myHR Archives
myHR: Open Enrollment Special Edition
Open Enrollment Begins April 18
Penn’s Benefits Open Enrollment, your annual opportunity to update your elections for the coming plan year, is almost here. This year, Open Enrollment runs from April 18 through April 29. This special edition of myHR will help you consider your options so you can make informed choices that are best for you and your family.
Making Changes
Making Changes During Open Enrollment
During Open Enrollment, you need to determine if your current benefits still meet your needs or if you need to make a change, such as:
- Enrolling in a health care plan for the first time, or dropping an existing plan.
- Switching to a different medical, dental, or vision plan.
- Increasing or decreasing your life insurance coverage.
- Changing how much you contribute to a flexible spending account.
- Adding or dropping a dependent from your benefits coverage.*
* If you add a new dependent, you’ll receive a letter requesting that you provide verification of that dependent’s eligibility under Penn’s plan rules. You’ll also need to provide verification if you re-enroll a spouse/same-sex domestic partner who had previously been covered.
If You Don’t Make Changes
If you don’t make changes during Open Enrollment, you’ll receive the same coverage you had last year.
If You Waive Coverage
Under the Affordable Care Act, if you waive your University coverage, you are still responsible for obtaining coverage through some other source. For example, you can obtain coverage through a spouse’s or domestic partner’s plan, your parent’s plan (if you are under age 26), or via the Health Insurance Marketplace.
When Changes Are Effective
Changes made during Open Enrollment will be effective as of July 1, 2016. New rates for all plans will be reflected in your July 2016 paycheck.
Your contributions for medical, dental, vision, and 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 moth for which your benefits are effective. Your pay must support your contributions for the benefits elected.
Making Changes After Enrollment
The choices you make during Benefits Open Enrollment will remain in effect through June 30, 2017, unless you experience a qualifying event. Qualifying events include the birth or adoption of a child, marriage, domestic partnership (prior to July 1, 2016), divorce or separation, death of a dependent, and change in your dependent’s eligibility for benefits. Keep in mind that the IRS limits the types of changes you can make for qualifying events. If you experience a qualifying event, please contact the
Penn Benefits Center within 30 days at 1-888-PENN-BEN (1-888-736-6236), Monday–Friday, 8am–6pm (Eastern).
How to Enroll or Update Your Selections
From Monday, April 18 through Friday, April 29, make changes to your benefits coverage online at www.pennbenefits.upenn.edu using your PennKey and password.
If you don’t have internet access, you can enroll by calling the Penn Benefits Center at 1-888-PENN-BEN (1-888-736-6236), Monday–Friday, 8am–6pm (Eastern) to complete your enrollment over the phone. You can also enroll online from one of the following campus locations:
Goldstein Undergraduate Study Center
3420 Walnut Street (ground level of Van Pelt Dietrich Library)
Monday–Thursday: 24 hours daily
Friday: closes 12 midnight
Saturday: 10am–2am
Sunday: opens 10am
Human Resources
3401 Walnut Street, 5th Floor
Monday–Friday: 8:30am–5pm
UA Staffing (formerly Unique Advantage)
3624 Market Street, Suite 1SD
Monday–Friday: 8am–5pm
Plan Changes Effective July 1, 2016
PennCare/Personal Choice PPO Plan
The PennCare/Personal Choice PPO plan deductible will increase as of July 1, 2016. Under the PennCare tier, the individual deductible will increase from $125 to $150, and the family deductible will increase from $375 to $450.
Under the Personal Choice tier, the individual deductible will increase from $300 to $350, and the family deductible will increase from $900 to $1,050.
Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account Website
Penn’s Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) provider, ADP, moved its FSA administration to a new, enhanced platform on March 17. New debit cards were automatically issued for the participant only.
If you need additional cards for your qualified dependents, log onto www.pennbenefits.upenn.edu and select the FlexDirect FSA Manager link from the left menu, then click Request Duplicate Card. The additional debit card will be issued in the dependent’s name. If you have questions about your account or need additional assistance, contact the Penn Benefits Center at 1-888-PENNBEN (1-888-736-6236).
Dependent Eligibility Change
Effective July 1, 2016, the definition of dependent as related to health plan coverage will change to include only the legally married spouse of an employee, regardless of gender. This means that, as of July 1, no new same-sex domestic partner may be added as a dependent to a Penn health, dental and/or vision plan or dependent life insurance. This will apply whether there is a qualifying life event or if a new employee with a same-sex domestic partner is hired.
Prior to July 1, 2016, a new same-sex domestic partner may be added during Open Enrollment (now through April 29), if there is a qualifying life event, or if an employee with a same-sex domestic partner is hired.
Same-sex domestic partners enrolled in a Penn health plan prior to July 1, 2016 may remain on the plan for an additional two years, until June 30, 2018. Dependent children of a same-sex domestic partner may remain on the plan for two years as long as they are under age 26.
After June 30, 2018, participants may continue coverage under COBRA or obtain coverage on their own. Participants who are no longer eligible for coverage under the new definition of dependent (i.e., legally married spouse) will be offered COBRA coverage for 36 months.
If you are not legally married to your same-sex domestic partner, you will continue to pay Federal, Social Security, and Medicare taxes on the value of the benefits extended to your partner and his/her children. Penn will continue to provide you with up to $125 per month (minus applicable taxes) through June 30, 2017 to help offset the imputed income tax on the medical plan. After June 30, 2017, the offset will end for those who have not married.
Supplemental Life Insurance
Effective July 1, 2016, supplemental life insurance rates will decrease. This means you may pay less out of pocket for coverage that you currently have.
Learn More
You can learn more about Open Enrollment and your benefits options by attending a presentation or fair.
Attend a Presentation
Get more information and ask questions at an Open Enrollment presentation. Each presentation lasts 45 minutes and is followed by a Q&A session.
|
Date |
Start Time |
Location |
|
Thursday, April 14 |
12pm |
Perelman School of Medicine, |
|
Monday, April 18 |
11am |
Houston Hall, Golkin Room |
|
Monday, April 25 |
12pm |
Houston Hall, Golkin Room |
Attend a Fair
Representatives from Penn’s health care providers and administrators will be onsite to share information and answer questions. Learn about medical plans, prescription drug coverage, dental plans, vision coverage, flexible spending accounts, and the Penn Benefits Center.
The Open Enrollment and Wellness Fair at Houston Hall on Tuesday, April 19 also features free health screenings, chair massages, and other wellness activities and information.
|
Date |
Time |
Location |
|
Tuesday, April 19 |
10am–2pm |
Houston Hall, Hall of Flags |
|
Wednesday, April 20 |
10am–2pm |
New Bolton Center, Alumni Hall |
Go Online
Learn more about your Penn benefits and options on the Human Resources website at http://www.hr.upenn.edu/openenrollment. There you can access plan summaries, benefit comparison charts, contribution charts, and online provider directories.
If you have questions, you can also contact the Penn Benefits Center at 1-888-PENN-BEN (1-888-736-6236), Monday–Friday, 8am-6pm (Eastern), or by emailing Human Resources at benefits@hr.upenn.edu.