Get ready to go for Open Enrollment
The University of Colorado’s Open Enrollment begins at 8 a.m. April 19 and ends at 5 p.m. May 7.
This is your chance to keep, waive or enroll in the University of Colorado’s medical, dental, vision, life and disability insurance as well as savings plans. Explore what’s changing with CU Health Plans for the 2021-22 plan-year.
There are four key changes to CU Health Plan offerings:
- CU Health Plan – Kaiser is consolidating into a single statewide network.
- Out-of-pocket maximums will increase for certain medical plans.
- All CU dental plans will provide fluoride treatments twice a year for patients of all ages.
- Faculty and staff will use digital insurance ID cards, instead of paper cards, to access care.
Kaiser moves to a single statewide network
CU Health Plan – Kaiser is moving from three regional coverage areas to a single statewide network, expanding care options for members.
In the past year, Kaiser expanded its local network and added new features:
- HealthONE Medical Center of Aurora has joined the Kaiser network to provide in-network emergency care. This addition also includes all HealthONE emergency rooms in the Denver area.
- UCHealth Urgent Care Longmont joined Kaiser’s network, providing care to adult and pediatric patients in Longmont seven days a week.
- Kaiser established a contract with DispatchHealth to offer in-home or in-office urgent care in the Colorado Springs and Denver regions. They will be exploring opportunities to expand this service along the Front Range.
Dental plans expand fluoride treatments
All dental plans will offer twice yearly fluoride treatments for patients of all ages. Previously, these treatments were only available to youth age 17 and under.
During dental visits after July 1, be sure to note this element of your coverage. Some dental practices will omit fluoride treatments for those over age 17, as it is not an industry standard.
Increase to maximum out-of-pocket payment
Out-of-pocket maximums for CU Health Plans – Extended, Exclusive and Kaiser will increase from $8,150 to $8,550 for individuals and $16,300 to $17,100 for families (2+ people).
Digital ID cards introduced
CU faculty and staff will no longer be issued paper ID cards. Instead, you’ll have options to use a digital ID card or download and print a paper copy.
At this time, the switch to digital will only apply to enrollees who change plans or newly enroll in plans. If you keep our current plans, you current ID card will not change.
Visit our Digital Delivery page for details.
Like your plans? It’s easy to stick to your current course
If you would like to keep the same benefit choices, no action is required. You will be automatically re-enrolled. There’s one exception: If you have a Health Care Flexible Spending Account and a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account, you must re-enroll for plan year 2021-2022.
Considering a change in direction? Let us be your guide
Navigating health insurance options can be disorienting, and the past year has only emphasized the necessity of health coverage that meets you and your family’s needs. Employee Services is here to provide the information you need to chart the best course.
Starting April 19, you can visit our Virtual Sessions and Fair to learn more about your benefits with courses, videos, interactive tools and more. We’ll also host webinars with plan vendors so you can learn more, ask questions and be entered in a drawing to win prizes such as Bose headphones, a FitBit Versa and many more.
There’s no need to wait to start exploring. Take the Basics of CU Health Plans and Pretax Savings Course or register for upcoming webinars by visiting the Open Enrollment website.