Information sessions about university benefits for faculty, staff, and retirees are scheduled for May 10 in University Center 309.
The sessions are designed to answer questions and provide information that employees and retirees need to make decisions regarding benefits during the university’s annual open enrollment process. Open enrollment began April 30 and will continue until 5 p.m. May 25.
Open enrollment 2012-13 is a positive enrollment for all medical and dental benefits-eligible employees, meaning employees must take actions for medical and dental benefits, even if benefits were waived for FY 2011-12, according to Cindy Corwin, director, Human Resources. Medicare-eligible retirees and surviving spouses/same gender domestic partners are not required to re-enroll.
Times for the information sessions are:
- 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. – Faculty, university officers and professional exempt staff.
- 10:30 a.m. – Retirees, surviving spouses and same gender domestic partners
- 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. – Classified staff members
The change to a positive enrollment format came after a competitive process that included evaluators from all four campuses and system administration. The University of Colorado Health and Welfare Trust awarded Cigna and Kaiser Permanente the administrative services contracts for its group medical plans effective July 1, 2012. With the transition, it is important for all employees to educate themselves about plan updates and reaffirm their selections. Also, federal health care law now requires that employers ask employees who have waived coverage the reasons why they elect to do so.
Rates, and other plan details, are available at www.cu.edu/openenrollment.
Many employees who participate in university benefit plans will notice an increase in the employer’s share of the cost of those benefits. The change may result in a $20 to $30 per month decrease in benefits expenses paid by employees compared to last year, Corwin said.
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