B E N E F I T S   U P D A T E

Open enrollment gives employees opportunity to evaluate coverage

The open enrollment period for the University's health, vision, dental care, life and flexible spending account plans will run from Oct. 21 through Nov. 6. Open enrollment offers employees an opportunity to review their current benefits and consider changes to their coverages that will be effective for the next calendar year.
    Open enrollment also is the time when employees can enroll in the expense account plans (Health Benefit Expense Account and/or Dependent Care Expense Account) for 2003. Elections in the expense account plans do not carry forward from the previous year. Employees must re-enroll if they want to participate in these plans in 2003.
    Open enrollment packets, including a blue personalized benefits enrollment form, were to be mailed to regular faculty and staff at their homes on Oct. 11. Employees should carefully review the open enrollment guide to obtain more detailed information.

In brief: Key changes for 2003

• Health care premiums will increase.

• Merck-Medco, the prescription drug plan administrator, has changed its name to Medco Health. In addition, Medco Health now will be utilizing the participant's Princeton University employee ID number as the member number. In January 2003, all participants in this plan will receive new prescription cards from Medco Health reflecting their new ID number. Current prescription cards no longer will be accepted. The employee number can be found on the top of the blue personalized benefit enrollment form labeled "Employee ID."

• There will be an increase to the Medco Health prescription drug deductible, which will now cross-apply to both the retail pharmacy and mail order programs. This means one deductible for both the retail pharmacy and the mail order programs.

• Horizon HMO Blue prescription drug plan copays will increase.

• Two new dental plans, administered by Aetna, will be available. Employees will have the choice of participating in the new Aetna DMO Plan or Aetna PPO Dental Plan, or the current Horizon Dental Option Plan. The current Dental Choice Plan will not be available in 2003.

• The Aetna HMOs now will be providing a chiropractic benefit as well as an infertility benefit.

• Co-insurance limits for both Oxford Health plans and United Healthcare have increased.

• Employees can increase their supplemental life insurance coverage by one times their annual base salary without proof of good health.

• A Group Long-Term Care Plan, administered by CNA, will be introduced.

Introducing group long-term care

The University will offer non-visiting benefits-eligible employees and retirees the opportunity to enroll in a Group Long-Term Care Plan administered by CNA beginning Jan. 1, 2003.
    Long-term care comprises a variety of services for people who are unable to care for themselves, and is often referred to as custodial care. Medicare and private health insurance plans or disability coverage typically do not provide coverage for long-term care needs. Group long-term care coverage is designed specifically to cover the costs associated with extended long-term care.
    Group long-term care could be assistance in the home with day-to-day activities or special attention in a nursing home. Care received in adult day care, assisted living, home day care settings and nursing homes is typically covered under group long-term care plans.
    The Group Long-Term Care Plan will be offered to benefits eligible non-visiting employees, their spouse, same sex domestic partner, parents, grandparents, parents-in-law and grandparents-in-law. Employees and their spouse will have their premiums deducted through payroll deduction. Parents, grandparents and in-laws will be direct billed by CNA. Individual rates are based upon the plan chosen, added optional features and the age at the time of enrollment.
    Information soon will be sent to employees and retirees directly from CNA.

Health plans cover breast reconstruction

Women's Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 guarantees coverage to any health plan member who is receiving benefits in connection with a mastectomy and who elects breast reconstruction in connection with that surgery.
    Patients are entitled to coverage for:

• Reconstruction of the breast on which the mastectomy has been performed;

• Surgery and reconstruction of the other breast to produce symmetrical appearance; and

• Prostheses and treatment of physical complications in all stages of the mastectomy, including lymphedemas (swelling associated with the removal of the lymph nodes).

These services will be provided in a manner determined in consultation with the attending physician and the patient. Coverage for these services is subject to applicable deductibles, coinsurance or copayments.
    Contact Karen Weisenberg in the Office of Human Resources (258-5917) if you have any questions about this benefit.

Enhancements made to dental plan

Efective Jan. 1, 2003, the University will offer two new dental plans administered by Aetna in addition to the current Horizon Dental Option Plan administered by Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield. The Horizon Dental Choice Plan will terminate Dec. 31, 2002. Employees who currently participate in that plan and wish to receive a dental benefit for 2003 must elect different coverage.

Horizon Dental Option Plan: The Horizon dental PPO access plan will continue to offer participants increased access to Horizon's largest network of participating traditional providers as well as an out-of-network benefit for preventive/diagnostic services only. There is no benefit for basic, major and specialty services when provided by an out-of-network dentist.

Aetna DMO Plan: The Aetna DMO offers a broad range of covered services and savings on dental expenses. There are no claim forms, no deductibles and no annual or lifetime maximums. Each covered member must select a primary care dentist from the Aetna DMO network of participating dentists.

Aetna PPO Dental Plan: The Aetna dental PPO offers the opportunity for participants to receive services from any dentist (out of network) or a network of dentists with whom Aetna has negotiated reduced fee schedules (in network). The PPO plan encourages participants to go in network by offering higher benefit levels; however, out-of-network benefits are also available providing participants the opportunity to see any dentist.

Need more information? Check out these sources

There are a number of sources of information that can assist employees in selecting the health care plan or coverage that meets their personal and family needs. Information is available electronically, in print and in person.

Online

Use the Web. Visit the open enrollment Web site at http://www.princeton.edu/hr/oe for descriptions of the different plan features, rates for 2003 and links to the various health care providers, which include directories of health care professionals and facilities that participate in the particular health care or dental care plan.

In print

Review the open enrollment mailing. Use the blue personalized benefits enrollment form to review your current health care plan coverage, in conjunction with the information in the open enrollment guide, which provides comprehensive information on the different plan features as well as plan rate changes effective Jan. 1, 2003.

In person

Attend the Benefits Fair. The Benefits Fair is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 22, in the Multipurpose Room on Level B of the Frist Campus Center; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 29, in the Lyman Spitzer Building at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory.

Visit a site. You can visit one of the following locations at any time to pick up forms and informational materials: 1 New South; E-Quad (main lobby); Firestone Library; Frist Campus Center; Helm Building; Macmillan Building; 87 Prospect Ave.; Jadwin Gym; Robertson Hall; and the PPPL Office of Human Resources.

Meet with a benefits specialist. Benefits specialists will be available throughout open enrollment. Dates, times and locations will be published in the open enrollment guide.

October 14, 2002
Vol. 92, No. 6
previous   next   archives

Contents

Page one
•Research in space-age materials takes off with support from NASA
•Rarely shown Cézanne watercolors exhibited at museum

Inside
•Lectures, discussion mark 20th anniversary of women's studies

Benefits update
•Open enrollment, Key changes, Group long-term care, Breast reconstruction, Dental

Sections
•People
•Nassau Notes
•Calendar of events
•By the numbers

Editor: Ruth Stevens
Calendar editor: Carolyn Geller
Staff writers: Jennifer Greenstein Altmann, Steven Schultz
Contributing writers: Marilyn Marks, Evelyn Tu
Photographer: Denise Applewhite
Design: Mahlon Lovett, Laurel Masten Cantor, Margaret Westergaard
Web edition: Mahlon Lovett

 
top