benefitsFOCUS: Albemarle Open Enrollment window available NOW; Employee info session TONIGHT at 5:15 p.m.

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benefitsFOCUSWhat’s the BIG news?

Open Enrollment is available NOW through August 19th. Open Enrollment is the ONE time each year when you can enroll in or make any/all changes you wish to your current medical/dental plan elections, as well as enroll in a new Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for next year. Remember: you have to enroll annually in an FSA if you want to participate! Any changes you make during Open Enrollment will not go into effect until the start of the new plan year (September 1st for the FSA and October 1st for medical/dental).

ALL benefits-eligible employees SHOULD access their own Open Enrollment site ANNUALLY. Please log in and confirm that your information is correct (legal names of you and your dependents, SSNs, address, etc., as applicable). Remember to hit the CONFIRM button at the end to save any changes you might have made and verify that you have reviewed your information! Visit the Online Open Enrollment system »

What’s new this year?

As we announced in a previous edition of benefitsFOCUS, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield will partner with Albemarle County and Albemarle County Public Schools to provide medical, prescription drug, and dental benefits administration for our covered members effective October 1, 2016. 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 all to the member benefits that come with our new partnership with Anthem.

NEW type of plan option: In addition to a traditional health insurance plan like we have now (which will be known as Albemarle Select), we’re offering a NEW type of health insurance plan for the next plan year (which begins on October 1st). It’s called Albemarle Choice. The Albemarle Choice plan is a Consumer Driven Health Plan that also comes with an HSA (Health Savings Account). A Consumer Driven Health Plan gives you as a consumer more choice as to how YOU spend YOUR health care dollars. This plan features lower monthly premiums than a traditional health insurance plan, but higher out of pocket costs when you seek services. The HSA (Health Savings Account) that will be offered with this Consumer Driven Health Plan is an account that can be used to pay those higher out of pocket costs. This account will feature an employer contribution, but you can also contribute to this plan—to pay eligible out of pocket costs or to save for future retiree medical expenses. It’s got some very attractive tax advantages that can help you save money now, and also for future healthcare costs—even into retirement! Get the details »

Medical FSA (Flexible Spending Account/Beneplus): In addition to our dependent care FSA and our traditional medical FSA, this year we’ll be offering a third option: a limited purpose FSA. This limited purpose FSA is ONLY available to those who are electing to join the new Consumer Driven High Deductible Plan (Albemarle Choice) with HSA (Health Savings Account), and these funds can only be used toward dental and vision services. If you currently participate in our medical FSA and choose to join the Albemarle Choice plan next year, you must either exhaust the funds in your current traditional medical FSA OR elect to participate in the limited purpose FSA for next year and have any remaining funds* from this year transferred to your limited purpose FSA. (We’ll work with our FSA administrator to transfer these funds for you if you elect the limited purpose FSA.)

The following medical plan rates (full-time, 12-pay schedule) will be effective on October 1, 2016:

Medical Plan Rates as of 10/1/16

Dental:

While Anthem will be the new administrator of our dental plan, there will be no changes to the DENTAL plan design or employee rates. The following dental plan rates (full-time, 12-pay schedule) will continue through September 2017:

Dental Plan Rates as of 10/1/16

How can I learn more about my options for next year?

Group Information Sessions are a great way to get acquainted with your options and you can ask questions/get answers in real time:

  • TODAY Monday, August 1st – COB McIntire (Lane Auditorium), 5:15 to 7 p.m.
  • Tuesday, August 2nd, and Thursday, August 4th – COB 5th Street (Room A), 11 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
  • Wednesday, August 3rd – Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. (Open to ALL County/County Schools employees!)

Can’t make an info session but want to learn more? View our recorded version »

We have one handy location for all things Open Enrollment! Visit www.albemarle.org/openenrollmentinfo for:

  • A link to the online Open Enrollment system
  • A link to a recorded info session where you can watch/listen as we guide you through our medical options next year
  • Links to Anthem educational materials and Anthem’s dedicated Albemarle County Open Enrollment website that has LOTS of great information, including an Interactive Coverage Advisor Tool that uses your personal input to help you choose between your plan options AND an interactive HSA (Health Savings Account) video that will help you understand how HSAs work and how they can work for YOU! Want to take a look? Visit the Anthem Open Enrollment Resources web page (best viewed using Chrome web browser).
  • Eligibility rules for spouse and dependent participation on our plans
  • Days/times/locations for Open Enrollment walk-in assistance and one on one appointments scheduling
  • And so much more …

In the coming weeks, we’ll be sending out multiple benefitsFOCUS newsletters that will explain how to choose a medical plan, help you understand the difference between FSAs and HSAs (and how you can use them to your advantage), what happens if you don’t visit your online Open Enrollment site, what to expect with the transition to Anthem, and MORE! But there’s no need to wait! Visit our Open Enrollment Info site and take a look at all of the educational resources available there NOW.

Human Resources staff are available to answer questions and help you through this process! Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you need assistance (434-296-5827).

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