During Open Enrollment in November, University of California (UC) employees and retirees will face important decisions about—and changes to—their medical plan benefit choices for 2008.
In light of rising costs and other ongoing changes in the healthcare market, the UC Office of the President has been exploring new options that will help sustain the University’s ability to offer affordable medical benefits and preserve quality and accessibility to medical benefits for UC employees, retirees and their family members.
As a result of the recently completed medical bid process, some of UC’s medical plan benefit choices will change next year. The changes for 2008 include:
- As a result of HMO consolidation, Health Net will be UC’s network HMO provider. UHC-PacifiCare will no longer be offered. However, Health Net benefits and primary care doctors are virtually the same.
- UC will offer most employees new wellness benefits through StayWell.
- UC will offer enhanced and standardized mental and substance abuse benefits to most employees through United Behavioral Health.
- The CIGNA plan, featuring a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) plus a Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), is a brand-new option.
- Most UC employees will pay the same co-pays (for things like office visits and prescription drugs) in 2008 as they currently do in 2007.
Final information and rates will be available in early fall. Open Enrollment will be held from November 1 – 27, 2007. This is when you’ll review your medical plan options and determine the one that best fits your needs. For more detailed information about these and other medical plan options for 2008, including a PowerPoint Presentation and Fact Sheet in English and Spanish, see Related Information.
With Open Enrollment just months away, now is the time to start reviewing your current medical plan and to learn more about your new options. Be sure to visit "At Your Service" for updates.
Detailed information about the changes for 2008, including costs and benefits, will be provided in a mailing to your home address by the end of October, so be sure to update your home address, if needed. To do that, go to "At Your Service" and click on “Sign in to My Accounts.” Then, go to the first bullet on the page, which is “My Contact Information.” You can update your mailing address right there online.
