Open enrollment booklets are in the mail to employees' homes, group presentations begin Wednesday (Oct. 26) and UC's open enrollment website will be open for business at 8 a.m. Monday (Oct. 31). You will then have until 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 22, to make changes, if any, to your benefits options.

Here are the actions you can take this year:

• Enroll in or opt out of UC-sponsored medical, dental or vision plans.
• Transfer to a different medical or dental plan.
• Add eligible family members to your medical, dental or vision plans.
• Opt in or out of TIP (Tax Savings on Insurance Premiums); enrollment is automatic unless you previously opted out.
• Enroll or re-enroll in tax-saving flexible spending accounts (Health FSA of DepCare (dependent care) FSA. These are the only plans that require positive re-enrollment; participation does not automatically carry over into the next year.

The Health Care Facilitator Program, which serves the Davis and Sacramento campuses, has scheduled six group presentations, starting this week and running through mid-November, with no reservations required, dealing with medical insurance coverage. The medical-only presentations are divided evenly between Davis and Sacramento, on the following topics:

• Medical plan overview (four presentations)
• Health insurance after you retire (two presentations)

The Davis campus benefits office invites employees to four group presentations, Oct. 31 to Nov. 22, offering a general overview of all of open enrollment, while the UC Davis Health System presents four Benefits Information Sessions, Nov. 8 to 16.

The Health Care Facilitator Program also has scheduled open enrollment presentations for retirees and people who are approaching retirement.

Online

Open enrollment highlights

Medical plan rates

AT A GLANCE

WHAT: Open enrollment is your annual opportunity to make changes in benefits coverage. Note: The legal plan is NOT an option during open enrollment for 2012.

WHEN: 8 a.m. Monday, Oct. 31, to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 22. Changes will take effect Jan. 1, 2012.

WHO: Anyone making a change, and anyone who wishes to renew or establish a flexible spending account for health care or dependent care. (NOTE: FSA accounts do not automatically renew; if you want an FSA, you must sign up again.) If you are not making any benefits changes and do not want an FSA, you need not do anything during open enrollment.

HOW:

For medical, dental and vision, as well as FSA accounts — Online. Employees without computer access should contact their department or unit offices, or the Davis campus or UC Davis Health System benefits office:

• Davis campus
  Human Resources Administration Building (Orchard Road just west of La Rue Road)
  Telephone (530) 752-1774
• UC Davis Health System
  2300 TICON III
  Telephone (916) 734-8099

OVERVIEW (MEDICAL INSURANCE ONLY): DAVIS AND SACRAMENTO

Information about all medical insurance options and changes for 2012. All UC medical plan choices are described, compared and contrasted: Anthem Blue Cross PLUS, Anthem Blue Cross PPO, Anthem Lumenos PPO + HRA, Health Net HMO, Health Net Blue & Gold HMO, Kaiser Permanente HMO, Western Health Advantage HMO and the catastrophic plan Core. This presentation also covers behavioral health and wellness benefits. No reservations required.

• DAVIS: Wednesday, Oct. 26 — 8-9:30 a.m., Ballroom B, Activities and Recreation Center
• SACRAMENTO: Thursday, Nov. 3 — 3:30-5 p.m., auditorium, Cancer Center, 4501 X St.
• SACRAMENTO: Thursday, Nov. 10 — 1-2:30 p.m., auditorium, Cancer Center
• DAVIS: Monday, Nov. 14 — 1-2:30 p.m., Ballroom B, ARC

This presentation will soon be available online, on the Health Care Facilitator Program website.

OVERVIEW (ALL OF OPEN ENROLLMENT): DAVIS

General overview of open enrollment, including medical insurance and other benefits. Seating is first-come, first-served.

• Monday, Oct. 31 — 1:30-3 p.m., Room A, Conference Center (at the campus’s south entry)
• Tuesday, Nov. 8 — 9:30-11 a.m., Mee Room, Memorial Union
• Wednesday, Nov. 16 — 9:30-11 a.m., Meeting Room 1, ARC
• Tuesday, Nov. 22 — 10-11:30 a.m., Human Resources Administration Building, Orchard Road just west of La Rue Road

OPEN ENROLLMENT FAIR: UC DAVIS HEALTH SYSTEM

This annual event event provides the best opportunity to speak with the insurance vendors.

• Tuesday, Nov. 1 — 10 a.m.-2 p.m., ballroom, Courtyard by Marriott hotel, 4422 Y St., Sacramento

BENEFITS INFORMATION SESSIONS: UC DAVIS HEALTH SYSTEM (all 11 a.m.-1 p.m.)

• Tuesday, Nov. 8 — cafeteria, main hospital
• Thursday, Nov. 10 — cafeteria, Ellison (ACC)
• Wednesday, Nov. 16 — concurrent sessions, in the cafeteria, main hospital, and in 2510 Broadway Building

HELP DESK: DAVIS AND SACRAMENTO

For individual counseling on UC medical insurance, with a health care facilitator. No appointments; counseling is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Employee benefits representatives will be available at some help desk sessions, as noted below, for assistance with other benefits and with eligibility questions. Because the help desks are held in large rooms, confidentiality cannot be assured.

• DAVIS: Wednesday, Oct. 26 — 9:30 a.m.-noon, Ballroom B, ARC
• SACRAMENTO: Thursday, Nov. 3 — 2-3:30 p.m., auditorium, Cancer Center
• DAVIS: Monday, Nov. 7 (with employee benefits) — 8:30 a.m.-noon, HR Administration Building
• SACRAMENTO: Thursday, Nov. 10 — 2:30-4 p.m., auditorium, Cancer Center
• DAVIS: Monday, Nov. 14 (with employee benefits) — 2:30-4 p.m., Ballroom B, ARC
• DAVIS: Friday, Nov. 18 (with employee benefits) — 9 a.m.-noon, HR Administration Building

OTHER PRESENTATIONS

HEALTH INSURANCE AFTER YOU RETIRE: Retiring within the next year or so? Or thinking about it? If so, this presentation can help familiarize you with the health insurance benefits offered to UC retirees. This presentation also includes a review of UC’s retiree health plan eligibility rules and costs, a discussion of medical plans for people who move outside of California, and information on how UC’s plans coordinate with Medicare.

• DAVIS: Wednesday, Oct. 26 — noon-1 p.m., Ballroom B, ARC
• SACRAMENTO: Thursday, Nov. 3 — 1-2 p.m., auditorium, Cancer Center

This presentation will soon be available online, on the Health Care Facilitator Program website.

WORKING WITH YOUR HMO: This presentation is available online, on the Health Care Facilitator Program website. Look for the links for video and PowerPoint slides under "Presentations for Employees."

FOR RETIREES

General overview of the medical insurance plans that UC offers to retirees and their dependents. This presentation compares and contrasts all of UC’s medical plans, both with and without Medicare, and highlights changes for 2012. The presentation also includes a discussion of UC’s Medicare requirements.

• SACRAMENTO: Monday, Oct. 31 — 9-11 a.m., ballroom, Courtyard by Marriott hotel
• DAVIS: Wednesday, Monday, Nov. 2 — 10 a.m.-noon, Ballroom A, ARC

This presentation will soon be available online, on the Health Care Facilitator Program website.

CHOOSING BETWEEN BLUE CROSS PLANS WHEN YOU HAVE MEDICARE: Intended primarily for Medicare-eligible retirees, this presentation compares and contrasts the four Anthem Blue Cross plans that UC offers, and highlights the changes for 2012. The presentation also includes a discussion of coordination with Medicare (and UC’s Medicare requirements), given that Blue Cross plans pay secondary to Medicare.

• SACRAMENTO: Monday, Oct. 31 — 1-3 p.m., ballroom, Courtyard by Marriott hotel
• DAVIS: Wednesday, Nov. 2 — 1-3 p.m., Ballroom A, ARC Ballroom A

A health care facilitator will be available after the presentations for retirees, for individual counseling and assistance with forms.