UNDERSTAND

Group Health is a managed care medical insurance plan, which means:

• You use Group Health facilities and hospitals for your care,
• You are referred by your primary care provider (PCP) for any specialized care, or care outside of the plan's facilities.
• Note: It's not necessary for all family members to use the same physician.

Terms to Know

In addition to monthly premiums which are deducted from your pay, other costs should be considered when choosing a medical plan, such as:

• Annual deductibles - the amount you must pay out of pocket for health care and prescriptions before the plan begins to pay.
• Copays - the amount you must pay per visit. (Applies to Classic and Value plans only.)
• Co-insurance - the cost that you and the plan share. (Applies to CDHP-HSA plan only.)
• Out-of-pocket maximums - the maximum amount you will generally pay in any year.
• Also, if you have a specific medical condition, investigate costs and provider options outlined in the plan's Certificate of Coverage.

Group Health Cooperative Plans

Group Health Cooperative offers the following three types of health plans for UW employees and their dependents.

Classic Managed Care Medical Plan

Group Health Classic is a managed care health plan that offers lower copays and annual deductibles packaged with competitive monthly premiums (which are higher than the Value plan). There is no plan co-insurance, so your medical expenses will always be predictable. View Benefits Booklet, plan summary, and contact information for the Group Health Classic Plan.

Value Managed Care Medical Plan

Group Health Value is a managed care health plan that offers the same medical services as the Classic plan with lower monthly premiums than the Classic plan offset by higher annual deductibles and copays. This plan may be right for you if you're more concerned about monthly costs and want a lower monthly premium. View the Benefits Booklet, plan summary, and contact information for the Group Health Value Plan.

Consumer-Directed Health Plan with a Health Savings Account (CDHP-HSA)

Group Health's consumer-directed health plan is a high-deductible, low-premium type of plan. The premiums are considerably lower and the annual deductible is considerably higher than either the Classic or Value plans. To enroll this plan, you must first open a Health Savings Account (HSA). The HSA is funded by pre-tax contributions from the UW. You have the option of contributing as well.

• See an overview of how the CDHP-HSA works.
• View the Benefits Booklet, plan summary, and contact information for Group Health's CDHP-HSA.

Note: If you plan to enroll in a CDHP-HSA, you and your spouse will not be able to participate in an FSA in the same year. If you already have an FSA for a prior year, you will be required to use all funds by the end of the current year, i.e. there will be no grace period.

ACT

Compare Group Health Plans

Compare the per-visit costs of some in-network benefits for PEBB's medical plans.

Note: Some copays and coinsurance do not apply until after you've paid your annual deductible. Call your plan directly for more information on specific benefits, including preauthorization requirements and exclusions.

Find a Provider

See a List of Health Care Provider for the Group Health plans.

Enroll in a plan

Following the instructions at Choose Your Medical Plan, step 7, to enroll (or change) your medical plan:

1. As a new hire or newly-eligible employee
2. To change your plan during the Open Enrollment period
3. To change your plan due to a Qualified Life Event

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Disclaimer: The information on this page 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. Refer to the Benefits Forms & Publications page.

Plan availability and eligibility may change depending on your employment status and/or actions of the Washington State Health Care Authority (HCA), the agency that purchases and coordinates health insurance benefits for public employees, including employees of the University of Washington, through the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) program.

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