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Columns::October 20, 2003
Russell Symposium examines homeland security issues
A legendary event: Homecoming celebration scheduled for Oct. 19-25
Great idea pays off: Accounts payable wins ‘best practices’ award
Four faculty members receive D.W. Brooks Awards
Coffee perks: Researchers find that caffeine lessens muscle pain during vigorous workout
New dual degree offered for UGA undergraduates
Campus Closeup
Update: Private Giving
Newsmakers
Making waves: Grady dean discusses media ownership requirements
A record of time
Campus News
Benefits enrollment period under way for UGA employees, retirees
By Larry B. Dendy
ldendy@uga.edu
University employees and retirees have until Nov. 14 to make decisions about changing their health and dental insurance
coverage, and to enroll or change coverage in other benefits programs.
During the annual enrollment period, which began Oct. 14, employees can enroll, change or cancel coverage in health and dental insurance programs; enroll, change or cancel accidental death and dismemberment insurance; cancel or increase life insurance coverage; and enroll in the Med-Flex and dependent care programs for 2004. Faculty in the Optional Retirement Program can also change allocation of their contributions. Retirees can change or cancel health and dental coverage during the enrollment period.
Lisa Breedlove, a benefits counselor in Human Resources, says employees and retirees should be aware of a number of changes in benefits programs for next year.
A new premium structure that is being implemented for health and dental insurance plans will require some people to change their level of coverage. The new structure has four levels: employee, employee plus child, employee plus spouse, and family.
People who now have employee-plus-one for health coverage must choose either employee plus child or employee plus spouse. Those in the dental plan who are in the family category and are covering only themselves and one other person must choose either employee plus child or employee plus spouse. Failure to make these changes could raise premiums higher than necessary.
The dental insurance program is being opened for the first time only to active employees who previously declined or canceled coverage, or who want to add dependents. Coverage can also be decreased or canceled for 2004. The program will add providers in and outside Georgia as a result of the University System gaining access to the National Dental Network.
Revisions to health insurance plans include changing the number of allowable outpatient short-term rehabilitation visits under the indemnity plan and increasing co-payments for physician office visits and brand-name prescription medications under the HMO plan. Co-payments for preferred and non-preferred brand-name medications will increase under the pharmacy provisions of the indemnity and PPO plans, and out-of-pocket maximums will change from monthly to quarterly for generic and preferred-brand-name medications.
Health insurance premiums will rise next year, as much as 20 percent for some programs.
Everyone covered under health and dental plans will receive a new identification card that will not include Social Security numbers.
Employees and retirees should have received a packet from Human Resources that provides detailed information about changes in insurance and other benefits and forms to make changes. Information also is available on the Web at www.hr.uga.edu.
Human Resources will hold meetings on insurance and other benefits (see “Benefits enrollment information meetings,” above). Reservations aren’t necessary. Social Security representatives will attend the Oct. 28 and Nov. 4 meetings for retirees.
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