What’s new:
If you’re not making any changes to your OSU-sponsored health insurance this year, you do not need to complete the open enrollment process this October unless the following reasons apply:
Cases where you still need to participate in open enrollment:
- If you want a flexible spending account (FSA) that allows you to put aside some money pre-tax for medical or dependent expenses, you still must complete open enrollment every year.
- If you want to change your coverage in any way — different provider, different plan, add or remove dependents, etc. — you still must complete open enrollment this year.
- If you started as a new employee after last year’s open enrollment period and were thus ineligible for your plan’s HEM discount, you will need to complete a HEM assessment on your provider’s website to enroll in the program and gain the discount going forward.
- If you are changing your medical plan or provider, you need to complete open enrollment to make that change, but you do not have to take the HEM again if you are already participating from your previous plan.
PEBB has also created a decision chart to help you decide whether you need to complete open enrollment, which runs Oct. 1-31.
If you already participate in your plan’s HEM (Health Engagement Model) to get a coverage discount of $17.50 per month for engaging in healthy actions, you do not have to complete a new HEM assessment. If you aren’t changing anything in your health coverage, your discount will remain in place.
Help available:
“If you need assistance with completing open enrollment this year, consider attending a help session,” said Bonny Ray, executive director of University Human Resources.
Drop-in sessions will be held several days throughout October in Corvallis, OSU-Cascades in Bend and the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. Benefits staff will be available to answer questions and offer help with completing open enrollment and/or the HEM online health assessment.
Go deeper:
If you want to learn more about this year’s insurance options, attend one of the informational webinars or benefit fairs, where representatives from all the different insurance providers and several retirement-savings providers will be available to answer questions.
- Corvallis benefit fair: 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, Memorial Union Ballroom.
- OSU-Cascades benefit fair: 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 23, Ray Hall Atrium.
While you’re thinking about insurance, check out this story on lifestyle benefits available for the first time this year, including car, home, pet, accident, critical illness and hospital insurance.
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