Human Resource Services

Open Enrollment News

 

Annual benefits Open Enrollment period runs Sept. 14-Oct. 9
This year’s benefits Open Enrollment period begins September 14 at 8:30 a.m. and ends October 9 at 5:30 p.m. (EST). Open enrollment is an annual window of time that provides an opportunity for UF employees to make plan changes without requiring a qualifying event (e.g., change in marital status, birth/adoption, leave of absence, FTE changes, etc.). During Open Enrollment, all state- and most UF-sponsored plans will be available for changes. Be sure to make elections early. All transactions must be completed by the October 9 deadline.  Any changes you make during this period will be effective January 1, 2010.

In preparation for Open Enrollment, make sure that you have your People First User ID and active password ready before September 14.  People First will be available to provide assistance with your User ID or to establish/reset expired passwords needed to log into the People First web site by calling 1-866-663-4735.

Benefits Fair, information sessions provided
Don’t forget to mark your calendar for the annual Benefits Fair on September 25, from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Touchdown Terrace. Insurance and retirement vendors will be available to discuss plan details and answer any specific questions you may have.  This year there will be food, and prizes. Additionally a transport shuttle courtesy of ShANDS Healthcare will be available running at certain campus locations available for transport to and from the fair. HR is also coordinating with the Student Health Care Center to add the Benefits Fair location on the schedule for the seasonal Flu Shots to employees.  Depending on whether the shipment of the flu vaccine is delivered in time for the fair, Flu Shots may be offered to employees at the Benefits Fair for $25. The vaccine for the H1N1 (swine flu) will not be available at this time.  Check on the Benefits Open Enrollment website for shuttle times/locations and availability of the Flu Shot.  Make plans to attend!

Open Enrollment information sessions also will be available starting mid-September through October to provide a general overview of Open Enrollment changes and to offer assistance with completing enrollment changes online using the People First system.

To complete changes while attending one of the sessions, please bring your People First ID and password, which should be established prior to coming to the program. The People First ID and password are necessary to access your online benefits record. Sessions will be held in the Human Resource Services’ building.

For more information on session dates/times please click here.

Questions? Please contact University Benefits and Retirement at (352) 392-2HRS or e-mail benefits@ufl.edu.

Open enrollment for adoption benefits currently underway thru September 30th
The Florida Adoption Benefit Enrollment period is currently underway until September 30, 2009. Faculty, TEAMS, and USPS employees who have adopted a child on or after October 1, 2000, can apply if permanent custody of the child has been awarded by the Department of Children and Family (DCF) Services or a Florida-licensed child placement agency.

This benefit is designed to assist employees who have adopted children from the state of Florida’s system and made them a permanent part of their family. State employees who have adopted children from DCF may be eligible for a one-time stipend of $5,000 or $10,000 depending on the special needs of the child adopted. Part-time employees will receive a prorated benefit based on their FTE status at the time of application. All employees must also hold a benefits-eligible position the time of application.

The enrollment period for the Adoption Benefits Program runs August 1 through September 30, 2009. For more details and information on how to apply, visit the Adoption Benefits Program section of the DCF web site.

The application must first be certified by the University of Florida Benefits Office before you mail it to the Department of Children and Families. A certified copy of the final adoption order must also accompany your application. DCF must receive all required documents by close of business on September 30, 2009.

Employees who were not awarded a benefit in previous years must reapply in order to be considered. Please note that the amount available to fund this program is contingent upon legislative appropriation each year.

Questions? Contact your nearest HRS satellite office or University Benefits and Retirement at (352) 392-2477 or benefits@ufl.edu.

Watch your mail and visit People First's web site for Open Enrollment news
By early September, People First is scheduled to send an Open Enrollment mailing to your home address. This mailing will include a state benefit summary, your People First User ID, and a state of Florida benefits guide that provides information on the 2010 plan year changes.

Requests for brochures can be made online via the People First website or by calling their Service Center. Be sure to account for mailing time when ordering. Brochures can also be picked up at the Benefits Fair from vendors. Employees who do not receive a “state” benefits summary may call 1-866-663-4735 to request a copy or go online to the People First web site to view and print their own.

For additional resources, visit the 2009 Open Enrollment section of HRS’s web site, where you will find information on how to access, enroll, or make changes to your benefits; review 2010 plan highlights; find available Open Enrollment information sessions; benefits fair shuttle locations/times; and make note of any important mailings or dates.

If you have any questions, please stop by University Benefits and Retirement at the HRS Building, 903 West University Avenue; visit your nearest HRS satellite office; call University Benefits and Retirement at 392-2HRS; or e-mail benefits@ufl.edu.

Keep track of your People First User ID and password
Your People First User ID is a 6-digit number that has been assigned to you by the state of Florida as a personal benefits identifier. This number is required each time you call the People First Service Center or when you access your state benefits record online through the People First web site.

Your User ID can be found by:

In addition to your People First User ID, you will also need to establish or reset your password. You password is needed to make online Open Enrollment changes.
Forgot your password or haven’t logged in for a while?

Be sure to review password requirements when setting up your password. For assistance, contact the People First Service Center at 1-866-663-4735. Questions?  Contact University Benefits and Retirement at benefits@ufl.edu or (352) 392-2HRS.  

Open Enrollment timeline

September 1-13

Open Enrollment packages mailed

September 14-
October 9

Open Enrollment period

October 12-16

Confirmation statements start being mailed*

October 12-
October 30

Correction period for changes made during Open Enrollment

December 4

Biweekly payroll deductions for 2010 plans begin

* Please note: If you wish receive a confirmation statement in a timely manner, please complete your enrollments/changes early during the first few weeks of Open Enrollment.  Paper forms submitted during the last week or the last day will be processed as soon as possible; however, your confirmation statement may arrive late or possibly after the correction period has ended.

 

Watch for state-sponsored plan changes

This year’s Open Enrollment will have minimal changes.  Employees who are satisfied with their current elections are not required to take any action.  Some of the highlights to watch on state sponsored plans include the following:

For more information, contact the People First Service Center at 1-866-663-4735 or University Benefits and Retirement at (352) 392-2HRS or benefits@ufl.edu.

UF-sponsored plans available to add or update during Open Enrollment

The university offers a number of benefit plans in addition to those available through the state. Below is a brief list of university-sponsored plans you may want to consider looking into during this year’s Open Enrollment period.

For additional information on UF-sponsored plans, how to enroll, and the latest information regarding this year’s Open Enrollment process, please visit the 2009 Open Enrollment web page.

New --Dependent Eligibility enhancement and Chance to add/increase term life or personal accident insurance coverage

The UF Term Life program is the only life insurance plan that offers coverage for employees, spouses, and eligible dependents. This is an individual policy and is portable. During Open Enrollment, new and current participants may add or increase coverage levels, up to the limit of $10,000 for employees and $5,000 for spouse and dependents. Employees may apply for coverage above the Open Enrollment limits; however, the enrollment will be subject to medical approval by the company via a medical application.

The UF Personal Accident Insurance Program offers employee or family benefits for accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D). Coverage is provided for injuries caused by accident that occur on or off the job, at home, or while traveling. Choose any amount of insurance in increments of $10,000, up to $750,000. The principle sum may not exceed 10 times annual salary of an employee for selections in excess of $350,000.

This year the dependent criteria has been expanded for both plans to include eligible children up thru age 25 if enrolled as a part or full-time student in an accredited educational institution, are financially dependent on the employee for more than half of their financial support, are not married, and have no dependents of their own. If you are already enrolled with “dependent” coverage and your children meet the new criteria, you do not need to take any action during open enrollment.  However, if you do not have “dependent” coverage in addition to your own Term Life or Personal Accident plan(s), and you want to enroll eligible children, you must complete an application to add the “dependent” coverage prior to the end of open enrollment.

Dependents totally and permanently disabled and who became disabled prior to reaching age 19 may also continue coverage on the plan as long as the Plan is maintained by the employee and the dependent child remains totally disabled.

To view your life insurance coverage for these two plans log on to the myUFL portal (http://my.ufl.edu) and follow the navigation below:
My Self Service → Benefits → Insurance Summary

Employees enrolled in these plans should verify their coverage amounts.  For the UF Term Life plan only, be sure to check the tobacco use classification for the employee and the spouse.  It is also important to insure that any dependent children covered under either plan meet the criteria above. 

If you have not updated your beneficiary information recently, now is a good time to update and/or make any changes you may wish to make.  Beneficiary information for the UF Term Life is submitted on paper and currently being updated online for viewing on the myUFL portal.  Beneficiary information for the UF Personal Accident Insurance is maintained on paper and not accessible online.

Note:  As a reminder employees are responsible to ensure their coverage is accurate, proper deductions are taken, and that dependents meet the eligibility requirements to maintain coverage under the plan.  As changes occur, employees should consult the UF Benefits Office and submit necessary paperwork to cancel coverage when they no longer have dependents eligible for coverage.

To participate in either of these plans, employees must be appointed at .50 FTE or greater. For details regarding the life insurance plan, please review the HRH Term Life brochure found under the Life Insurance section on the HRS web site. For additional information about the Personal Accident insurance program, please review the HRH Accident Insurance brochure found under the Other Insurance section of the HRS web site.

Representatives will be available at this year’s Benefits Fair to answer any questions about these two policies. Or, contact University Benefits and Retirement at (352) 392-2HRS or benefits@ufl.edu with questions.

Health plan costs for full-time employees hold steady for fourth consecutive year

Despite rising health care costs, the new plan year marks the fourth year in a row that employee health premiums have not increased at UF.

While the employee’s portion has not increased, the total cost of the health plan has increased. As a result, employers have absorbed some of the costs associated with administering the plans. The UF departmental portion will increase to $473.62 per month for individual and $1004.14 per month for family coverage; however, full-time employees will not be impacted and will continue to pay the same premiums: $25 for individual and $90 for family coverage each biweekly. Part-time employees will experience a proportional increase based on their FTE beginning in May 2010 (for June’s coverage).

Employees who have questions or concerns about these changes should contact University Benefits at (352) 392-2477 or benefits@ufl.edu.

Contribution limits for Health Savings Accounts increases for 2010

Health Savings Account (HSA) contribution limits for 2010 have increased to a maximum (employee + employer) of $3,050 for individual coverage and $6,150 for family coverage. The 2010 catch-up contribution for individuals who are 55 or older is $1,000.

In addition to the money that you may choose to contribute on a pre-tax basis, the state will contribute $41.66 per month for full-time individuals (up to $500 annually) or $83.33 per month for family (up to $1,000 annually).

To participate in an HSA, you also must be enrolled in either the state’s Health Investor PPO or HMO plan, and you or your covered dependents cannot be enrolled in other medical coverage. Your HSA can be used to pay out-of-pocket expenses like your deductible and co-insurance now or in the future.

If you enroll in an HSA with People First, be sure that you also complete necessary forms to establish your account with the Tallahassee State Bank. The HSA application may be found online through People First. Instructions on where to submit your applications are also included on the forms.

Questions? Contact University Benefits and Retirement at (352) 392-2477 or benefits@ufl.edu.

Signing up for a state-sponsored supplemental plan?

Some of the supplemental plans offered during Open Enrollment require medical underwriting and/or a company application, and enrollment is subject to approval by the supplemental insurance carrier. These include plans offered through:

Colonial
• Short-term disability plan
• Accident plan
• Cancer plan

Capital
• Alta hospital plans
• AFLAC cancer plans

State Securities
• Philadelphia American hospital plans

Minnesota Life
• Optional State Life (Must also be enrolled Basic State Life; medical application required if enrolling for the first time and/or increasing more than 1x salary)

When enrolling in a supplemental plan, be sure you have completed the steps below:

Failure to complete both parts of the enrollment process and submit paperwork to the appropriate locations may cause your enrollment to be subject to cancellation. Brochures and state enrollment forms may be downloaded via the People First web site. Some brochures may contain the company’s medical application forms; however, for those plans that do not, be sure to contact the agent or supplemental company.

Questions? Please contact University Benefits and Retirement at (352) 392-2HRS or visit your nearest HRS satellite office.

Be sure to report all work/life-event changes

UF employees are responsible for reporting any qualifying status events to University Benefits and Retirement or their Human Resource Services satellite office for benefits purposes. All qualifying status events must be reported within 31 days, including:

Outside of the 31-day qualifying status event window, changes to your state-sponsored plans are limited to the annual Open Enrollment period, which takes place in the fall of each year.

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