October 18, 2005

Special Health Benefits Edition

The "8 1/2 x 11 News" is published each week by the University Advancement Division. News of campus interest should be sent to one of the following editors:   Ed Delaney, 412-268-1609 (ed47@andrew.cmu.edu)
  Bruce Gerson, 412-268-1613 (bg02@andrew.cmu.edu)
  Susan Cribbs, 412-268-7521 (cribbs@andrew.cmu.edu)

The newsletter is available on the official.cmu-news and cmu.misc.news bulletin boards.

2001 Editions are available online.

2002 Editions are available online.

2003 Editions are available online.

2004 Editions are available online.

Previous editions are available online.

The annual benefits Open Enrollment period runs from Oct. 31 - Nov. 18, 2005, a full week longer than in the past. This will be your only opportunity to make your 2006 benefit elections during the year, unless you experience a qualified life or family status change. This year's Open Enrollment has several unique features:

—Your 2005 medical benefits will not roll over into 2006 due to changes in the benefits plans.

—You must actively enroll, or you will be placed into default health and prescription drug coverage. Full-time employees will also be placed into default dental and vision coverage. (Those who opted out of coverage in 2005 will be opted out in 2006 by default.)

—Go to http://hr.web.cmu.edu/current/benefits/oe to learn more about the benefits offered for 2006, to download your Open Enrollment Benefits Workbook, and to access both HR Connection (to enroll online) and the Healthy Solutions Toolkit (to help you make the best choices for your family).

INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE

The Human Resources Benefits Office will provide assistance and support throughout Open Enrollment. Some of the opportunities available to you include:

—Benefit Presentations. If you and your spouse or partner were unable to attend a departmental presentation, several open Health Benefit presentations are scheduled: Oct. 17 (3 p.m. in UC - Class of 1987), Oct. 21 (11:30 a.m. in UC - Wright), Oct. 26 (9 a.m. in UC - Rangos 2), Oct. 28 (9:30 a.m. in Baker Hall A53), Nov. 3 (5 p.m. in Whitfield Hall) and Nov. 8 (5 p.m. in UC - Connan).

—One-on-One Enrollment Assistance. Receive help from a benefit specialist in making your selections and enrolling online. Walk-in assistance sessions (no appointment necessary) are available on: Nov. 4 (11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. in Baker Hall 154T), Nov. 9 (9:30 - 11:30 a.m. in Baker Hall 154T), Nov. 10 (5 - 7 p.m. in UC - McKenna), Nov. 11 (11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. in Baker Hall 154T), Nov. 14 (5 - 7 p.m. in UC - Class of 1987) and Nov. 16 (11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. in Baker Hall 154T)

—Telephone Assistance. This year, benefit specialists will be available to help you seven days a week throughout the Open Enrollment period (Oct. 31 - Nov. 18). Simply call 412-268-4747 from 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., seven days a week. Email sent to hrhelp@andrew.cmu.edu will also be answered during these expanded help desk hours.

—Benefits and Fitness Fair. Wednesday, Nov. 2, from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. See more below.

ATTEND THE 2005 BENEFITS AND FITNESS FAIR ON NOV. 2

The Annual Benefits and Fitness Fair will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday, Nov. 2, in Rangos Hall. It's an hour longer this year to accommodate the needs of our faculty, staff and students. You will receive a postcard via campus mail regarding the fair. Bring it with you for easy entry into all of our raffle prizes.

—Benefit Specialists and Vendor Representatives will be on hand to answer any questions about our benefit options, how they work and what they cover.

—Demonstrations and screenings. See the Healthy Solutions Toolkit in action, or receive various health screenings, such as bone density or DermaView skin cancer screenings.

—Free flu shots, if supplies available. Human Resources and Student Health hope to offer free flu shots to faculty and staff at the fair. However, at this time, delivery of the vaccine supply is not confirmed.

UPDATE YOUR ADDRESS SO YOU GET YOUR ENROLLMENT PACKET

If the university does not have your current and accurate home mailing address, you will experience a delay in receiving your Open Enrollment packet. This packet includes your personalized benefits summary, including your PIN, as well as important enrollment instructions. You will need your HR Connection PIN to access the system. To log into HR Connection, go to http://hr.web.cmu.edu/resources/hrconnect. Select the Demographics module to verify and update your home mailing address.

ENHANCED DENTAL AND VISION BENEFITS OFFERED

A great deal of information about our 2006 medical and prescription options has been distributed. There are some significant enhancements to our dental and vision benefits as well.

—Dental Options: There will be three dental options available for 2006-2007. As there were in 2005, there will be two dental PPOs, one with a higher level of coverage than the other. In addition, we are offering a Dental HMO (DHMO). Both PPOs will offer expanded coverage. In response to faculty and staff requests, the more enhanced PPO option will include adult orthodontia coverage. Like a medical HMO, a DHMO provides a more limited network of dentists and no benefits are paid if you use an out-of-network dentist. In addition, you must pre-select a primary care dentist. However, the plan requires only copays (no coinsurance), has no deductible and has no annual maximum of provided benefits.

—Vision Options: There will be two vision options this year, both administered by Davis Vision. (Highmark has switched from OptiChoice to Davis Vision for its Pennsylvania customers.) Both plans provide higher levels of reimbursement and greater coverage of lenses through the Davis "Fashion Advantage Collection" of frames. The enhanced option provides greater payment for some services, and allows you to receive services every 12 months instead of every 24 months. The plans also offer several value-added features, such as a one-year breakage warranty, Lens 1-2-3 membership, laser vision correction discounts and enhanced coverage for low vision participants.

HEALTH CARE AND DEPENDENT CARE ACCOUNTS ARE CHANGING

—Plan year grace period. Both the Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) and Dependent Care Reimbursement Account (DCRA) now give you more time to incur expenses that can be reimbursed with the money you set aside pre-tax to pay for your out of pocket health care and dependent care expenses. A two-and-a-half month grace period has been added as of this year - extending the plan year until March 15. If you contribute to one or both of these accounts in 2006, you can use the funds to reimburse you for expenses you incur from Jan. 1, 2006 through March 15, 2007.

—EBDS will administer the DCRA. Employee Benefit Data Services (EBDS) is the new carrier for the Dependent Care Reimbursement Account.

—Carrier for HCFSA depends on your medical carrier. Participants in a Carnegie Mellon medical option through Highmark or HealthAmerica will use their medical carrier to process their HCFSA claims. Expenses from in-network medical services will be automatically processed through your HCFSA so no claim forms need to be filed.(Claims will still need to be submitted for out-of-network services or prescription, over-the-counter, dental or vision expenses.) Participants in a Carnegie Mellon medical option through UPMC or those who opt out of Carnegie Mellon medical coverage but still contribute to a HCFSA will use EBDS to process their HCFSA claims. Claim forms will need to be submitted for all expenses. UPMC is currently working to develop the ability to administer HCFSA accounts.

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