Now is the time to choose your medical plan for 2014
October 29, 2013 •
UC’s annual Open Enrollment period begins this week and, in important ways, this year is different. There are big changes, not only in UC’s medical plan offerings, but also in the national health care environment.
The health care industry is in the midst of profound change, a process that will continue for the foreseeable future. The Affordable Care Act and the persistent increases in health care costs are forcing insurance carriers, medical care providers, employers and employees to adapt continuously.
As a result, UC has had to adjust in order to maintain the right balance between offering access to a broad and diverse range of providers, furnishing good choices for quality care and maintaining a medical benefit program that is affordable for both the university and its faculty and staff. A cross-functional Health Care Benefits Work Group deliberated for two years about the best ways to meet the challenges the current health care environment poses.
The outcome was a bid process resulting in big changes to medical benefits for 2014. Learn more about these changes on At Your Service, the 2014 Open Enrollment website and at several UCOP events coming up next month, including brown bag lunches and the annual Benefits Fair.
UCOP Benefits Fair Nov. 12
The Benefits Fair takes place Tuesday, Nov. 12, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Franklin Lobby 1 Conference Room. There you can meet with and address questions to UC medical plan vendors including Blue Shield, UC Care, Health Net Blue & Gold and Kaiser as well as Delta Dental and Vision Service Plan.
Representatives of other UC benefit plans will also be on hand, including CONEXIS (flexible spending accounts), Optum and Fidelity Retirement Services as well as supplemental insurance providers AIG, Prudential, Liberty Mutual and California Casualty. There will be refreshments, free massages and raffle prizes.
UCOP brown bags at Franklin and Kaiser
Brown bag lunches will be held at both Franklin and Kaiser, where HR benefits representatives will be available to explain the changes and answer your questions. Sessions will be held from 12 to 1 p.m. as follows:
- Tuesday, Nov. 5, and Friday, Nov 8: 512 Kaiser
- Thursday, Nov. 13, and Tuesday, Nov. 19: 5320 Franklin
The Open Enrollment website will be updated on an ongoing basis.
Open Enrollment began on Monday, Oct. 28, and is open until 5 p.m., Tuesday, Nov. 26. Don’t miss the opportunity to take a fresh look at your medical benefits and find the plan that’s right for you and your family.
