TO: Benefit Eligible Employees

The CSU annual Open Enrollment period will occur September 12, 2016 through October 7, 2016. Open Enrollment is your annual opportunity to review and update your current benefits for the upcoming year. You can enroll, change or cancel CalPERS health, dental, vision, Flexcash, Dependent Care Reimbursement (DCRA), Health Care Reimbursement (HCRA) or voluntary benefits plans. The effective date for all changes/enrollments made during the Open Enrollment period will be January 1, 2017.

NOTE:  For 2017, the premiums for all plans will be increasing, however, the HMOs will have the most significant increases.  Please carefully review the 2017 CalPERS Health Benefit Premiums rate sheet. The level of coverage for both Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) plans, benefits and network providers in Humboldt County are the same, and are facilitated through the Independent Physicians Association (IPA) in Eureka; the Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plans are administered directly by Anthem Blue Cross.

Prescription coverage may vary for each plan.  Please note that effective January 1, 2017, Optum Rx is the new prescription carrier for all CalPERS PPO plans and Anthem Traditional HMO plan. Prescriptions from the current pharmacy plan, CVS Caremark, will be transferred automatically to Optum Rx.  PrimeMail remains the same prescription carrier for Blue Shield Access+ HMO.  If you have questions regarding the coverage of specific medications in a health plan, please contact Optum Rx member services at (855) 505-8110; or PrimeMail at ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­ (866) 346-7200. The following links will provide you with detailed information for Open Enrollment and the necessary forms to make changes and/or enroll.

• The Open Enrollment Benefits Communication – for the 2017 plan year.
• The health benefits premium rate sheet for 2017.
• To make a health plan change ONLY, complete the highlighted section of the 2017 Plan Change Only Form.  To add or delete dependents, complete the Benefits Enrollment Worksheet.  Please note that if you are adding/deleting dependents and changing health plans, you must complete BOTH forms.
• To enroll or re-enroll for the Health Care Reimbursement (HCRA) and Dependent Care Reimbursement Account (DCRA).  This voluntary benefit plan offers employees the ability to pay for eligible out-of-pocket health care expenses and/or dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.  Additional Information is in the Open Enrollment Benefits Communication (above).
• All information regarding Open Enrollment will be available on the Benefits Website.

All open enrollment forms with original signatures must be hand-delivered to the Human Resources office, Siemens Hall, Room 212, by 5:00 p.m., Friday, October 7, 2016.  

Please plan on attending the annual Benefits Fair scheduled for Thursday, September 15, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., in Goodwin Forum.

HSU Benefits staff will be available during the Benefits Fair (9:00 a.m.– 11:00 a.m.) and after (11:00 a.m.– 1:00 p.m.) to answer specific questions