The Office of Human Resources has announced several additions and enhancements to the benefits program for eligible faculty and staff that will be effective Jan. 1.
These changes are a high-deductible PPO health plan with Blue Cross (HDHP); a health savings account (HSA); a retirement medical savings account (RMSA); coverage for gastric bypass surgery and hospitalization; coverage for two smoking cessation prescription drugs; a debit card option for paying health flex spending plan claims; and online account access for flex spending plans.
The annual health open enrollment period for the health or dental-only plans, the health and childcare flex spending plans and the new HSA and RMSA plans will be from Oct. 15-Nov. 30.
Enrollments and changes to these plans made during the open enrollment period and before the Nov. 30 deadline will be effective Jan. 1 for the 2007 calendar year.
The open-enrollment brochure will be sent to campus boxes Oct. 16 and employee informational meetings will be conducted from Oct. 17-Nov. 28. Due to the introduction of new plans, savings accounts and plan features — and the importance of making the best decision for employees and their families — there will be 26 employee informational meetings on the total open enrollment and four employee informational meetings on the Health Savings Account (HSA) only.
The meeting schedule will be included in the open enrollment brochure as an insert and may be found on the human resources Web site starting Oct. 16, at hr.wustl.edu.
“Because the open enrollment period is the only time during the year that employees may enroll in the flex spending plans, the HSA and the RMSA, we strongly encourage them to read their brochure, review the helpful information on our Web site, attend one of the employee meetings and return the enrollment paperwork before the Nov. 30 deadline,” said Thomas W. Lauman, director of benefits in the Office of Human Resources.
The scheduled one-hour meetings during the first week of open enrollment are as follows:
Danforth Campus:
Tues., Oct. 17, 10 a.m., Lopata Hall, Room 101
Wed., Oct. 18, 9 a.m., Whitaker Hall Auditorium
Wed., Oct. 18, 12:30 p.m., Simon Hall, May Auditorium
Thurs., Oct. 19, 1:30 p.m., Anheuser-Busch Hall, Room 204
Medical Campus:
Tues., Oct. 17, 1:30 p.m., Farrell Learning & Teaching Center, Connor Auditorium
Thurs., Oct. 19, 9:30 a.m., McDonnell Medical Sciences Building, Cori Auditorium