This year, the companies offering dental, vision, cancer, hospital supplemental, and other supplemental plans will not be mailing packets containing plan brochures. Instead, all enrollment forms and brochures for state-sponsored plans will be available online through the state’s MyFlorida web site at http://www.myflorida.com/mybenefits/Health/Health.htm and through the People First (PF) web site at https://peoplefirst.myflorida.com/logon.htm. Requests for printed brochures can be made online via the PF website or by calling the PF Service Center at 1-866-663-4735. Be sure to allow time for mailing when ordering. Brochures can also be picked up from vendors at the Benefits Fair.

  In addition to this memorandum, the Open Enrollment web site, and HRS’s InfoGator, we will be communicating to employees via the following venues:

   

  • Posters – distributed throughout key areas of campus.
  • myUFL splash page – late September and again in October
  • Inside UF online and UF home page
  • Article in the print edition of Inside UF
  • Staff News pagelet in myUFL
  • HRS home page/special section
  • UF marquees
  • WUFT-FM
  • HR Forum – August, September, and October
  • All employee e-mail in September

  Please visit http://www.hr.ufl.edu/benefits/openenrollment to learn how you can access, enroll in, or make changes to your benefits; review plan highlights for 2009; find available Open Enrollment information sessions; and make note of any important mailings or dates. You may also stop by the University Benefits and Retirement office at 903 W. University Avenue or an HRS satellite office, or contact University Benefits at benefits@ufl.edu or (352) 392-2477 with any additional questions.