Open Enrollment, your annual opportunity to make changes to your healthcare elections, is almost here! Even if you’re satisfied with your current healthcare coverage, it’s important to understand what changes are being made for the upcoming plan year. And don’t miss the opportunity to find out what Penn’s other plans have to offer. Open Enrollment runs from Monday, April 6 through midnight on Friday, April 17. You should receive a personalized enrollment packet at your home address in early April. Visit the Human Resources website at www.hr.upenn.edu for more details about Open Enrollment.
Once Open Enrollment begins, you can make changes to your benefits coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week online at www.pennbenefits.upenn.edu. Simply provide your PennKey and password, and the online system will walk you through the enrollment process step-by-step. If you don’t have online access at home or at work, or are having problems enrolling online, please contact the Penn Benefits Center at 1-888-PENN-BEN (1-888-736-6236), Monday–Friday between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m.
From April 6–April 17, you can make any changes you’d like to your benefits coverage, such as:
Outside of Open Enrollment, you may only modify your elections when you experience a life event change—such as marriage or the birth of a child—and even then, the IRS limits the types of changes you are allowed to make.
• Your current coverage—including contributions to Pre-Tax Expense Accounts—will be continued into the new plan year (July 1, 2009–June 30, 2010)
• New rates for your existing medical, dental and vision plans will be reflected in your June paycheck
• Plan changes will take effect on July 1, 2009
• If you have dependent children age 19-23 who are full-time college students, their coverage will end as of July 1 unless you actively recertify their student status during Open Enrollment*
*There are two parts to the student certification process. Once you’ve declared your child’s status during Open Enrollment, you’ve completed Part I. In late summer/early fall, you’ll receive a communication requesting paperwork to verify your child’s student status; this is Part II. You must complete both parts of the process (certify during Open Enrollment and submit verification of student status when requested) in order to maintain coverage for your child.
What’s New for 2009–2010?
Prescription Drug Coverage
through Caremark |
1) You can pay less out of your pocket when you use a brand name drug even though a generic is available. You’ll still pay the difference in price between the brand name and generic as well as a percentage of the cost of the brand name drug—but that percentage will only be 10% instead of 30%.
2) The annual maximum out-of-pocket amount is increasing—but the maximum cost per prescription will now be limited. This is intended to provide you with protection from catastrophic expenses throughout the year. The maximum amount you might pay out of your pocket per year will increase to $2,000 per individual or $6,000 per family (currently the limits are $1,500 and $4,500, respectively). However, maximum per prescription limits will be added to restrict the amount you pay for each prescription. |
Life Insurance Coverage |
1) For this Open Enrollment only, you’ll be able to increase your supplemental life insurance as much as you’d like, subject to plan limits for coverage. Normally, you can only increase your coverage by a maximum of one times your salary.
2) The amounts of dependent life insurance coverage are increasing to $15,000 for your spouse/partner and $7,500 per child—with no increase in the corresponding premium costs. Currently, the coverage amounts are $10,000 and $5,000, respectively.
3) The accelerated death benefit is increasing to 75% with a maximum of $500,000. Currently, this maximum is $300,000. This feature permits you to request payment of your life insurance if you have a terminal illness with a life expectancy of 12 months or less.
4) Your life insurance benefit will now have a portability option. This allows you to continue your group term life insurance coverage even if you leave Penn. |
Coverage
End Date for Overage Dependents |
In line with best practices, non-disabled eligible children over age 19 will only be able to remain on Penn’s coverage until the end of the month in which they turn age 19 (or age 23 if they are full-time college students). Currently, they remain covered until the end of the plan year in which they turn age 19 or 23. |
Durable Medical Equipment Coverage
Under the PENNCare/
Personal Choice PPO Medical Plan |
There will be a change to the coverage for durable medical equipment when using the Personal Choice network under the PENNCare/Personal Choice PPO medical plan. Coverage will be 80% after the deductible instead of the current coverage of 100% after a $25 copay. The 20% you’ll be responsible for will count toward the annual out-of-pocket limit. |
Open Enrollment and Health Fair: April 14
You’ll have the opportunity to ask questions about your coverage and gather information from Penn’s healthcare providers and administrators at this year’s Benefits Open Enrollment and Health Fair on April 14, from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at Houston Hall (Hall of Flags).
Free health screenings and wellness information will be available on a variety of topics, including blood pressure, cholesterol, glucose, and more.
Pre-registration will be required for the cholesterol and glucose tests. To pre-register, visit the Human Resources online course catalog at www.hr.upenn.edu/coursecatalog (click on “Course Catalog” at the top of the screen, then select “Health Promotions” from the “Browse by Category” menu).
Healthcare Rates for 2009–2010
We’re all doing what we can to be cost-effective in today’s difficult economy. While it’s probably no surprise that healthcare costs are rising this year, the University was able to keep premium increases to a minimum due to innovative plan changes and aggressive provider negotiations. The new premium rates shown below will take effect with your first June paycheck (rates shown are for full-time faculty and staff). These amounts are deducted from your paycheck on a pre-tax basis. Keep in mind that both the University and you pre-pay healthcare premiums one month in advance, so your June deductions pay for your July healthcare coverage.
You can play a part in the cost containment effort by taking advantage of the many opportunities and resources Penn offers to help control healthcare expenses for you and the University. The Division of Human Resources provides faculty and staff with a number of wellness programs that can help you adopt a healthier lifestyle, which means fewer trips to the doctor and lower healthcare costs for everyone. Register for the Penn Walking Program, Weight Watchers at Penn, or the “Maintain, Don’t Gain” program—a few of the cost-effective and enjoyable ways to help you stay fit and motivated year-round. Take a few minutes to complete a health risk assessment, which is available for free to all faculty and staff currently receiving medical coverage through the University. Or, sign up for one of the many health promotion workshops offered throughout the year. For more information on these and other wellness programs available to you, visit the Human Resources website at www.hr.upenn.edu/Quality/Wellness.
—Division of Human Resources
Healthcare Rates for 2009–2010
Full-time Weekly Paid
(per pay period) |
Full-time Monthly Paid
(per pay period) |
|
Employee |
Employee + 1 |
Employee + 2 or more |
Employee |
Employee + 1 |
Employee + 2 or more |
Medical |
|
|
|
|
|
|
PENNCare/Personal Choice |
$36.00 |
$82.80 |
$104.40 |
$156.00 |
$358.80 |
$452.40 |
UPHS POS (administered by Keystone/AmeriHealth) |
18.46 |
42.46 |
53.54
|
80.00 |
184.00 |
232.00 |
Keystone/AmeriHealth HMO |
10.85 |
24.95 |
31.45 |
47.00 |
108.10 |
136.30 |
Aetna HMO |
10.38 |
23.88 |
30.12 |
45.00 |
103.50 |
130.50 |
Dental |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Penn Faculty Practice Plan |
7.38 |
14.77 |
22.15 |
32.00 |
64.00 |
96.00 |
MetLife Dental |
5.54 |
11.08 |
16.62 |
24.00 |
48.00 |
72.00 |
Vision |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Davis Vision |
0.92 |
1.72 |
2.51 |
3.99 |
7.46 |
10.89 |
Campus Locations for Online Enrollment
If you don’t have online access at home or at work, or are having problems enrolling online, please contact the Penn Benefits Center at 1–888–PENN–BEN (1–888–736–6236), Monday–Friday between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. You can also visit one of the following locations on campus to enroll online:
Human Resources
3401 Walnut Street, 5th Floor
Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m.–5 p.m.
Goldstein Undergraduate Study Center
3420 Walnut Street, ground level of Van Pelt-Dietrich Library
Monday–Thursday: 24 hours daily
Friday: 8:30 a.m.–midnight
Saturday: 10 a.m.–2 p.m.
Sunday: opens 10 a.m.
Unique Advantage
3624 Market Street, Suite 1SD
Monday–Friday: 8:30 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
CVS/Caremark ExtraCare Health Card
Starting this April, you’ll have the opportunity to save money on many of the health-related items you need on a daily basis.
At no cost to Penn, CVS/Caremark is providing all Caremark participants with an ExtraCare Health Card, which gives you 20% savings on CVS/pharmacy brand items that are health-related and eligible for reimbursement under the Health Care Pre-Tax Expense Account. Eligible items include CVS/pharmacy brand cold and cough remedies, first-aid supplies, pain relievers, allergy relief products, eye and ear care products, and more.
All Caremark participants should receive three card key tags in the mail during the month of April. They can be used by you, your spouse and your dependents at any CVS/pharmacy store. If you already have a regular CVS ExtraCare card, the ExtraCare Health Card can replace it. You’ll still enjoy all the benefits of your ExtraCare card, plus the additional 20% savings on CVS/pharmacy brand health-related items. Call the toll-free number on the back of your new card if you’d like to transfer your ExtraCare reward balance.
For more information, visit the Human Resources website at www.hr.upenn.edu or call 888–543–5938.
How Do I Find Out More?
• Attend an Open Enrollment Fair
• Visit the Human Resources website
at www.hr.upenn.edu
• Call the Penn Benefits Center at
1–888–PENN–BEN
(1–888–736–6236), Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–6 p.m.
