This year’s online open enrollment for Vanderbilt’s benefits-eligible faculty and staff begins at 8 a.m. Oct. 1 and ends at 11:59
p.m. on Oct. 15.
Notable health plan changes are in the ‘Aetna Choice’ option with increased fund amounts and lower deductibles. Beginning Jan. 1,
2009, this option will be called ‘Aetna HealthFund’. Any Health Reimbursement Arrangement balances remaining at the end of 2008
will roll to the newly named Aetna HealthFund.
“We changed the name to call attention to significant changes to this Aetna
health plan option,” said Jane Bruce, HR director, benefits. “Not only is Vanderbilt increasing the HealthFund dollar amount, the deductible
is being lowered by more than half of the 2008 amounts. And one of the
positives about the HealthFund is that remaining balances roll over to the next
plan year.”
Changes to the BlueCross Advantage P option include a $5 increase to the
At-Vanderbilt doctor’s office visit copay (the copay will be $20) and a deductible will be required
in the At-Vanderbilt network ($100 for employee-only coverage and $200 for the
other coverage tiers).
This year’s campaign “Do the math” emphasizes the considerable difference in the annual payroll deduction amount
of the three health plan options and encourages faculty and staff to spend time
reviewing their health care needs.
BlueCross Advantage P is the only health plan option that will see an increase
in monthly premiums in 2009. The cost of vision is increasing slightly. There
is no increase scheduled for the two dental insurance plans, however, there
will be a change in the copay schedule for CIGNA Dental Care (DHMO) plan.
WageWorks gone, other changes
Another change for 2009 is the spending account administrator changing from
WageWorks to PayFlex. ‘We went out to bid on the administration of the PSA and FRA benefits and have
entered into a multi-year contract with PayFlex,” said Bruce.
PayFlex will administer both Personal Spending Accounts and the Flexible
Reimbursement Account beginning Jan. 1, 2009. “We will provide additional details about the transition to PayFlex in the Open
Enrollment materials, but faculty and staff should know that their WageWorks
debit cards will no longer work after Dec. 31, 2008,” said Bruce. PayFlex will manage transferring any 2008 balances, which includes
the IRS grace period on personal spending accounts. The grace period allows
participants to incur PSA expenses on 2008 funds through March 15, 2009.
PayFlex will also take over responsibility of the FRA effective Jan. 1, 2009,
taking claims through Feb. 28 on 2008 expenses.
The rates for Accidental Death and Dismemberment – 14 cents per $10,000 for employee-only coverage and 23 cents per $10,000 for
family coverage — are not changing.
Short-term Disability enrollment is handled through The Hartford’s Web-based enrollment. Vanderbilt’s HR Web site will have the link for Short-term Disability enrollment beginning
at 8 a.m., Oct. 1. Enrollment for this benefit ends along with other open
enrollment at 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 15.
Online enrollment help
Enrollment labs will be set up during Open Enrollment for those who don’t have a computer available for online enrollment. The enrollment lab schedule
will be posted on the HR Web site in September.
A computer will be available for online enrollment in HR Express, 2525 West End
Avenue on the second floor, from 7:30 a.m. to 5:15 p.m. each weekday during
Open Enrollment.
The personalized enrollment form included in Open Enrollment packets in recent
years is being eliminated this year, as 92 percent of faculty and staff
enrolled online last year. Blank forms are available for those wishing to use a
paper form. Those forms can be printed from the HR Web site (hr.vanderbilt.edu/forms) or picked up from HR Express. HR Express will be the only place on campus to
drop off a paper form and paper forms are due by 5 p.m. on Oct. 15. Paper forms
should not be mailed.
Faculty and staff will need to have their VUnetID and e-password to use the
Web-based enrollment. Those needing to get a VUnetID and e-password, should
contact ITS or visit https:// jprod.its.vanderbilt.edu/apps1/its-epassword/ main.html.
For more information on Open Enrollment, visit the Benefits Web site at http://hr.vanderbilt.edu/benefits.
Information for this story was provided by Ginny McLean-Swartsell, Health Plan
Communicator
The annual Benefits Fair, coordinated by the Human Resource Services’ Office of Benefits Administration, is Thursday, Sept. 25. The event will be
held at the Student Life Center, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Held before Open Enrollment this year, the Benefits Fair gives faculty and staff
a chance to review changes to benefits planned for 2009 and meet with benefits
office and administrator representatives.
Breakout sessions will cover many topics including an introduction to PayFlex,
the new spending accounts administrator.
For up-to-date information on the Benefits Fair and Open Enrollment, including a
list of breakout sessions and presenters, visit the Benefits Web site at http://hr.vanderbilt.edu/benefits.
