Memo on Special Enrollment, August 15 through September 15, 2010

Date:   August 2, 2010

To:       All Benefits-Eligible UVM Faculty, Staff and Retirees

From:  Barbara L. Johnson, Associate Vice President, Human Resource Services

Re:      Special Enrollment Period, August 15 through September 15, 2010

Summary: In order to extend health insurance coverage to adult children of UVM employees up to the age of 26, a University Special Enrollment is scheduled from August 15 through September 15, 2010. During this period, an adult child up to age 26 who has previously been ineligible for coverage due to his/her age, may be enrolled for coverage that will be effective October 1, 2010.

Note: If you do not wish to make changes to your healthcare coverage, no action is necessary at this time.

As described in my memo of June 2, the healthcare reform (“Affordable Care Act”) signed into law in March requires UVM to allow coverage for adult children on their parent’s health insurance until they reach age 26. In that correspondence, I indicated that UVM would be conducting a special enrollment period for eligible adult children. The special enrollment period will be from August 15 through September 15 at 4:30 pm for coverage effective October 1, 2010. If you do not add your eligible dependents during this special enrollment, you will not be able to make any changes until the May 2011 Open Enrollment.

Note that you can only make changes to your UVM healthcare coverage during this special enrollment period if you have an adult child up to the age of 26 who has previously been ineligible for coverage due to his or her age.

Benefits-Eligible employees have the following choices for medical insurance coverage:

  1. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (VHP or VFP plan)
  2. MVP Health Plan
  3. Waiver of Medical Coverage

Coverage Changes That May Be Made at This Time:

  1. You may enroll your adult children to your existing health plan or
  2. Sign-up for a different carrier (BCBS to MVP or MVP to BCBS) or
  3. Drop your current waiver of coverage and enroll your family for coverage under BCBS or MVP or
  4. Drop your current BCBS or MVP coverage and choose to waive coverage

Coverage That May Not Be Changed at This Time:

  1. Dental Insurance. (There is no change to dental insurance eligibility as a result of the Affordable Care Act. Coverage for a child on a parent’s policy still ends at age 24.)
  2. Life Insurance (same as dental eligibility)
  3. Long-Term Disability Insurance (only during open enrollment in May)
  4. Flexible Spending Account (only in November)

To make a change to coverage, you must print out an Enrollment Application/Change form from the appropriate vendor and a Certification of Dependents form. Complete the forms, sign them and send the originals (by mail, campus mail, or in-person) to:

Human Resource Services, 85 So. Prospect Street, 228 Waterman Bldg., Burlington, VT 05405.

The form(s) must be received in Human Resource Services by 4:30 PM on Wednesday, September 15. If you are making changes, you will need the form(s) in one of the following three categories:

To Add a Child/Family to Blue Cross and Blue Shield of VT

To Add a Child/Family to MVP Healthcare

To Cancel Medical Coverage for Your Entire Family

For further information, review the links on the Employee Information page of the HRS web site. If you still have questions, please e-mail HRSInfo@uvm.edu.