2010 Retiree Annual Selection Period: October 19–October 30, 2009
Click here to view the 2010 Retiree Annual Selection Guide. You must enroll by Friday, October 30, 2009.
The Annual Selection Period for retirees and long-term disability (LTD) recipients will run from Monday, October 19–Friday, October 30, 2009. This annual two-week event allows participants to review their current benefits and make changes for the upcoming calendar year. All changes will be effective as of January 1, 2010. Even if you’re satisfied with your current healthcare coverage, it’s important to understand what's new for the upcoming year. You'll receive a personalized enrollment packet at your home address in early October.
Enrollment Kit
Personalized enrollment packets were mailed to each participant's home on October 9. These materials include:
- A 2010 Annual Selection Period Insert, which includes important information such as dates for this year's Annual Selection Period, what's new for 2010, and more.
- A personalized Benefit Election Statement that shows your current enrollment information and costs.
- A Health Enrollment Form that you must complete and return if you're making changes to your current elections. All forms must be postmarked by October 30, 2009.
- Premium Charts for medical and dental plans.
- Medical Plan Comparison Charts that compare the key features of the medical options.
- A Return Envelope that you can use to return your completed Health Enrollment Form.
- A Student Certification Letter that you must complete, sign and return if you want to cover a dependent child age 19 to 23 who is a full-time student. This form is only included if you are currently covering a dependent child age 19 to 23. If this form is not included, but you need to complete one, please contact Retiree Assist at 866-789-7366 to request it.
How Do I Enroll for 2010 Coverage?
After carefully reviewing your enrollment kit, you should determine which benefit options best meet your own and your eligible dependents' needs. Once you've made a decision, you must complete, sign and return any applicable enrollment forms by Friday, October 30, 2009. You'll need to complete a Retiree Health Enrollment Form if you're making any changes to your coverage. You also must complete a Student Certification Letter if you want to cover a dependent child age 19 to 23 who is a full-time student. Remember to keep copies of the forms for your records.
After you enroll or make changes to your coverage during the Annual Selection Period, you'll receive a confirmation statement in the mail detailing these changes. Confirmation statements will be sent out by November 19, 2009.
When Will Changes Be Effective?
Any changes made during the Annual Selection Period will be effective as of January 1, 2010.
What Happens if I Do Nothing During the Annual Selection Period?
If you do not return a
Retiree Health Enrollment Form:
- You and your eligible dependents will maintain your current coverage for the 2010 plan year.
- You will only be allowed to make changes outside of the Annual Selection Period if you have a qualifying event.* You'll have 30 days from the date of the qualifying event to make a change.
If you do not return a Student Certification Letter, your dependent children ages 19 to 23 will not be covered as of January 1, 2010.
*If you've recently had a qualifying event, you may need to change your coverage. Qualifying events include moving to a residence outside of a covered service area (see the chart on page 6 of the Annual Selection Guide), divorce, termination of a domestic partnership, or the death of a spouse/same-sex domestic partner.
What's New for 2010?
| Mental Health Benefits |
Over the past few years, Penn has made strides to bring coverage for mental health benefits more closely in line with coverage for medical/surgical benefits. As part of this effort, two changes are being made to the mental health and substance abuse benefits under the retiree medical plans. Please refer to the medical plan comparison charts for more information.
- The number of days or visits covered per year for mental health and substance abuse benefits will be adjusted to match the coverage for medical/surgical benefits under each of the retiree medical plans. For most of the plans, this means that days and visits will be unlimited, subject to Medicare rules and the provider's determination of medical necessity.
- Outpatient mental health and substance abuse coverage for the Independence Blue Cross 65 Special plan (for those age 65 and over) is increasing from 50% to 80% of the allowable charge, subject to medical necessity.
Parity for mental health benefits has been an important topic nationwide, and final regulations for the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 are expected to be released this fall. When that occurs, the University may need to make some additional changes to the mental health and substance abuse coverage for the PENNCare/Personal Choice PPO plan for retirees under age 65. Since the final regulations aren't expected to be released until after this year's Retiree Annual Selection Period is over, the University will send a communication explaining the details of the changes to those retirees who have elected the PENNCare/Personal Choice PPO plan. If any substantive changes are made, those retirees will be given the opportunity to switch their coverage to the Aetna or Keystone/AmeriHealth HMO plans if they wish.
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| Plan Name Change |
The name of the Aetna Golden Choice medical plan has been changed to the Aetna Medicare Plan (PPO).
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| Funeral Planning Service |
Aetna, our life insurance carrier, has partnered with Everest Funeral Planning and Concierge Service to offer pre-planning and at-need services for you, your spouse/partner, and your children—at no additional cost to you. These services became available on October 1, 2009 and include online planning tools as well as 24-hour assistance throughout the funeral process. You may also access services for your parents, in-laws or other relatives through Everest at a fee. For more information on Everest, or to create an online profile and use their planning tools, visit their website and enter the Enrollment Identification Code: AETNA0003.
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| Extension of Coverage for Student Dependents on Medically Necessary Leave of Absence |
If you're covering a child between the age of 19 and 23 who is a full-time student, a new law (Michelle's Law) provides that your child will continue to be covered under your insurance plan if he/she needs to take a medically necessary leave of absence from school. Assuming other eligibility requirements are satisfied, coverage for the child will continue for one year after the leave begins or until coverage would otherwise end (e.g., the child reaches the maximum age for full-time student coverage), whichever comes first.
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Annual Selection Period Information Session
Retirees and LTD recipients are invited to attend a benefits information session on Tuesday, October 27 in Houston Hall, Bodek Lounge (3417 Spruce Street) from 10am–2pm. This session will include presentations by several providers such as Independence Blue Cross, Aetna, Caremark and Social Security/Medicare. Representatives will be available to answer your questions after the presentations.
Medical Plan Options
Penn offers a variety of medical plans for participants under and over age 65, all of which have different costs and benefits. Before enrolling, you should examine your personal situation to determine which plan is most appropriate for you and your dependents. View the comparison charts below for more detailed information about each plan:
Under Age 65 Medical Comparison Chart
Over Age 65 Medical Comparison Chart
Dental Options
Penn offers two dental programs for retirees and eligible dependents. They include:
MetLife Preferred Dental Program
Vital Savings by Aetna
For more information on these programs, visit MetLife's website or the Vital Savings by Aetna website.
Healthcare Rates for 2010
Click here for the medical, dental and vision coverage rates for the 2010 plan year.
New Look to This Year's Annual Selection Period Materials
In this difficult economic environment, we're all looking for ways to reduce or contain costs. To contribute to the University's efforts, the Division of Human Resources is committed to reducing the amount of paper we generate and distribute. That's why this year's Annual Selection Period materials did not include a copy of the 2010 Annual Selection Guide.
As part of the mailing, you'll still receive important information such as your personalized benefit election statement, medical plan comparison charts, and premium charts. You also have an Annual Selection Period insert, which provides highlights of this year's Annual Selection Period, including important dates, what's new, and how to make changes.
To view the complete 2010 Annual Selection Guide, click here.
Can I Defer Medical and Prescription Drug Coverage?
Current retirees and/or your dependents may elect a one-time deferral of Penn's medical and prescription drug coverage if you either become covered by a new employer's active plan (i.e., you return to the workplace) or elect coverage under a spouse's active employer plan. You and/or your dependents will need to provide proof of this coverage prior to re-enrolling in Penn's plan.
Certification of Dependent Students
You must certify the full-time student status of your dependent children ages 19 to 23 twice a year. If you have a dependent student, you'll need to complete a student certification letter during the Annual Selection Period and then again in May. This twice-a-year certification is intended to show evidence that your dependent child is in a full-time student status for the entire calendar year. During the Annual Selection
Period, please complete, sign and return the Student Certification Letter that is included in your enrollment kit. In May, you will receive another Student Certification
Letter to complete and return. Failure to certify student status will result in cancellation of your dependent's coverage. In this event, your dependent will receive a COBRA notification.
How Do I Find Out More?