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It’s Fall—
time for back-to-school,
cooler weather,
football season and…
Benefits Open Enrollment.
This year’s Open Enrollment is October 15th through November 14th.
You’ll see a new lineup of healthcare plans starting January 1,
and we’ll introduce our new Wellness Program.
With changing healthcare plan options, you may need to re-enroll for coverage.
The Aetna EPO and
the Aetna Choice POS II,
the CareFirst BlueCross Blue Shield POS,
and the UnitedHealthcare Choice Plus POS medical plans will be discontinued.
An Integrated Health Model Plan,
administered by Kaiser,
will be available to employees who live in the Baltimore and Washington, D.C. areas.
Note that Express Scripts will continue administering prescription drug benefits.
Also, In-network lab services and x-rays will be covered 100% with no copayment or coinsurance.
Mental health and substance abuse treatment coverage will be provided by your medical plan.
This may mean a different network of these providers will be available to you.
And, weight management,
nutrition education
and tobacco cessation programs will be offered at no cost to you.
Finally, Delta Dental will be our new DHMO dental plan,
offering a nationwide network;
United Concordia will continue administering the DPPO.
So, if you are now enrolled in the Aetna EPO,
any POS plan,
or the United Concordia DHMO dental plan,
you must enroll in another plan if you want medical and/or dental coverage starting January 1st.
If plan option changes won’t affect you and you don’t want to make any benefit changes, you don’t need to do anything
—your current coverage will continue for all of 2015.
However, if you want a Healthcare or Dependent Day Care Flexible Spending Account for 2015,
you must make your annual election to participate.
Our new Wellness Program is designed to help you and your covered spouse
better understand your health,
take action to be as healthy as possible,
help you be a better consumer of health care services,
and help moderate the increasing cost of care.
There are two simple 2015 Healthy Activities for you and your spouse:
1) Designate a Primary Care Physician—a ***,
and 2) complete a Health Risk Assessment and discuss it with your ***.
A Health Risk Assessment is a confidential health status questionnaire.
Complete both activities by September 30th, 2015
and your future non-routine *** visits will be covered 100% without a copayment.
Plus, you will avoid paying a $50 surcharge in 2016.
Please watch the “Your New Wellness Program” video,
available at www.dbm.maryland.gov/benefits, to learn more.
Additional details are in your 2015 benefits guide.
Keep in mind that the benefits coverage you elect
—or your current coverage that continues—will stay in effect for all of 2015.
If you have a qualifying life event
—like the birth of a child,
marriage,
or divorce
—you can change coverage mid-year.
Once again, Open Enrollment is October 15th through November 14th.
If your healthcare plan won’t be available starting January 1,
you must enroll in another plan if you want 2015 coverage.
To enroll, complete the form provided in your Open Enrollment packet.
If you are an active employee, return the form to your agency benefits coordinator by November 14th.
If you are a retiree,
mail it to the address shown on the form so it arrives by November 14th.
If you didn’t receive a packet,
contact the Employee Benefits Division right away.