The open enrollment period for health and dental plans and for Select Benefits medical and dependent-care reimbursement accounts will change this year to ensure that faculty and staff members will have their health and dental cards by the new year and their Select Benefits accounts prepared for reimbursements as soon as possible.

Each fall semester endowed faculty and staff may change their health and/or dental plans and enroll in Select Benefits medical and dependent-care reimbursement accounts during the open enrollment period. Contract college faculty and staff make their health plan changes during the New York State Option Transfer Period and also have the opportunity to enroll in the Select Benefits accounts.

All endowed and contract college staff and faculty members who have applied for and been notified that they have received a 2010 Child Care Grant Subsidy must sign up for a Select Benefits dependent care reimbursement account for 2010 during their respective open enrollment period.

Faculty and staff members will receive a reminder mailing at their home addresses as the open enrollment period approaches. The mailing will include directions on how to access the information needed to sign up for 2010 benefit programs.

Endowed open enrollment changes

The open enrollment period for endowed faculty and staff members for health, dental and Select Benefits is Nov. 1-30. Late forms will not be accepted. The time in December is needed to make sure that the vendors have time to update their systems from the November open enrollment activity.

Contract college open enrollment changes

Open enrollment for contract college faculty and staff members coincides with the New York State Option Transfer Period, whose timing is uncertain. The New York State Department of Civil Service does not announce the dates until the period begins. However, the start date usually occurs just before Thanksgiving and lasts for 30 days. During the Option Transfer Period, contract college faculty and staff members can make their health plan and Select Benefit decisions for the coming year.

Most changes and enrollments must be entered online

The online enrollment system eBenefits will be accessible to endowed employees during November and for contract college employees during the New York State Option Transfer Period. With the exception of the New York state health and dental plans, which do not permit online enrollments, all open enrollment changes must be entered through the online system.

"We will work closely with the colleges and units to ensure that those staff and faculty who do not frequently access a computer at work are provided with ample opportunity to enroll in or make the changes they need in their benefits programs," said Paul Bursic, director of Benefit Services.

"These changes will save the university tens of thousands of dollars in mailing costs and paper forms," he added. "Just as importantly, these changes will provide more accurate and assured registration of changes with each plan vendor. Plan participants want the system to produce ID cards faster and more accurately. We hope to fulfill this expectation with the cooperation of all faculty and staff members."

Life insurance enrollment opportunity

CIGNA, the life insurance company that provides the voluntary group life insurance plan for faculty and staff members and their family members, will hold a special enrollment period, Oct. 19-30.

CIGNA will send out a packet of information to all eligible faculty and staff members, showing the current values of their life insurance coverage, with the opportunity to apply for more coverage. Faculty and staff members may elect to increase their life insurance coverage by one-times their annual salary; they may also increase coverage on their dependents during the enrollment period in accordance with the plan provisions.