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PEBB Benefits Annual Open Enrollment
for Faculty, Staff & Librarians

UNDERSTAND

As a UW employee who is eligible for Public Employee Benefits Board (PEBB) benefits, you are allowed to make changes to your medical and dental plan choices during the annual open enrollment period, which runs annually during the month of November.

During this time, you may also enroll or re-enroll in a flexible spending account (FSA)—unless you elect a consumer-directed health plan with a health savings account (CDHP-HSA). You can also enroll or re-enroll in the Dependent Care Assistance, Program (DCAP). These are optional pre-tax savings programs available to you.

All changes made during the Open Enrollment period in November will be effective next January 1.

Medical and dental plan benefits and premiums change yearly. Open enrollment is a good time to evaluate your health insurance plans and decide whether to make a change.

Some life circumstances may be considered a "qualifying life event," which may trigger a Special Open Enrollment opportunity allowing you to make insurance plan changes outside of the fall open enrollment.

When Changing Health Plans is Necessary

If you are satisfied with your current health plan and it will be offered next year, you do not need to do anything and your plan elections will remain the same. However, you must change your plan enrollment if any of the following circumstances apply to you:

Note: Per WAC 182-12-262, you are required to notify the UW of changes in dependent eligibility within 60 days of the date in which your dependent is no longer eligible.

Employee Benefit Changes for 2012

The PEBB approved health plan designs for 2012, including three new plan choices that will allow most PEBB members to lower their health plan premiums in 2012.

The following is a summary of benefit changes took effect on January 1, 2012.

Consumer-Directed Health Plan with Health Savings Account

Employees, retirees, and COBRA and Leave Without Pay (LWOP) members not enrolled in Medicare saw new plan choices offered in 2012: the consumer-directed health plan (CDHP) which are linked to a health savings account (HSA). Group Health, Kaiser Permanente, and Uniform Medical Plan (UMP) now offer this new plan design, with some benefit, premium, and cost-sharing differences.

A CDHP offers a low monthly premium, balanced with a higher deductible and out-of-pocket maximum. The higher out-of-pocket maximum increases the amount of coinsurance and copay charges members must pay before the CDHP pays 100% for covered benefits. However, members can use funds in their HSA to pay for many out-of-pocket costs (including deductibles), or allow HSA savings to grow for future medical expenses. The employer-paid premium includes a contribution of $700 per subscriber, or $1,400 per subscriber and one or more dependents annually (prorated monthly) to a subscriber’s health savings account. Members may also choose to make tax-free contributions to their own health savings account.

Learn more about CDHPs and compare the type of accounts associated with this plan.

New Name, Same Plan

The Uniform Medical Plan, the state's self-insured preferred provider organization (PPO), is now called Uniform Medical Plan Classic or "UMP Classic."

Benefit Changes for Non-Medicare Members

PEBB approved selective benefit changes for employees, non-Medicare retirees, and COBRA and Leave Without Pay members in 2012. For more details, see PEBB Changes for 2012.

Monthly Premiums for Employees

Group Health Classic and Value copays were decreased for MRI/CT/PET scans from $100 to $30 (Classic) and $40 (Value) for employees. See Premiums.

Supplemental Life Insurance Change

PEBB’s Part C and Part D supplemental life insurance merged into a single employee supplemental option effective January 1, 2012. Learn more.

Medical Flexible Spending Account & Dependent Care Assistance Program

Running concurrently with the PEBB open enrollment, are two programs that can save you pre-tax dollars—the Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and the Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP). You can save money on a pre-tax basis by participating in one or both of these programs!

Remember, whether you are a current or new participant, you must re-enroll each year if you wish to continue participating in either of these programs.

FSA allows you to take untaxed salary and place it in a health care savings account to pay for eligible unreimbursed medical and dental expenses such as co-pays, deductibles and approved services not covered by your insurance plan. Note: you cannot enroll in an FSA if you enroll in a consumer-directed health plan with a health savings account (CDHP-HSA). Learn more.

DCAP allows employees to take a deduction from pay for eligible dependent care expenses before taxes are calculated. Learn more.

ACT

Online option for making changes to your insurance plan enrollment

Review open enrollment notices sent to you by the Health Care Authority (see "PEBB Materials" above). Review your current enrollment in one of two ways:

  1. UW Employee Self-Service (ESS): Log in to ESS with your UW NetID to view your current benefits package. You can also update your home and campus address information.
  2. PEBB Online Inquiry and Enrollment: The PEBB offers E-Coverage to make online open enrollment medical/dental plan changes. E-Coverage is by inquiry only until the first day of open enrollment.

Beginning on the first day of open enrollment, UW employees can use the E-Coverage site to change insurance plans or providers. E-Coverage has the following advantages:

Paper option for adding a dependent and/or making changes to your insurance plan enrollment

To add or reinstate a dependent who is not currently enrolled on your insurance plan, you must submit a completed 2012 Employee Enrollment/Change form by midnight on the last day of open enrollment. Valid dependent verification documentation must be included with the form for the requested change to be processed.

While you cannot add a dependent online, but you may use one of these online options to review your current coverage:

  1. UW Employee Self-Service (ESS): Log in to ESS with your UW NetID to view your current benefits package. You can also update your home and campus address information.
  2. PEBB online inquiry through E-Coverage.

Enroll in a Flexible Spending Account

Whether you are a first-time or returning participant of a PEBB flexible spending account, you must re-enroll each year if you wish to participate. Enter ASI Enrollment Portal.

Enroll in the Dependent Care Assistance Program

Whether you are a first-time or returning participant of the Dependent Care Assistance Program, you must re-enroll each year if you wish to participate. Enter ASI Enrollment Portal.

EXPLORE

Valid Dependent Verification Documents

To enroll your dependent, you must submit the following verification documents in addition to an Employee Medical & Dental Enrollment/Change Form. (Note: Documents written in a foreign language must first be officially translated and notarized before including with this form.)

A dependent is defined as a spouse, Washington state‐registered domestic partner, and children.

To enroll or reinstate a spouse, you must provide a copy of ONE of the bulleted items below:

To enroll or reinstate a Washington State-registered domestic partner, you must provide a copy of:

Certificate of state-registered domestic partnership or registration card from the Washington Secretary of State.

To enroll or reinstate a dependent child up to age 26, you must provide a copy of any ONE of the following bulleted items:

Documentation for Foreign National UW Employees & Dependents:

Foreign national UW employees who are unable to present the required dependent documentation (above) may submit alternative documentation, such as a copies of J-1 or J-2 visas.  Alternative documentation will be considered on a case-by-case basis by the Health Care Authority.  Please contact the Benefits Office at 206-543-2800 for assistance.


Disclaimer: The Qualifying Life Event(s) shown above highlights benefit options arising from a change in family status. It does not substitute for official plan documents. If there is a conflict between the information on this site and an official plan document, the official plan document will govern. Plan availability and eligibility may change depending on your employment status and/or actions of the Washington State Health Care Authority.

Changing Enrollment

Obtaining Vital Records from Foreign Countries
Most foreign countries document births, marriages, and deaths that occur within their boundaries. If you need a copy of a foreign record, contact the embassy or the nearest United States consulate in the country in which the marriage, birth, adoption, or death occurred.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides a helpful resource for where to write for a vital record.