After successful Open Enrollment, what’s next?

Over 93 percent of eligible employees made a positive election during open enrollment (OE) this year, and Payroll & Benefit Services (PBS) would like to thank you for your participation and helping make OE a success.

In the coming weeks, you will receive your new medical ID card and Benefit Confirmation Statement. Please review these carefully upon receipt to ensure that your elections are correct. Remember that CIGNA has replaced Anthem as the new administrative services organization, the company that will administer claims. If you elected a plan that requires a primary care physician, double check that this information is correct on your new medical ID card.

If you have questions or concerns about the information on your medical ID card, contact CIGNA directly. For questions or concerns about your Benefit Confirmation, contact PBS immediately. PBS wants to help your transition to your new plan go as smoothly as possible. Be sure to take the time to notify your doctor and pharmacist of your plan change. This will help ensure you receive consistent and uninterrupted care as you begin the new plan year on July 1.

Our University of Colorado Health and Welfare Trust (Trust) medical plans are designed to support your journey to optimal health, and now that you’ve successfully enrolled, think positively and take action to stay as healthy as you can. Remember that all preventive services for all CU Health Plans are covered at 100 percent before deductible or co-pay, so be sure to get your annual checkup.

The Trust created the Be Colorado wellness program last fall and will be enhancing the program this academic year. This fall you will again be able to take advantage of a free and confidential biometric screening and health assessment. And new this year, the Trust will be debuting a personal mission tool that has been successfully used to help thousands of top athletes achieve their goals and others more successfully maintain healthier lifestyles.

Look for more information later this summer and early fall about the biometric screenings, health assessment and personal mission tool, and the opportunity to win great prizes for participation, helping your campus win the campuswide competition and achieve baseline participation goals, and, most importantly, renew your commitment to achieving your healthiest self.

The Trust also recently launched Rx Consult, a free medication management program that enables you to get a comprehensive review of your prescription medications. Trust plan participants also are eligible for discounted Colorado Weigh weight management classes. Information about all of these wellness programs is available at www.BeColorado.org, the Be Colorado website.

After four or five years of tough news for employees, PBS wants to remind you that the increased employer contribution to benefits has resulted in a monthly decrease in medical premium for almost every employee. Take time to understand the impact your employer contribution has on total compensation. The university’s investment in health, dental and life is around 25 percent of your salary.

Another related piece of good news for PERA employees is that Senate Bill 10-146, which switched a 2.5 percent contribution from employer to employee for the past two years, has sunset. This in effect means a 2.5 percent increase in pay for PERA employees.

PBS has received some questions about the new $2,500 limit on health care flexible spending accounts. This change was necessitated by federal health care legislation. Recent guidance from the IRS (Notice 2012-40) that would allow for a delay in implementation of the new limit was not provided until May 30, 2012, five days after the close of OE. As we have considered this notice, we have unfortunately concluded that we are unable to make a change for the coming year.

PBS will soon send two additional important mailings concerning your benefits. One will contain relevant COBRA, Medicare Part D, and Privacy notices; the other will provide a summary of the financial performance of the University of Colorado Health and Welfare Trust.

If you have any questions about your new health plan, Benefit Confirmation Statement, benefit notices, the Trust, or the Be Colorado wellness program, contact PBS at pbs@cu.edu or 303-860-4200, option 3.