April 29, 1999/Your Benefits
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Your Benefits

Benefit Choice Enrollment: May 1-31

The Benefit Choice Enrollment Period will run May 1 through May 31. During this time, UI employees may enroll in the flexible spending accounts and make changes in current health, dental and life insurance coverages with changes effective July 1. Even though the Benefit Choice period formally ends on Monday, May 31, since it is a holiday, the state department of Central Management Services (CMS) has announced that the Benefits Center may accept forms on Tuesday, June 1. In campus mail you will receive the State of Illinois Benefit Choice booklet, and also a NESSIE flier, letter and enrollment worksheet from the Benefits Center. Faculty and staff members participating in either of the flexible spending accounts -- Medical Care Assistance Plan or Dependent Care Assistance Plan -- will be sent re-enrollment forms to their home address by CMS.

Three different methods are available to make changes in your state of Illinois benefits.

If you decide not to make any changes, no action on your part is necessary. Your present enrollment will continue automatically, except for the Medical and/or Dependent Care Assistance plans. Both of these plans require re-enrollment each year.

Don't be late! (Irrevocability rule)
Any changes that you want to make during the Benefit Choice enrollment period must be submitted May 1 through June 1. The last day you can personally deliver forms to the Benefits Center is June 1. We are permitted to accept changes sent through the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) if postmarked on or before June 1. For example, assume the Benefits Center receives two forms on June 3, 1999 -- one sent by campus mail and the other by the U.S. Postal Service. Regardless of when the form received in campus mail was signed and sent, the Benefits Center cannot accept it. However, if the form sent by U.S. Postal Service was postmarked on or before June 1, the Benefits Center can accept it.

Also, remember that the state's telephone enrollment system can be used to make changes until midnight on May 31 and NESSIE will be available until 10 p.m. June 1.

The reason for the inflexibility in these deadlines is the state of Illinois Premium Payment Plan. Under this plan, payroll-deducted premiums members pay for health, dental and life coverage are tax exempt. The Internal Revenue Service code requires plans with the tax-exempt premium to prohibit changes in the member's deduction during the plan year unless there is a qualified change in family status, special enrollment period or other special circumstances. This Irrevocability Rule is required pursuant to Section 125 of the Internal Revenue Code. If the state is not in compliance (accepts forms late), the plan could lose its qualification and/or employees could be subject to an Internal Revenue Service audit and be required to pay additional taxes and possible penalties.

Member benefit information
Two years ago, CMS published a new state of Illinois Benefits Handbook (effective July 1, 1997 -- June 30, 2000) which was distributed to employees in campus mail fall 1997. Please keep that handbook and the new Benefit Choice Options booklet (effective July 1, 1999 -- June 30, 2000) along with this newspaper. Together, these items should provide all the relevant information you need regarding state plan benefits.

Employees enrolled in an HMO also should receive information from the HMO detailing its benefits and plan provisions.

For a copy of the "Your Benefits" newspaper, distributed April 29, contact the Benefits Center. You also may get more info on the Web or via e-mail. (See below.) There also is an acrobat version posted on the Web.

Where to go for help

The Benefits Center
807 S. Wright St., Suite 480
Illini Union Bookstore Building, corner of Wright and
Daniel streets. Enter through northeast doors.
 
Office hours
Walk-in 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Appointments are recommended to see a counselor
Telephone 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
 
General benefits information
Telephone 333-3111
E-mail benefits@uillinois.edu
Web site http://webster.uihr.uiuc.edu/benefits
To order claim or other forms 333-3111
Press 1 ­ you may leave a message after hours
Fax 244-5604
Benefits On Call -- 265-UIBC (8422)

To reach your counselor by phone or e-mail

(Last names beginning with)

A­E Brenda Butts 244-1053; b-butts1@uillinois.edu

F­K Judy VanDeventer 244-1044; jvandeve@uillinois.edu

L­Q Patricia Kirby 244-1045; p-kirby1@uillinois.edu

R­Z Michael Ward 244-1043; mhward@uillinois.edu

Assistant Manager for Services

Norma Kite 244-1042; n-kite@uillinois.edu

Benefits Center Director

James P. Davito 244-1041; davito@uillinois.edu

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Comments to: Inside Illinois Editor Doris Dahl, (217) 333-2895, d-dahl2@illinois.edu

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