2011 Open Enrollment Period and Benefits Fair

Paula Varnes Fussell, Vice President for Human Resource Services

This year’s benefits Open Enrollment will have two separate enrollment periods – October 7 through November 18 for UF plans and November 7 through November 18 for state plans. The deadline for both enrollment periods will end on Friday, November 18, 2011, at 6 p.m. EST. Open Enrollment is the only period during the year in which changes to pre-tax benefits can be freely made without experiencing a qualifying event. Any changes made during this time will become effective January 1, 2012.

Each year in conjunction with Open Enrollment, the Office of Human Resource Services hosts the annual Benefits Fair. This year’s fair is scheduled for October 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Touchdown Terrace. Vendors will be available to answer questions about a variety of benefit and retirement plans. Employees can also meet some of UF’s Gator Perks employee discount program vendors, and there will be food and opportunities to win prizes!

Notable changes this year include:

• One HMO provider will serve the majority of Florida counties. Participants in affected HMOs will be transferred to the designated HMO in their county, unless the county has two HMO options OR there are two HMO options between the counties where an employee lives or works.
• Medco will be the new pharmacy manager for both the PPO and HMO plans. Member ID cards will be mailed in December.
• UF Term Life (employee, spouse, and dependent life insurance) will offer guarantee issue (no medical application) for $10,000 on the employee, and $5,000 for spouse and dependents up to plan limits.
• 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.
• 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 already in the plan may increase coverage. Coverage is also available for certain family members by medical application.
• Alta Hospital Insurance will change its name to CIGNA.
• A rate increase will be found in some dental and supplemental plans.

For more details on the state changes, view the myBenefits FAQs at http://www.myflorida.com/MyBenefits/Tools/FAQs_Home.htm. For details on Long Term Disability, Long Term Care, and Term Life, visit the Benefits section of HRS’s web site at http://www.hr.ufl.edu/benefits and click on the link to each plan for specific plan/enrollment information.

Brochures can also be picked up from vendors at the Benefits Fair.
Brochures for UF supplemental plans will be available on the Open Enrollment section of HRS’s web site at http://www.hr.ufl.edu/benefits/openenrollment.

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

1. UF paycheck e-mail notification (sent on 9/23/11)
2. Posters – distributed throughout key areas of campus
3. myUFL portal splash page the weeks of September 26 and November 14
4. Inside UF and UF home page
5. Staff News pagelet on the myUFL portal
6. UF HRS web site
7. Open Enrollment information sessions
8. UF marquees
9. WUFT-FM
10. HR Forum – July, August, September, and October
11. All-employee e-mail in late September

Employees may visit http://www.hr.ufl.edu/benefits/openenrollment for more details on how to enroll, 2012 plan changes, information sessions, and important mailings and dates. Employees may also stop by the University Benefits office at 903 W. University Avenue or a Human Resource Services satellite office, or contact University Benefits at benefits@ufl.edu or (352) 392-2477 with any additional questions.