What’s the BIG news?

Effective October 1, 2016, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield will partner with Albemarle County and Albemarle County Public Schools to provide medical, prescription drug and dental benefits coverage for our covered members. With Anthem, you will have access to a nationwide PPO network and see greatly enhanced member services (including educational tools like videos, web-based cost comparison tools, mobile apps and online physician consultations—giving members 24-hour a day access to a physician at one low flat fee). We’re very excited about this change and look forward to introducing you to your new Anthem benefits in the coming weeks!

Open Enrollment will be held August 1st through August 19th.

What’s Open Enrollment??? Open Enrollment is your ONE time of year to make any change you wish to your current medical or dental elections: you can add/drop/change a plan or add/drop dependents. It’s also the one time of year when you can enroll in a medical or dependent care flexible spending account (FSA). FSA contracts do not roll from one year to the next; you must re-enroll if you wish to participate in an FSA next year—even if you have a rollover balance at the end of the current medical FSA plan year.*

What else should I know?

Over the next few weeks, we’ll be sending out multiple benefitsFOCUS newsletters that will give you all you need to know about rates, plans, where/when you can attend info sessions/visit on-site benefits assistance sites, what to expect during/after the transition to Anthem, etc. We’ll post all of that, and much, much more on our Open Enrollment website. This site will go live towards the end of July. You can also expect to receive a reminder mailing at your home prior to August 1st.

With the move to Anthem, and understanding the NEW plan option that we’ll be making available this year, it’s more important than ever that you review these communications and contact us with any questions you might have. We’re working behind the scenes to ensure a smooth transition to Anthem and are here to help YOU understand your options for the upcoming plan year.

To be continued …

*If you currently have a medical FSA account, you’ll receive a special communication regarding rollovers and contract renewals prior to the Open Enrollment period.

For more information about your employee benefits, our web pages are always available when you are.