Open Enrollment is October 1-14
Open Enrollment, the annual opportunity to take charge of your benefits and elect the coverage that fits your needs for the coming year, begins at 8 a.m. on Oct. 1 and ends at 5 p.m. on Oct. 14.
This is the one time each year to review your insurance and spending account coverage and make choices for the upcoming calendar year. The benefit elections you make continue through the plan year (beginning Jan. 1, 2012), and cannot be changed unless you experience a qualifying life event.
Even if you plan to keep the same coverage in 2012, this is an active enrollment, which means you’ll need to log on to the online benefits enrollment tool and make your elections. If you don’t enroll, you will have the following default benefits for 2012:
• Medical Plan—Aetna Standard, employee-only tier (even if you currently waive medical plan coverage)
• Dental Plan—no coverage
• Vision Plan—no coverage
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment—no coverage
• Flexible Spending Accounts—no spending accounts
Note: Your current Short-term Disability election
will not change
IMPORTANT NOTES FOR 2012
Health Plan
• The same health plans will stay in place for 2012: Aetna Standard, Aetna HealthFund and Blue Cross Select.
• Deductibles, copays and out-of-pocket maximums will remain the same.
• We’ve been able to keep premium increases lower than many other employers and continue to have cost based on salary level.
• NEW: Preventive care is expanding and you won’t have a copay for most routine or wellness services.
• Your child(ren) by birth, marriage or adoption—up to age 26—can now be covered by your health plan, regardless of their access to other health insurance coverage.
• Navitus will remain the prescription provider (prescription coverage is included with your health plan, no matter which plan you select). Copayments for tier three (non-preferred) drugs will increase by $5. Specialty drug 90-day prescriptions will no longer be covered, but 30-day supplies may still be obtained through the Vanderbilt Outpatient Pharmacies.
Dental Plan
• NEW: BlueCross BlueShield DentalBlue PPO will replace the CIGNA PPO, resulting in lower premium costs.
• The CIGNA DHMO plan will remain the same, but premiums have increased.
Vision Plan
• NEW: Superior Vision Services replaces VSP as the new plan provider for 2012.
• The plan’s rates are lower than the 2011 vision rates.
• Superior Vision offers a more convenient network of providers, including Vanderbilt Eye Institute, WalMart, Target and LensCrafters.
Short-term Disability
If this is your first time enrolling in Short-term Disability, you’ll need to complete the Hartford’s “proof of insurability” process. This means that the Hartford requires applicants to respond to questions about health and any existing conditions on their online enrollment site. If you already have Short-term Disability insurance through the Hartford, this does not apply to you.
Make an informed decision
How can you ensure you get the coverage you need for 2012?
• Attend the Employee Health Fair at VUMC (all VU employees encouraged to attend) on Thursday, Sept. 8, from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., in the Student Life Center. Benefits staff, as well as plan representatives, will be available to answer questions.
• Mark your calendars for October’s Information Sessions, which will be held in Light Hall on Monday, Oct. 3, and Tuesday, Oct. 4, and at One Hundred Oaks on Monday, Oct. 10.
To visit the HR website, go to http://hr.vanderbilt.edu/oe/
Questions? Contact the Employee Service Center
7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday-Friday
(615) 343-7000
HR Express: 2525 West End Ave, 2nd floor
Reminder: another important “take charge” decision is to contribute to the Giving Campaigns at http://www.vanderbilt.edu/communitygiving/2010/
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