PUBLICATIONS Inside Illinois Vol. 28, No. 19, May 7, 2009

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Benefits Brief

‘Benefit Choice’ continues through May 31

The annual Benefit Choice enrollment period for UI employees continues through May 31. All insured employees should have received a copy of the FY10 Benefit Choice Options booklet sent directly to their home.

This is the only time during the year when all benefit-eligible employees may make changes to their state of Illinois benefit plans and coverage levels without a qualifying event requirement.This also is the time when employees may enroll or re-enroll in the Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for the 2009-2010 plan year. Employees must enroll in the FSA each year during the annual Benefit Choice period to take advantage of this benefit, even if they are currently enrolled in the program.

Benefit Choice changes must be completed by May 31, and will become effective July 1.

To make enrollment changes or for more information, visit the Web-based NESSIE system at http://nessie.uihr.uillinois.edu, select Benefit Choice from the menu. Employees must use NESSIE to make any benefit-enrollment changes. Changes will be accepted online until midnight May 31. Employees who need assistance may select the help link that appears on every screen for answers to common questions and phone numbers to call for assistance.

During this enrollment period, employees may change state health and life plan enrollments, opt into or opt out of the state group health insurance plan (if the employee has other non-state group coverage), opt into or opt out of the dental plan and enroll or re-enroll in flexible spending accounts (FSAs). Employees also may add (documentation is required) or drop dependents and same-sex domestic partners.

Highlights

All current (FY09) health plans will be available. The map on page 7 of the FY10 Benefit Choice Options booklet indicates all the managed care health plans that are available in every county of the state.  The OSF HMOs have new names (they were purchased by Humana), but Humana will use the same network of providers that were available through the OSF HMOs. Anyone currently insured by one of the OSF HMOs does not need to take any action to become insured by Humana effective July 1, 2009.  Except for the Humana change, there will be no new health plans added and no plan administrator changes this year (see inside cover of booklet for complete list of plan administrators).

There is a new $50 in-network hospital admission deductible for Quality Care Health Plan (QCHP) participants, and several changes in other deductibles, co-payments and premiums. The prescription drug deductible, which was introduced Jan. 1, is a “per person per plan year” deductible and July 1 begins a new plan year. For all Managed Care Plans, the annual prescription deductible will remain at $50. For the QCHP, the prescription deductible is increasing to $75. 

For a complete and detailed explanation of all benefit changes effective July 1, refer to the July 1, 2009 Benefit Choice Options booklet (also available online at the “Benefit Choice” option in NESSIE).  For future use, please refer to this booklet along with your CMS July 1, 2004 Benefits Handbook and your CMS July 1, 2003 Group Life Insurance booklet for complete state group insurance plan benefit information.

What you must do

• If you want to participate again or participate in a flexible spending account for the first time, you will need to enroll by using NESSIE. Re-enrollment in FSAs is not automatic.

• If you do not want to make any changes to your insurance plan, you do not need to do anything.

• If you want to make any member or dependent health or life plan changes, you must do that now.

NESSIE can be used to make changes until midnight May 31.

Questions about benefit plans or options should be directed to the Benefits Center, 333-3111, or e-mail benefits@uillinois.edu.

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