FINAL REMINDER ABOUT OPEN ENROLLMENT

October 4, 2016

To benefit eligible employees:

We are currently well into the CSU annual Open Enrollment period which began September 12, 2016, and will go through October 7, 2016. Open Enrollment is your annual opportunity to review and update your current benefits for the upcoming year. You can enroll, change or cancel CalPERS health, dental, vision, Flexcash, Dependent Care Reimbursement (DCRA), Health Care Reimbursement (HCRA) or voluntary benefits plans. The effective date for all changes/enrollments made during the Open Enrollment period will be January 1, 2017. 

NOTE:  For 2017, the premiums for all plans will be increasing, however, the HMOs will have the most significant increases.  Please carefully review the 2017 CalPERS Health Benefit Premiums rate sheet.

The level of coverage for both Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans, benefits and network providers in Humboldt County are the same, and are facilitated through the Independent Physicians Association (IPA) in Eureka; the Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans are administered directly by Anthem Blue Cross.

Prescription coverage may vary for each plan.  Please note that effective January 1, 2017, Optum Rx is the new prescription carrier for all CalPERS PPO plans and Anthem Traditional HMO plan. Prescriptions from the current pharmacy plan, CVS Caremark, will be transferred automatically to Optum Rx.  PrimeMail remains the same prescription carrier for Blue Shield Access+ HMO.  If you have questions regarding the coverage of specific medications in a health plan, please contact Optum Rx member services at (855) 505-8110; or PrimeMail at  (866) 346-7200. The following links will provide you with detailed information for Open Enrollment and the necessary forms to make changes and/or enroll.

All information regarding Open Enrollment will be available on the Benefits Website.  

All open enrollment forms with original signatures must be hand-delivered to the Human Resources office, Siemens Hall, Room 212, by 5:00 p.m., Friday, October 7, 2016.  

Announcement Approvals: