Subject: Medical enrollment periods


I received a lot of questions last night about signing up and getting out if your spouse has a better plan or lower co-pay. There is confusion about why the open enrollment is now instead of the fall.

OUR OPEN ENROLLMENT IS NOW BECAUSE OUR MEDICAL CONTRACT IS ON A FISCAL YEAR BASIS AND RATE CHANGES OCCUR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NEW FISCAL YEAR.

Apparently most companies hold their open enrollment in the fall. One question was If I enroll now and in September my husband's plan is better can I disenroll during the month and stop paying my co-pay.

YES, A LOWER COSTING PLAN CONSTITUTES A STATUS CHANGE AND YOU COULD DROP THE STATE PLAN AT THE TIME YOU ENROLL IN YOUR SPOUSES PLAN.

Also If my husband (or wife's') plan is worse can I enroll in September if I chose not to be in the plan now (or next month) etc.

YES, FOR THE SAME REASON AS THE PREVIOUS ANSWER.

Most of the questions have to do with the co-pay. Is the co-pay due up front and paid over the year? Or is it paid per pay period and I can come in and out of the plan as needed?

THE CO-SHARE IS PAID PER PAY PERIOD AND YOU CAN ONLY MAKE CHANGES IN YOUR ELECTIONS IF THEY ARE QUALIFIED STATUS CHANGES AS DESCRIBED IN THE BENEFIT BULLETIN ATTACHMENT.

When would I incur the cost of the co-pay and when would I be able to avoid it?

THE RETRO COST OF THE COPAY WILL BE NETTED OUT OF THE RETRO PAYROLL COLA ADJUSTMENT. I AM NOT SURE WHAT YOU MEAN BY THE PART IF THE QUESTIONS ABOUT BEING "ABLE TO AVOID IT"?

Do I get my money back if I dis-enroll?

NO - DEDUCTIONS WOULD STOP AT THE TIME YOU DISENROLL.

If I chose to opt out and get the 2,000.00 incentive and later enroll in a state plan what happens to the incentive?

YOU ACCRUE $77 PER PAY PERIOD FOR THE WAIVER AND THE ACCRUAL IS FOR A TOTAL OF $2,002 ANNUALLY. THE WAIVER ACCRUAL PER PAYCHECK WOULD STOP AT THE TIME YOU ENROLL IN MEDICAL COVERAGE. THUS, THE PAYOUT FOR WAIVERS EACH YEAR IN LATE NOVEMBER WOULD BE FOR A PARTIAL AMOUNT BASED ON THE NUMBER OF PAYPERIODS DURING WHICH YOU ELECTED THE WAIVER.