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myHR: April 19, 2023 Open Enrollment Special Edition

Penn Benefits Open Enrollment Starts April 24

Penn’s Benefits Open Enrollment is your annual opportunity to make changes to your health plans, life insurance, and flexible spending accounts. Open Enrollment will be held Monday, April 24-Friday, May 5, 2023. Before it begins, we encourage faculty, staff, and postdoctoral researchers and fellows to take this time to learn about the upcoming 2023-2024 plan year. 

Be sure to carefully review your Benefits Enrollment Guide for 2023-2024 available for download on the Open Enrollment webpage. The webpage also connects you to information about the on-campus Open Enrollment Benefits Fair on April 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. You can also review the 2023-2024 Open Enrollment Benefits presentation, benefit comparison charts, contribution charts, and more. This information will help you understand your benefit options so you can make informed decisions that are right for you and your family.

This year’s Open Enrollment period also welcomes postdoctoral researchers and fellows, who will have new options available through the Penn Postdoc Benefit Plan. As a result, your current coverage through Gallagher will end on June 30, 2023. You will not be able to retain your current coverage and must make an election during Open Enrollment if you wish to participate in the newly available Penn Postdoc Benefit Plan. For more information, review the Postdoctoral Researchers and Fellows Benefits Enrollment Guide or visit the Postdoctoral Researchers and Fellows webpage. 

Making Changes During Open Enrollment

Do you need to make changes to your benefits options? Open Enrollment is the ideal time for you to enroll in one of Penn’s benefits plans or consider changing elections if you need coverage that better meets the current needs of you and your family. Some of the changes you may need to make during Open Enrollment include:

  • Enrolling in a healthcare 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, under Penn’s plan rules, you will need to verify your dependents eligibility in Workday by submitting the appropriate documents when you enroll. 

You should also review your life insurance beneficiary information, confirm its accuracy for all elections, and update it if necessary. To make this update, log into Workday. You can also contact Health Advocate at answers@HealthAdvocate.com or call 1-866-799-2329, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

What Happens If You Don’t Make Changes?

If you don’t make changes during Open Enrollment, your current elections will roll over when the new plan year starts on July 1, 2023. 

What 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 plan, your parent’s plan (if you are under age 26), or via the Health Insurance Marketplace.

When Are Changes Effective?

Whether you decide to make no changes to your current Penn benefits, or you choose different plan options, the elections you make during Open Enrollment will be effective on July 1, 2023, and stay in effect until June 30, 2024. 

Making Changes After Enrollment

You cannot make changes to your healthcare benefits elections after the Open Enrollment period unless you experience a qualifying life event. Qualifying life events include the birth or adoption of a child, marriage, 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 life events. If you experience a qualifying life event, please contact Health Advocate at answers@HealthAdvocate.com or call 1-866-799-2329, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Plan Changes Effective July 1, 2023

One of the most important steps faculty, staff, and postdocs take during the Open Enrollment period is getting familiar with the upcoming plan changes. There are several changes for the 2023-2024 plan year that will affect behavioral health and therapy services, fertility benefits, health care flexible spending accounts, and medical and dental rates.

You should review all the plan changes before enrolling or making changes to your elections. Once you have determined the benefits that are right for you and your family, you can make changes to your benefits coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in Workday. Changes can only be made during Open Enrollment, unless you have a qualifying life event.

If you are regular full-time faculty and staff or regular part-time and ACA-eligible faculty and staff, review all of the plan changes below. All changes are effective July 1, 2023. You can also find details in the Benefits Enrollment Guide and Part-time & ACA Eligible Benefits Enrollment Guide. 

  • Keystone HMO Plan Gets New Behavioral Health Network. The behavioral health network for the Keystone HMO plan is changing. IBX Behavioral Health will replace the Magellan Network. Staff and faculty who have Keystone as their medical plan will keep the same card. You can also continue to call 1-800-688-1911 to find a network provider, facility, or for authorization. To find the behavioral health network for your Penn plan, log into Workday@Penn at www.workday.upenn.edu, select Benefits, then Benefits Elections.
  • Reduced Copays for Behavioral Health and Therapy Services. Penn remains committed to providing behavioral health services and supports to staff and faculty. Copays for PennCare/Personal Choice PPO, Aetna Choice POS II, and Keystone/AmeriHealth HMO will be reduced in the upcoming plan year. Check the Behavioral Health Coverage page your Benefits Enrollment Guide for details. 

    Copays for occupational therapy, physical therapy, and speech therapy will also be lowered for PennCare/Personal Choice PPO, Aetna Choice POS II, and Keystone/AmeriHealth HMO. Check the medical plan charts in your Benefits Enrollment Guide for exact amounts.
  • New Provider for Fertility Benefit. Penn’s medical plans will have a new fertility provider. Carrot Fertility will replace your current medical coverage for all fertility-related services, effective July 1. The new provider will work with Penn Fertility Clinic and fertility clinics nationwide to support staff in different locations. As a result of the new provider, the fertility benefit will be enhanced and offer a concierge level of service. The benefit remains at a flat $30,000 lifetime maximum that can be used for a variety of fertility treatments.
  • Medical Plan and Dental Rates. Medical rates for PennCare/Personal Choice PPO, Aetna Choice POS II, and Keystone/AmeriHealth HMO will increase in the upcoming plan year. Dental rates for the Penn Family Plan will also increase slightly. Vision plan rates will remain the same. For a complete list of new rates, check the Medical, Dental, and Vision Rates for 2023-2024 chart in your Benefits Enrollment Guide.
  • Health Care Flexible Spending Account Rollover Amount Raised. If you have a Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA), you will be able to roll over up to $610 to the following plan year. You will forfeit any remaining balance over $610. The maximum amount you can contribute to the Health Care FSA is increasing from $2,850 to $3,050. You have until June 30 (end of the plan year) to incur expenses, but you have until September 30 to submit eligible claims for services you received before June 30.

The Postdoc Benefit Plan

Postdoctoral Researchers and Fellows will have new healthcare options available through the Penn Postdoc Benefit Plan. The plan changes take effect on July 1, 2023. As a result, your current coverage through Gallagher will end on June 30, 2023. If you are a NRSA Fellow, you will re-enroll with Gallagher for benefits to continue coverage as of July 1. All other postdocs will not be able to retain their current coverage and must make an election during Open Enrollment if you wish to participate in the newly available Penn Postdoc Benefit Plan. 

Review the new benefit offering for the 2023-2024 plan year below. 

  • Three medical plans: Keystone Health Plan HMO, Aetna POS II, and PennCare/Personal Choice. All three plans provide access to the Penn Provider network. For details, review the medical plan charts in the Postdoctoral Researchers and Fellows Benefits Enrollment Guide.
  • MetLife Dental Plan and VSP Vision Plans. See charts in the Postdoc Benefits Enrollment Guide for details.
  • Fertility Benefit. Penn’s fertility benefit is administered by Carrot Fertility, effective July 1. Carrot will work with Penn Fertility Clinic and fertility clinics nationwide to support staff and postdocs in different locations, and the benefit will offer a concierge level of service. The benefit is a flat $30,000 lifetime maximum that can be used for a variety of fertility treatments.
  • Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts. You will have the option to elect the Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts. You can elect a maximum of $3,050 for Health Care and $5,000 for Dependent Care. You have until June 30, 2024 (end of the plan year) to incur expenses and until September 30, 2024 to submit eligible claims for services you received before June 30.

If you have questions about any of the upcoming plan changes, please contact Health Advocate at answers@HealthAdvocate.com or call 1-866-799-2329, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

How to Enroll or Change Your Benefits Elections

During Open Enrollment, you can make changes to your benefits coverage 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in Workday. For complete step-by-step instructions read the Self-Service: Manage, View and Change Your Benefits tip sheet. Please remember to print a confirmation statement for your records.

Update Your Beneficiary

While you’re logged in to Workday@Penn, please review and update your life insurance beneficiary information. To update your retirement plan beneficiaries, log in to your retirement planning account through Penn’s TIAA.org SSO link. 

Flexible Spending Accounts Updates and Reminders

Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs)are tax-advantaged accounts that let you use pre-tax dollars to pay for eligible healthcare and dependent care expenses. Using FSAs can save money, however the amount of unused dollars that will roll over — or stay in your account from one plan year to the next — is limited. If you currently have an FSA or you plan to add one to your benefits for 2023-2024, carefully consider your contribution for the new plan year. 

Health Care FSA 

If you have a Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA), you will be able to roll over up to $610 of all unused funds from the 2022-2023 plan year to the 2023-2024 plan year. All unused funds over the $610 limit will be forfeited. The maximum amount you can contribute to the Health Care FSA is increasing from $2,850 to $3,050. 

You must incur all expenses between July 1, 2022, and June 30, 2023. Claims must be submitted by September 30, 2023. All rollover funds will be available in November.

Dependent Care FSA

You must use all available funds by the end of the plan year deadline, or you will forfeit any remaining balance. You have until September 15 of the following plan year to incur expenses, and until September 30 of the following plan year to submit eligible claims. 

For example, if you enroll in a Dependent Care FSA during the 2023-2024 plan year, you’ll have until September 15, 2024 to incur expenses and until September 30, 2024 to submit eligible expenses for reimbursement. 

Visit the Flexible Spending Accounts webpage for more FSA details and single-sign-on access to WageWorks/HealthEquity.

Resources for Choosing Benefits Coverage

Penn provides a variety of resources for faculty, staff, and postdoctoral researchers and fellows to learn about the available benefits programs, compare plans, and choose options that best meet your healthcare needs. 

Below are details about each of the available resources. Before you enroll or make changes to your current elections, review these materials to help with your coverage decisions.

Benefits Presentations

There is one remaining Open Enrollment presentation for regular full-time faculty and staff and regular part-time and ACA eligible faculty and staff, on April 20 at Houston Hall, Ben Franklin Room, from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Register today. 

If you are not able to attend the presentation, you can download and review the 2023-2024 Open Enrollment Benefits Presentation. 

Postdoctoral Researchers and Fellows can attend a virtual benefits presentation on April 20 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Click here to join the virtual session. 

On-Campus Benefits Fair

The Open Enrollment Benefits Fair will be held on campus on Tuesday, April 25 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Gimbel Gym, Pottruck Health and Fitness Center. Penn HR staff, representatives from Penn’s healthcare providers, and wellness partners will be there to answer your questions. 

Benefits Enrollment Guides

The Benefits Enrollment Guide provides a summary of the benefits programs available to all benefits-eligible full-time faculty and staff, part-time and ACA benefits-eligible staff, and postdoctoral researchers and fellows. Click on the links below to download your Benefits Enrollment Guide: 

Full-time Benefits Enrollment Guide
Part-time & ACA Eligible Benefits Enrollment Guide
Postdoctoral Researchers and Fellows Benefits Enrollment Guide 

If you have questions about Open Enrollment, contact Health Advocate at answers@HealthAdvocate.com or call 1-866-799-2329, Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Retirement Planning All Year Long

Eligible faculty and staff can review and change their Penn retirement plan elections during the Open Enrollment period, but also at any time of the year.

Update your plan beneficiary(ies), increase your contributions, revise your investment mix, or just check your elections when the time is right for you at TIAA.org.