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Updated 12:15 p.m. Oct. 28: The UC Office of the President announced that its printer aims to get open enrollment packets in the mail by the end of this week, so that should arrive at employees’ homes early next week.

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Open enrollment for most employees starts at 8 a.m. this Thursday (Oct. 28), and for those of us inclined to wait until the last minute, here’s one of the most important things — if not the most important — to know this year: The ending date has been moved up to the Friday before Thanksgiving. That makes the deadline (Nov. 19 this year) four days earlier than in recent years.

AT A GLANCE

• WHAT: Open enrollment for 2022
• WHEN: 8 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 28, to 5 p.m. Nov. 19, the Friday before Thanksgiving
• WHERE: (No computer access? Contact your department.)
• HELP DESKS, WEBINARS, QUESTIONS: See below.

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Meet ALEX, a personal benefits counselor, available 24/7 on your computer, phone or tablet.

A explained: “You’ll still have more than three weeks to make your benefits choices, and our benefits professionals will have some needed extra time to ensure UC’s systems are up to date for 2022.”

If you are not making changes and do not wish to re-enroll in a health or dependent care flexible spending account, you need take no action

Otherwise, do not procrastinate! Open enrollment packets (brochure and pamphlet) are due to arrive at employees' home addresses early next week (a production problem has delayed the mailing). You will make your choices in ; go there directly or look for the link on .

Important notes: Open enrollment does not apply to individuals enrolled in the School of Medicine and School of Veterinary Medicine interns and residents benefits programs or students enrolled in SHIP. Open enrollment information for postdocs is available through .

Medical coverage

All the same medical plans are still in place, with no additions. is the only benefit with premium increases this year, and they are moderate again, ranging from $0 to $47 per month across all pay bands.

Important note about UC Blue & Gold premiums: Be sure to look for your rates on or on the insert that will come with your open enrollment packet. The UC Blue & Gold rates in the packet and on UC's open enrollment website DO NOT apply to �ٺ���Ƶ, �ٺ���Ƶ Health or UC Agriculture and Natural Resources. Blue & Gold rates for �ٺ���Ƶ, �ٺ���Ƶ Health and UC ANR employees are subsidized, so that the rates are equal to those for the Kaiser HMO.

The biggest change to medical plans is a switch to Navitus Health Solutions as the pharmacy benefit manager for preferred provider organizations, or PPOs: UC Health Savings Plan, UC Care and CORE.

Here is more information about each medical plan. Note: �ٺ���Ƶ Medical Group is available through every plan except Kaiser.

• UC Blue & Gold health maintenance organization, or HMO — Monthly premium costs for employees are increasing by about $2 (for individual coverage) up to about $6 (for family coverage). Flu shots for covered family members and other vaccinations for adults will be available from Health Net-contracted pharmacies for $0 copay. Members can obtain a two-week supply of select high-cost medications for $0 copay, to determine medication tolerance before getting a full prescription filled.
• Kaiser HMO ­— Monthly premium costs for employees are increasing by about $2 (for individual coverage) to about $6 (for family coverage). House calls (previously offered with no copay) will now have the same copay as similar office visits. 
• UC Health Savings Plan — Monthly premium costs for employees are increasing $1 to $2 per month. The maximum contribution to the Health Savings Account is increasing from $3,600 to $3,650 for individual coverage and from $7,200 to $7,300 for family coverage. People age 55 and over can make an additional “catch-up” contribution of $1,000 using the .
• UC Care — Monthly premium costs for employees are not increasing for any level of coverage this year.
• CORE ($3,000 deductible for individuals) — Still $0 monthly premium for eligible employees and their families.

If you are in a bargaining unit represented by a union, the university will adhere to its collective bargaining obligations, and any applicable collective bargaining agreement, with respect to any changes to your contribution rates. If you make changes to your plan choices and coverage levels during open enrollment, you will be charged the applicable employee contribution rate for the new plan for your bargaining unit.

Other benefits

The are being enhanced with no changes in premiums:

• Dental and vision — UC will continue to pay the full cost of these benefits for employees and their dependents, with this improvement: The annual allowance for contact lenses will be $160 (up from $110).
• Supplemental health  — New coverage in the Critical Illness Plan provides a cash benefit ranging from $1,000 to $7,500 when hospitalized due to coronavirus for four or more days. Benefit amounts are paid based on your elected coverage level ($10,000 or $30,000) and the length of your hospital stay. 
• ���𲵲���&�Բ�����;— New family services include coverage for enforcement and modification of child support orders, modification of alimony orders, guardianship and conservatorship accounting, and establishment of restraining orders. General legal assistance on matters not already covered by the legal plan is increasing from four to six hours annually.

Open enrollment also brings the opportunity to enroll or re-enroll in pretax (one for health, another for dependent care). Flexible spending accounts do not renew automatically; you must take action if you wish to renew.

Help desks, webinars, questions

�ٺ���Ƶ Employee Benefits and Health Care Facilitator Program, and UCPath announced a variety of resources to help employees with open enrollment. There will be no in-person sessions, due to the pandemic.

HELP DESKS

�ٺ���Ƶ Employee Benefits is offering one-on-one, confidential sessions of up to 10 minutes via Zoom: 1-3 p.m. Monday, Nov. 8, and 10 a.m.-noon Friday, Nov. 12. For either day, anyone seeking a one-on-one session should sign in to one of four Zoom sessions (each one is for a different segment of the alphabet, based on first letter of last names).

Employee Benefits will also hold two open forums on Zoom to answer questions submitted via chat: 9 a.m.-noon Tuesday, Nov. 2; and 1-3 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 18.

The Health Care Facilitator Program has posted an overview of 2022 medical plans, including a video and slide show.

 

UCPath announced seven webinars (listed below) and an .

UCPATH WEBINARS

The information sessions will include a Q&A and demonstration of the new ALEX benefits counselor. Choose and date and time, then click on the link to register.