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Featured Articles
Major Dual Choice changes for
2009
2009
Health Insurance Premiums
Dual Choice Booklets
Benefits Fair
ERA (Employee Reimbursement Account)
Anthem Dental Plan Changes
Vision Open Enrollment
UW Employees
Inc Life Insurance
EPIC Excess
Medical & Dental
Dependent Coverage Health
Insurance
SWIB (State of Wisconsin Investment Board) News
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Open Enrollment 2009
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Health Insurance Dual Choice
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October 6 - 24, 2008 is the Dual Choice enrollment period for
coverage effective January 1, 2009. Dual Choice provides an
opportunity for subscribers (active employees, annuitants, and former
employees who have continued their coverage) to change health plans and/or change
from single to family coverage without a waiting period for pre-existing
conditions.
To help employees assess their current health care plan and
determine the need to make changes in coverage, the Office of Human
Resources is providing the following checklist:
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Is my plan still available? If not, have
I selected a new plan and completed the application?
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Is my physician, clinic, or hospital
still affiliated with my plan?
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Are there sufficient providers,
including specialists, conveniently located?
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Have benefits changed with my plan?
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Has the premium for my plan changed?
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Does my plan include dental coverage?
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Am I satisfied with my plan?
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Do I want to change from single to
family coverage for 2009?
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Have I reviewed the Dual Choice Booklet?
Booklets are available online.
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Have I checked which Tier my plan is in
for 2009?
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Am I changing plans? If so, have I
submitted an application to Human Resources?
Applications are due in the Human Resources office no
later than 4:30 p.m. on Friday, October 24, 2008. 
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What are the major Dual Choice changes
for 2009?
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Plan
provider network changes:
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Gundersen
Lutheran (Eau Claire and Chippewa counties) and Health Tradition (Eau
Claire, Chippewa, Barron, and Dunn counties) are added
providers. Please refer to the map on page A-5 and the Plan
Descriptions in Section G of the It's Your Choice booklet.
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SMP
is newly available in Pierce county in Wisconsin and also in Dakota,
Hennepin, Ramsey, and Washington counties in Minnesota. Please
refer to the "It's Your Choice 2009 Booklet" for more
information.
Verify with your health plan that your provider is still
available to you in 2009.
Changes to Pharmacy benefits for 2009
For most plans, the annual
prescription drug out-of-pocket amount will increase to $385 per individual
and $770 per family. The out-of-pocket amount for the Standard Plan
will remain at $1,000 per individual and $2,000 per family. Navitus Health Solutions is still the benefit manager for prescriptions.
SMP (State Maintenance Plan) no
longer available
SMP is no longer
available in Burnett county. Subscribers using
providers in this county must consider selecting another plan or they will
be limited to the SMP providers remaining in other areas. Subscribers
are not required to live or work in an SMP county to be eligible for
SMP. GHC-Eau Claire is now the qualified plan in Burnett County.
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What are the health
insurance premiums for 2009?
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For calendar year 2009, the employee share for premiums will be
as follows:
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Family Coverage
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Single Coverage
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Tier
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$ 78.00
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$ 31.00
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1
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$173.00
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$ 69.00
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2
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$412.00
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$164.00
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3
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Grad
Rates |
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Family Coverage
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Single Coverage
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Tier
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$ 39.00
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$ 15.50
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1
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$86.50
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$ 34.50
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2
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$206.00
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$82.00
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3
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Dual Choice Booklets In
early October, Dual Choice booklets will be e-mailed to eligible employees.
E-mail messages will include a link to the Department of Employee
Trust Fund's (ETF) Web site to obtain the "It's Your Choice"
booklet. Note: Paper
copies of the Dual Choice booklet will be available at the Benefits Fair. The booklet contains important information
about changes in uniform benefits, prescription drug coverage, and provider
network changes. Anyone with questions about insurance coverage or
anyone considering a change is encouraged to meet with representatives at
the Benefits Fair scheduled for Tuesday, October 14. (There is a correction on Anthem NW provider list in the "It's Your Choice" booklet, Marshfield Clinic is a provider, not Luther Midelfort.)
A complete list of notable plan and program changes may
be found in the
Its Your Choice"
Dual Choice booklet.
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Other Enrollment Information
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ERA (Employee Reimbursement Account)
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ERA open enrollment is scheduled from October 6 through November
14, 2008. Information will be sent through e-mail during the week of
October 8. The booklet explains online enrollment procedures.
Medical expenses for services provided through March 15, 2009
may be reimbursed with funds remaining from the 2008 plan year.
However, any unused amounts from the prior plan year that are not used for expenses
incurred by March 15 remain subject to the "use it or lose it"
rule and will be forfeited. This grace period rule applies only to
Medical Expense Accounts. The deadline (or "run-out" period) for
filing both medical expense and dependent care claims incurred during the
plan year, as well as medical expenses incurred during the grace period,
will be April 15, 2009.
Are you planning to retire in 2009?
If so, you may want to have your entire annual contribution amount withheld
from the number of checks you will receive in 2009 so you can take
advantage of the pretax benefit for the entire calendar year. Contact
Donna Weber (36-3871) for assistance if necessary.
Faculty and teaching academic staff only:
Your annual contribution will be withheld from nine checks. ERA
contributions are not taken out during the summer, even if you are
receiving paychecks during the summer.
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Anthem DentalBlue
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· October
6 - November 14, 2008 is open enrollment period for Anthem plans
which includes HMO, PPO, and the Supplemental Plan.
· Coverage
will be effective January 1, 2009. To enroll in Anthem,
employees must be eligible to enroll in the State of Wisconsin group health
insurance program with either an immediate or future state share
contribution.
· If
you are already covered under any of the above plans, the annual change
opportunity also runs from October 6 - November 14, 2008. During this period
you can add eligible dependents or change to a different Anthem
plan. Coverage changes will be effective January 1, 2009.
· The
Supplemental Plan is available to anyone who already has some dental
coverage provided by their participating health plan.
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Anthem DentalBlue monthly premiums
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Dentacare HMO
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Preferred PPO
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Supplemental Plan
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Employee
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$28.78
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Employee
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$23.51
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Employee
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$16.59
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Employee & 1
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$57.56
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Employee & 1
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$47.01
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Employee & 1
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$33.19
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Employee & 2+
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$92.10
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Employee & 2+
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$77.56
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Employee & 2+
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$49.80
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OptumHealth Vision (formerly Spectera
Vision) Open Enrollment
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Open enrollment for OptumHealth Vision Insurance is October 6 -
November 14, 2008. Applications must be submitted to the Human
Resources office by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, November 14, 2008. Coverage
will be effective January 1, 2009. Premiums will be deducted from your
paycheck on a pretax basis. OptumHealth Vision Insurance
information will be sent to eligible employees, and is available online at
www.myoptumhealthvision.com/members/index.jsp. All subscribers will receive ID cards in late December.
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OptumHealth
Vision monthly premiums
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Single
Coverage
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Employee +
Spouse or Domestic Partner
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Employee
+Children
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Full Family
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$ 5.83
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$ 11.34
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$11.88
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$17.82
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UW Employees Inc Life Insurance
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Open enrollment period will be October 6 November 14, 2008
for coverage effective date January 1, 2009. UW Employees Inc
Life Insurance is a term life insurance policy. Anyone can
enroll in coverage regardless of health. This policy provides an
inexpensive way to increase your overall life insurance coverage. For
more information (including rate and coverage information): http://www.uwsa.edu/hr/benefits/ins/uwee-ga-1117.pdf.
The amount of insurance benefits paid to your beneficiary
depends on your age at the time of death, as noted in the following benefit
schedule.
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Age
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Life
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Monthly
Premium
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<35
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$25,000
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1.00
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35-39
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$21,000
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1.25
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40-44
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$18,000
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1.60
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45-49
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$12,000
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2.00
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50-54
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$9,000
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2.40
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55-59
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$7,500
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3.80
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60-64
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$7,000
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4.35
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65+
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$3,000
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3.00
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Dental and Excess Medical (EPIC)
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Open enrollment period will be October 6 November 14, 2008
for effective date January 1, 2009. Employees must be previously
enrolled in the State of Wisconsin group health insurance program with
either an immediate or future state share contribution. Dental
benefits will be limited to an annual maximum of $500 and $750 during the
1st and the 2nd year respectively, then increasing to $1000 the third year. Premiums will increase as follows:
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2009 rates
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Single
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Insured/Spouse
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Insured/Child
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Family
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Active
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$16.70
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$33.40
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$33.40
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$50.10
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Annuitant
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$20.87
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$41.64
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$48.25
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$57.43
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Dependent
Coverage for Health Insurance
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If you have dependents who are over 19 and are still covered
under your health insurance plan, your health insurance company will be
mailing out Student Status forms the week of October 27. The forms
are due back to the health insurance company by December 1. It
is crucial to complete and submit the forms in a timely manner. If
you do not reply, coverage for your dependent will end December 31, 2008.
Employees must submit the student status information to their current
insurance company, even if they intend to change plans during the Dual
Choice Enrollment period. Your current company will forward your
completed information to the appropriate health insurance plan.
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Is my dependent
child covered in 2009?
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Coverage for dependent children who are
not physically or mentally disabled terminates at the earliest of the
following dates:
The end of the month in which the child
marries, or
The end of the calendar year in which
the child:
* turns 19 while not a full-time student.
* ceases to be a full-time student and is age 19 or older.
* turns 25 while a full-time student.
* ceases to be dependent on either parent or guardian for support.
If you have a dependent who is no longer eligible for coverage in 2009
please contact the Office of Human Resources. We must remove the dependent
from your health insurance and offer continuation benefits. The
notification is not part of the dual choice enrollment function, but rather
a separate requirement.
Questions regarding Dual Choice may be
directed to the Office of Human Resources at 36-2513.
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