The annual Open Enrollment for Vanderbilt’s benefits-eligible faculty and staff is Oct. 1–15. Online Open Enrollment begins at 8 a.m. Oct. 1 and ends 5:30 p.m. on Oct.
15.
Among the highlights in benefits changes that staff and faculty will be
considering this year:
• There will not be an increase to the monthly premiums for the three health plan options—Standard, Advantage P and HealthFund.
• Rates for Short-term Disability for staff are reduced approximately 20 percent
for both the 15-day and 30-day options.
• Three optometrists at the Vanderbilt Optical Center are now part of the VSP
Vision network. They are Jeffrey Sonsino, O.D., Lori Ann Kehler, O.D. and K.
Bradley Kehler, O.D. The rates for VSP Vision coverage are not increasing for
2010.
• An increase in the rates for both CIGNA dental plans.
• The Vanderbilt Health Plan pharmacy benefit is changing to a self-directed
pharmacy plan in 2010 and will include a ‘mandatory generic’ program. The mandatory generic program means that when a generic drug is
available for a drug you are prescribed, you must either fill the prescription
with a generic or, if you want to purchase the brand-name drug, you must pay
the difference in price from the generic co-pay amount to the actual cost of
the drug.
“We must gain better control of our prescription drug costs, which last year cost
Vanderbilt $29.4 million,” said Jane Bruce, HR director, benefits administration. “And, that amount is just the Vanderbilt portion, the amount that our faculty and
staff paid in co-pays was $8.3 million. I am passionate about getting a handle
on our drug costs, because we have the capability of internally designing a
pharmacy plan that can meet Vanderbilt’s expectations as well as those of our faculty and staff.”
Beginning in 2010, the pharmacy benefit will include a reduced co-pay for a
limited list of generics. “Most of the prescription drugs that will be on this list are those needed by our
faculty and staff who have a chronic illness. We hope this reduced co-pay will
encourage employees to take their medicine keeping their treatment plan on
track,” said Dexter Shurney, M.D., HR health plan medical director.
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. 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.
