Open Enrollment

Open Enrollment is Now Closed

Penn Benefits Open Enrollment is closed. See below for changes in the 2021-2022 plan year.

You can still listen to The Choice is Yours podcast and access resources on the virtual benefits fair website.

ON THIS PAGE:

The Choice is Yours Podcast

Listen to The Choice is Yours, a new three-episode podcast where Benefits experts talk about plan changes for the 2021-2022 plan year, answer faculty and staff questions, and discuss flexible spending accounts.

Episodes 1, 2 and 3 are now available.

Plan Changes as of July 1, 2021

MetLife Insurance for Dependents: Action Needed 

We are now requiring the name of each dependent to be added for the Child Life MetLife Insurance plan. Faculty and staff who have enrolled in the Dependent Life Insurance plan offered through MetLife will have to re-elect the coverage and list any eligible dependent children who are under the age of 26 this year. If you do not re-elect the coverage, you will be defaulted to waive. 

Dependent Life Insurance is available for your spouse and/or your eligible children if you are full-time faculty and staff or a member of a collective bargaining unit. Eligible dependents include:

  • Your spouse and your unmarried biological or adopted children and stepchildren up to age 26.
  • Your spouse’s biological and/or adopted children if they meet the age and dependent criteria. 

Flexible Spending Accounts Get Uncapped Rollovers 

If you have a Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) or Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA), you will be able to roll over all unused funds from the 2020-2021 plan year to the 2021-2022 plan year. DCFSA participants will not receive a grace period to incur expenses after June 30, 2021. The grace period will be replaced by the rollover allowance. You must incur all expenses between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2021. Claims must be submitted by September 30, 2021. 

All rollover funds will be available in November. Carefully consider your contribution for the new plan year because the uncapped rollover will not continue into the 2022-2023 plan year.

Hearing Aid Benefit Added 

A hearing aid benefit has been added to the PennCare/Personal Choice PPO, Aetna Choice POS II, Keystone/AmeriHealth HMO, Aetna High Deductible Health Plan with a Health Savings Account, and the Aetna POS II Standard plans. The benefit is up to $4,000 per participant to be covered as medically necessary, but not more than every three years. For High Deductible Health Plan participants, the deductible must first be met, then participants pay 10%. For part-time and ACA-eligible staff, participants pay 30% after meeting the deductible. This benefit applies to adults and children. 

Additional Vision Plan 

VSP Choice Plan is a new vision plan that will provide a greater level of benefit for glasses and contact lenses. There will be an additional cost for the enhanced plan, but all other rates will remain the same. 

Medical Rates Increased Slightly 

There will be a slight increase to the medical rates for the first time since 2017.  The dental rates are not increasing.


Workday@Penn Upgrade

During Open Enrollment, you can make changes to your benefits coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via Workday@Penn. As a result of a Workday upgrade, the Benefits screens will have a new look starting mid-April.  

Read the Self-Service: Manage, View and Change Your Benefits 2021 tip sheet for instructions on how to navigate the new screens.

Virtual Benefits Fair and Benefits Presentations

The Open Enrollment Benefits Fair is now closed. However, you still have access to recordings and copies of the presentations, as well as other information and resources provided by some of the vendors. To access these resources visit the Virtual Open Enrollment Benefits Fair website.

The Open Enrollment presentations have also ended. However, you can view the presentation online.

Your Contributions

Your contributions for medical, dental, vision, and the flexible spending accounts are made with pre-tax dollars. You pay for employee and dependent life insurance with after-tax dollars. All contributions are taken from your paycheck in the month for which your benefits are effective. Your pay must support your contributions for the benefits elected. If that is not the case, then your enrollment cannot be processed.

Making Changes to Your Elections Outside of Open Enrollment

If you have a qualifying life event you may be eligible to make changes to your benefit elections outside of Open Enrollment. For more information visit the Qualifying Life Event Changes page.

For More Information

  • Contact the Benefits Solution Center (powered by Health Advocate) at 1–866–799-2329 Monday–Friday, 8am–10pm.
  • Contact HR via email.