UNDERSTAND

Benefits-eligible UW employees can make changes to their medical and dental plan choices during the annual open enrollment period which runs from October 26 through November 30. If you do not wish to make a change, simply do nothing and your plan election will remain the same. (Note that your next opportunity to make a change will be during the next Open Enrollment—unless you have a qualifying change in family status.)

Changes made during Open Enrollment will become effective January 1, 2010. Changes may include:

• Eligible employees can reinstate previously waived medical coverage for themselves or their eligible dependents.
• Eligible dependents not previously enrolled can be added without proof of previous coverage.
• Section 125 medical premium deduction election can be changed from pre-tax to post-tax or vice versa. Learn more.

Retirees should check out changes to their plans and rates. See below.

Rate changes to the employee-paid long-term disability and/or life and accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) insurance are often announced during the medical/dental open enrollment. You may apply for additional coverage at any time after your initial employment date, but evidence of insurability will be required.

Benefit Changes for 2010

The following is a summary of benefit changes that will take effect on January 1, 2010.

Changes for Employees

Medical Plan Monthly Premiums:

Half of the medical plans’ premiums will increase for 2010, and the other plans’ premiums will decrease or stay about the same. State agency and higher-education employees will continue to pay an average of 12% of the total medical costs while their employer will continue to pay 88%. This average is based on costs across all PEBB medical plans.

Plan Name	Employee Contribution by Family Tier
	Employee		Employee & Spouse/QDP		Employee & Children		Full Family
	2009	2010	2009	2010	2009	2010	2009	2010
Aetna Public Employees Plan	$112	$132	$234	$274	$196	$231	$318	$373
Group Health Classic	107	71	224	152	187	124	304	205
Group Health Value	25	22	60	54	44	39	79	71
Kaiser Permanente Classic	76	72	162	154	133	126	219	208
Kaiser Permanente Value	33	42	76	94	58	74	101	126
Uniform Medical Plan (UMP)	26	41	62	92	46	72	82	123

Aetna Provider Change:

Aetna Public Employees Plan announced that the University of Washington Medical Center, Harborview Medical Center, and University of Washington Physicians Group will no longer participate in the Aetna network effective January 1, 2010. Learn more.

Costs for Medical Benefits:

Deductibles: Plans that already have deductibles will increase their deductibles. Plans that didn’t have deductibles in 2009 will have them in 2010.

• Out of pocket maximums: All plans will increase their out-of-pocket maximums (the most you pay toward the majority of covered benefits in a calendar year).
• Copayments and coinsurance: All plans will increase the copayment or coinsurance you pay for an office visit, and all plans except UMP will increase the copayments or coinsurance you pay for prescription drugs.

Eligibility policy changes for dependents will include:

• Domestic partners enrolling in PEBB must register their partnership with the Washington Secretary of State’s Office. This expands eligibility for PEBB coverage to opposite-sex domestic partners ages 62 and over. (Current PEBB members enrolled as a qualified same-sex domestic partner do not need to do this, because they have already met PEBB’s criteria.)
• Employees may choose whether to enroll eligible dependents either when the employee becomes eligible and enrolls in PEBB coverage or during any open enrollment.
• PEBB can deny enrollment or terminate coverage for dependents if subscribers fail to enroll their eligible dependents or provide proof of their dependent’s eligibility within PEBB’s timelines.

Optional life and long-term disability (LTD) insurance: Employees will continue to pay slightly less for their optional life and LTD insurance in 2010 due to excess reserves. Implemented in 2009, the rate reduction for life insurance is guaranteed for three years; and for long-term disability insurance, two years.

Changes for Retirees

Medicare retiree monthly premiums (subscriber only)

Most Medicare-eligible plan rates will decrease or stay about the same for 2010, after the legislative subsidy of $182.89 per month (or 50% of plan premium, whichever is less). The premiums shown below are for a Medicare retiree subscriber only, after the $182.89 state contribution. Other Medicare rates will be available in October.

Plan Name	Monthly premium (subscriber only)
	2009	2010
Aetna Public Employees Plan	$202.28	$277.38
Group Health Classic	142.31	132.36
Group Health Value	126.81	124.44
Kaiser Permanente Classic	171.31	166.40
Kaiser Permanente Value	139.04	135.44
Premera Medicare Supplement Plan E (Retired)	72.21	72.56
Premera Medicare Supplement Plan E (Disabled)	118.49	118.84
Premera Medicare Supplement Plan J with Rx (Retired)	141.52	141.87
Premera Medicare Supplement Plan J with Rx (Disabled)	283.68	284.03
Premera Medicare Supplement Plan J without Rx (Retired)	101.62	101.97
Premera Medicare Supplement Plan J without Rx (Disabled)	168.49	168.84
SecureHorizons Classic	186.16	210.70
SecureHorizons Value	144.58	127.02
Uniform Medical Plan (UMP)	170.02	162.86

Costs for Medicare Advantage benefits

All Medicare Advantage plans will cover the same benefits as in 2009, but some benefits will have higher costs in 2010. Benefit costs for Group Health’s Medicare Advantage plans (both Classic and Value) and SecureHorizons' Classic plan will not change for 2010.

When Changing Plans is Necessary

Medical and dental plan benefits and premiums change yearly. Your life circumstances may change, too. Open enrollment is a good time to reevaluate your existing plans and decide whether to make a change. Any time your dependents or circumstances change, you are responsible for making appropriate changes to your benefits enrollment.

Special note: Some life circumstances may be considered "qualifying life events," which may trigger a Special Open Enrollment opportunity allowing you to make changes outside of the fall Open Enrollment period.

You must make changes during the open enrollment period if you want to:

Choose a different medical and/or dental plan;

Note: If you move during the year and your health plan is not available in your new area, you can make changes outside of the open enrollment period as long as you make the change within 60 days of the event. Learn more.

Remove dependent(s) from your coverage;

Note: Dependent child eligibility may change based on the child's birth date within the year.

Reinstate medical coverage for dependents who were waived in the past;

Note: A change of circumstances such as loss of employer-paid coverage for a spouse or same-sex partner may trigger a Special Open Enrollment opportunity.

Add dependent(s), spouse, Qualified Domestic Partner (QDP), or children not previously covered on your plan.

Note: Under Public Employee Benefits Board (PEBB) rules, employees are required to notify the UW of changes in dependent eligibility. Failure to do so may result in loss of premiums and additional benefits rights such as COBRA for dependents.

Benefits Fairs

Annual Benefits Fairs give UW employees the opportunity to explore their healthcare and insurance options. This is especially useful to employees who are thinking of changing their medical or dental coverage for the 2010 plan year. The Fairs will be held on October 27, 28, and 29, 2009. See more details.

Also, view and post a color or black/white Benefits Fair flyer in your unit or department.

PEBB Materials

The Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) provides the following materials to help you make choices:

• For Your Benefit newsletter will be mailed to employees' homes in October 2009. View it on the web at http://www.pebb.hca.wa.gov/documents/fyb_state_hied1009.pdf
• Open Enrollment video will be available on the web at www.pebb.hca.wa.gov/video.html
• Order an Open Enrollment video to view at staff meetings by calling 1-800-700-1555.
• Web based information is available at www.pebb.hca.wa.gov

ACT

How to Make Changes

Next year's plan election will remain the same for this year unless you make changes by November 30. Remember, after this, your next opportunity to make changes will be during the next Open Enrollment, or if you have a qualifying change in family status.

1. To make a change, start by reviewing your current enrollment. This can be done two ways:
   1. UW Employee Self-Service (ESS): Log in to ESS with your UW NetID. You can view your current benefits package here, including medical, dental life, long term disability, and retirement. 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 inquiry-only until the first day of open enrollment. UW employees can use this site during Open Enrollment to make changes to a plan or provider. E-Coverage has the following advantages:
      • You can access plan enrollment information at any time.
      • The system provides instant confirmation when you make changes to your coverage.
      • You may print your work to keep documentation for your records.
      • PEBB will mail confirmation of your enrollment within two to three weeks.
2. Explore your healthcare and insurance options at one of three UW Benefits Fairs held on October 27, 28, and 29.
3. Review open enrollment notices sent to you by the Health Care Authority.

To add your spouse or Qualified Domestic Partner (QDP) to your plan, complete and return two forms: the Medical/Dental Enrollment AND the Declaration of Marriage/Qualified Domestic Partnership forms. In addition, QDPs must also complete the Declaration of Tax Status portion of the Declaration form to ensure that any applicable taxes are deducted from your pay check. Failure to submit this form will result in your QDP and any dependents reverting to non-IRC 152 status, which means the benefits received will be considered taxable income. 

EXPLORE

Running concurrently with medical/dental open enrollment, are two programs that can save you pre-tax dollars: the Flexible Spending Account (FSA) and the Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP). See how you can save money on a pretax 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 participate.

Medical Flexible Spending Accounts

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. Learn more.

Dependent Care Assistance Program

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

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