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CIGNA CHOICE FUND

With this plan, the university sets up a health spending account for you: $1,000 for a single employee, $1,500 for an employee and one other adult, $1,500 for an employee and children; and $2,000 for a family. This money helps you meet your calendar year deductibles ($1,500 for a single employee, $2,250 for an employee and one other adult, or an employee and children; and $3,000 for a family).

You can seek treatment anywhere you want, and you pay your bills through your spending account until it runs out. If you do not use the entire allotment, the balance rolls over to the next year.

If you exhaust your fund, a preferred provider plan kicks in, with 20 percent co-pays in network and 40 percent out of network, after meeting a deductible.

STAYWELL HEALTH MANAGEMENT

Every person covered by StayWell who takes a health assessment, online or on paper, will receive a $75 gift card, spendable like a credit card. (Each covered employee and each of their covered dependents, age 18 and up, receives a card upon completing the health assessment.) If you decide to use your card at the Activities and Recreation Center, the ARC will offer a matching $75 discount. (StayWell is a new benefit for everyone except Kaiser members; Kaiser offers its own wellness program.)

LEGAL PLAN ACCEPTING NEW MEMBERS

Employees take note: You have the opportunity during open enrollment, Nov. 1-27, to sign up for UC's legal plan. New enrollments are not necessarily allowed every year; the last time the plan accepted new members was 2005. So, if you want to join, now is the time. The cost is $10.02 a month for a single adult; $13.78 for employee and children, or employee and one other adult; or $15.03 for a family.

For 2008, the plan is adding legal defense for civil litigation claims. This benefit joins these (all subject to limitations): advice, negotiation and service for legal matters such as those pertaining to the sale or purchase of a residence, problems with a landlord, Social Security administrative hearings and the like; simple wills and trusts, including power of attorney; divorce, child custody and support; adoption; criminal misdemeanor defense; Internal Revenue Service collection defense and audit advice; and major trial representation.

ARAG Insurance Co. provides the UC legal plan. More information: members.araggroup.com/ucop.