Open Enrollment
The New Year is just around the corner! It’s time to think about your health insurance and other benefits for the coming year.
Open Enrollment for Benefits Plan Year 2012 is October 17 – 28. Once again, we are using Employee Self Service (ESS), which is available through ClerkNet, to process changes quickly and conveniently.
See the Benefits Highlights booklet on ClerkNet for more information on benefits options for Plan Year 2012. You may also download a summary of health, dental and vision premiums for 2012.
This page is accessible for your reference from home or other computers outside of the Clerk's office; however links to Employee Self Service and ClerkNet are only available while logged into the Clerk's computer network.
Frequently Asked Questions
Benefits Plan Offerings for 2012
What is open enrollment?
Open Enrollment is the time of year when employees can make changes to their benefits or elect (sign up for) new benefits.
When does open enrollment begin & end?
Open Enrollment for Benefits Plan Year 2012 will run from October 17 – 28.
The Benefits Fair, which provides employees with an opportunity to speak with representatives from our benefits vendors, will take place October 17 – 21. HR representatives will be available during the benefits fair to assist you with your benefits elections.
You do not need to attend the Benefits Fair to participate in open enrollment, but it is your opportunity to ask questions about your benefits plans. While registration is not required to attend, your supervisor’s or manager’s approval is necessary.
Which vendors will be at the Benefits Fair?
When does the new benefits plan year begin?
The benefits plan year begins January 1, 2012, and ends December 31, 2012.
How do I enroll?
Log into Employee Self Service (ESS), which also can be found at the bottom of the ClerkNet homepage under ClerkWorks. Select “Benefits” to view your current benefits selections. During Open Enrollment (October 17 – October 28), you can make changes to your current selections or make new elections. Be sure to make ALL changes and elections during Open Enrollment.
After October 28, no changes to your benefits will be permitted for Plan Year 2012 unless you experience a qualified change in family status associated with a change in benefits, e.g. change in marital status, birth of a child, etc.
Throughout the year, your benefits elections will still be available to you in ESS as a “view only” option.
Training materials to help you process your open enrollment changes through ESS are available via The Learning Connection (TLC). Once you are logged into TLC, click on ClerkWorks. Then click on the green launch arrow to the left of “Introduction to Employee Self Service.” Select the topic of “View/Update Benefits.”
HR staff also will be available during the Benefits Fair to assist you with your ESS entries. While registration is not required to attend, your supervisor’s or manager’s approval is necessary.
What if I want to keep all of my current elections? Do I still have to participate in Open Enrollment?
Open enrollment provides a good opportunity for you to review your elections, covered dependent information and life insurance beneficiaries. No action by you is required unless you want to change your current elections or if you want to reenroll in your health care and/or dependent care Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for Plan Year 2012. In either case, you must make an active election in ESS between October 17 – 28 for these changes to be effective for Benefits Plan Year 2012.
What do I need to do if I have new dependents on my benefits plans or if I need to add new dependents?
New dependents:
If you are adding a dependent to your health, dental or vision plan, you must provide documentation of dependent relationships. View a list of acceptable documentation (PDF).
New or existing adult child dependents (age 19 – 26):
Qualified adult children may remain on their parent’s health, dental and vision coverage through the end of the calendar year in which the child reaches age 26.
Adult dependent children in this category are not eligible for coverage under the Clerk & Comptroller’s grandfathered health plan (group health plan in existence on March 23, 2010) if the adult child is eligible to enroll in an employer-sponsored health plan (such as through his or her job).
Although a dependent child can be married, coverage is not extended to the dependent child’s spouse or children over 18 months old.
Adult child dependents age 26 – 30:
Coverage under the health plan (OAPIN and OAP) may continue past the age of 26 to the end of the calendar year in which the dependent reaches age 30 if:
- The child is unmarried with no dependents, AND
- The child is a Florida resident or a full-time or part-time student, AND
- The child is not enrolled in any other health coverage policy or plan, AND
- The child is not entitled to benefits under Title XVIII of the Social Security Act unless the child is disabled.
Current IRS rules do not permit an employee to receive a tax advantage on any portion of premiums paid related to coverage of a dependent who is not a qualified tax dependent. Employees who cover over-age dependents in this category will experience a post-tax health plan premium deduction.
A separate, post-tax premium applies to cover over-age dependents for 2012 as follows.
- OAPIN: $339.69 per month*
- OAP: $382.55 per month*
*Please note: this post-tax deduction is in addition to your applicable health plan premium for yourself and your tax qualified dependents. Over-age dependent coverage is not available for dental, vision, FSA, supplemental and life insurance coverage.
If you are interested in this coverage, please contact Paula Lisee or Nikki Tweddle in HR Benefits.
Benefits Plan Offerings for 2012
What changes will we experience with our health care plan?
None. Health coverage will continue to be offered through CIGNA under the options of the Open Access Plus (OAP) plan and the Open Access Plus In-Network (OAPIN) plan. The coverage will remain the same with no changes in co-payments, co-insurance or deductibles. We will continue to use the CIGNA Open Access Plus network for in-network benefits. There will be no changes in your premium rates.
What changes will we experience with our dental plan?
Dental coverage will continue to be offered through CIGNA. The Base PPO Plan, Buy Up PPO Plan and CIGNA Dental Care DHMO Plan will stay the same. View a side-by-side comparison of the three plans and their features.
There will be a slight increase of 3% in premium rates for the Cigna Dental Care DHMO plan beginning with the payroll check of 1/20/12 as follows:
Dental DHMO Plan
|
Current Amount Per Pay Period
|
New Amount Per Pay Period
|
Employee Only
|
$4.44
|
$4.57
|
Employee + One
|
$7.17
|
$7.39
|
Employee + Two or More
|
$10.59
|
$10.91
|
There will be a 19% increase in premium rates for the Dental PPO Base Plan and Dental PPO Buy Up Plan as follows:
Dental PPO Base Plan
|
Current Amount Per Pay Period
|
New Amount Per Pay Period
|
Employee Only
|
$7.68
|
$9.14
|
Employee + One
|
$13.61
|
$16.20
|
Employee + Two or More
|
$24.18
|
$28.78
|
Dental PPO Buy Up Plan
|
Current Amount Per Pay Period
|
New Amount Per Pay Period
|
Employee Only
|
$10.18
|
$12.12
|
Employee + One
|
$18.05
|
$21.49
|
Employee + Two or More
|
$32.07
|
$38.17
|
What changes will we experience with our vision plan?
None. Vision coverage will continue to be offered through CIGNA. The plan will stay the same with no changes in premium rates.
What will the new on-site CIGNA representative be able to help me with?
Beginning in 2012, CIGNA will provide a representative on-site at the Clerk’s office for 25 hours a week, exclusively for our employees. You will be able to call, email or meet with the representative to ask questions about claims, benefits or anything else related to CIGNA. The representative will also assist with wellness programs and conduct educational presentations for employees.
Specific duties of the on-site CIGNA representative will include:
- Respond to employee inquiries, solve problems, and ensure client satisfaction with products and service
- Coordinate with CIGNA Account Manager to ensure Clerk employee needs are met and potential problems averted
- Conduct on-site presentations to employees to educate and inform
- Assist wellness program manager with wellness initiatives
- Engage and provide employee communication, health, and wellness strategies
- Provide support during open enrollment
Contact Information for our on-site CIGNA Representative:
MaryAnn (“Mary”) Bartley
Internal Extension: 3-4991
E-mail Address: maryann.bartley@cigna.com
Available Hours:
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; Noon to 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday & Friday; 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Location: Human Resources Department, 9th Floor, Government Center
I’m already enrolled in the Flexible Spending Account plans. Do I have to re-enroll?
Yes! Flexible Spending Accounts (health care and dependent care) must be actively elected or re-elected for Plan Year 2012.
Are there any changes to Flexible Spending Accounts?
Dependent care and health care flexible spending accounts will continue to be offered to employees. Click here to find out more about this benefit.
Due to health care reform, beginning in 2013 health care FSAs will be limited to $2,500. The Clerk’s office currently allows an annual limit of $5,000 for health care FSAs. Therefore, employees and their qualified dependents are encouraged to plan ahead if expenses that may be in excess of $2,500 are planned and may want to consider scheduling these benefits in advance of 2013 (e.g. LASIK eye surgery).
What changes will we experience with our term life insurance?
None. Basic life insurance, additional life insurance, and dependent life and spousal life insurances will continue to be offered through Standard Insurance Company. Basic group term life insurance will continue to be entirely funded by the Clerk. Premium rates for additional life insurance and dependent life and spousal life insurance will remain unchanged for Plan Year 2012.
Please review the Coverage Highlights for information regarding additional, dependent, and spousal life coverage.
If you did not previously elect additional life, dependent life and/or spousal life insurance or wish to increase your existing additional life insurance, this will be considered a “late enrollment.” You may make your elections accordingly by using ESS October 17 – 28. However, you and your dependents will have to undergo and successfully complete the medical underwriting process through Standard Insurance; any requests for newly elected additional life, dependent life, spousal life and/or increases to your existing additional life insurance are subject to providing Evidence of Insurability.
HR Benefits staff will contact you following October 28, 2011, to forward you the Medical History Form.
The coverage will not become effective until we receive a written approval that you or your dependents have been issued an approval by Standard Insurance.
What changes will we experience with our Deferred Compensation Plan program?
We will be adding the option of selecting Roth accounts. Roth accounts are retirement accounts in which qualified distributions from the account are not taxed and deferrals are made on an after-tax basis. If you are interested in this new feature, please see the Nationwide representative at the Benefits Fair. The representative will also be available for on-site visits in the month of January 2012. We will release additional information regarding this new option before the end of the year.
What changes will we experience with whole life coverage?
Whole life coverage will continue to be offered by MetLife. MetLife is again able to offer Guaranteed Whole Life Policies that offer a contingent guaranteed issue benefit. If you wish to enroll or change a MetLife product, you will need to meet with a representative at the Benefits Fair. Please refer to the Benefits Fair Schedule for the available dates, times and locations of the fair and coordinate your attendance with your supervisor/manager. Employees who do not elect this benefit during Open Enrollment and wish to elect the coverage at a later date will be subject to MetLife’s standard medical underwriting approval procedure.
What changes will we experience with our Long Term Disability (LTD) coverage?
None. Long term disability benefits will continue to be offered through Standard Insurance Company for Plan Year 2012. This benefit will continue to be 100% funded by the Clerk.
What changes will we experience with our Short Term Disability coverage?
None. Short term disability benefits will continue to be offered through Standard Insurance Company for Plan Year 2012. This benefit will continue to be 100% funded by the Clerk.
What changes will we experience with Aflac?
We will no longer offer Short Term Disability through Aflac. Short Term Disability is provided through Standard Insurance Company and is fully funded by the Clerk & Comptroller's office. All other Aflac products will continue to be offered.
If you wish to enroll or change an Aflac product, you will need to meet with a representative at the Benefits Fair. Please refer to the Benefits Fair Schedule for the available dates, times and locations of the fair and coordinate your attendance with your supervisor/manager.
What changes will we experience with our legal benefits and identity theft shield?
Pre-Paid Legal Services, Inc., is now Legal Shield. We will continue to offer pre-paid legal services and the “Identity Theft Shield” program through Legal Shield. If you wish to enroll or change your benefits with Legal Shield, you will need to meet with a representative at the Benefits Fair. Please refer to the Benefits Fair schedule for the available dates, times and locations of the fair and coordinate your attendance with your supervisor/manager.
Please note that legal and identify theft shield coverage changes must be made both via a hardcopy form as well as entry into the Employee Self Service system.
What if I want to opt out of the Clerk & Comptroller’s office benefits?
Employees who opt out of the Clerk & Comptroller’s office health coverage for Plan Year 2012 and who can show evidence of health insurance coverage will be eligible to receive the benefit of an employer-funded health care Flexible Spending Account, funded in 24 equal pay period installments of $62.50 each during the period qualified, resulting in a Plan Year funding of up to $1,500.
Employees eligible for this benefit will have to actively elect or re-elect (regardless of prior year participation) in the Opt-Out benefit via the Employee Self Service system during this open enrollment period. In addition, employees have to submit currently dated evidence of health coverage to Human Resources/Attn: Nikki Tweddle, along with a completed Waiver of Group Health Insurance Coverage & Affirmation of Other Health Insurance Coverage.
When will I see changes in my pay for any changes I made during Open Enrollment?
Open enrollment changes that result in a change in premiums for the following benefits will be reflected in your January 20, 2012, paycheck:
- CIGNA health, dental, vision
- Pre-Paid Legal/Identity Theft
- Standard Insurance group term life benefits*
Open enrollment premium changes for your Aflac, MetLife and Flexible Spending Accounts will be reflected in your January 6, 2012, paycheck.
*Enrollments in or changes to the group term life benefits that require successful completion of the medical underwriting process will not take effect until Standard Insurance issues an approval notification.
Will I receive a confirmation of the Open Enrollment changes I made?
In mid-November, you will receive an open enrollment benefits confirmation statement so that you can review your elections and report any errors to Human Resources for correction.