In Brief
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Every year, the Crozer-Keystone Health System offers benefit-eligible employees an open enrollment period, during which they can make changes to their benefit elections.
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This year’s open enrollment period begins on Monday, Nov. 7, and ends on Friday, Nov. 18.
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Open enrollment is the only time during the year that benefit-eligible employees may add or delete dependents or change benefit elections without experiencing a life event or eligible change in work status, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service.
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For the second straight year, employees can enroll via the World Wide Web, or by returning a paper enrollment form. Each option provides employees with a convenient method of updating their benefits package.
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Benefit fairs will be held at all Crozer-Keystone sites in November. Changes made during the open enrollment period will become effective on Jan. 1, 2006.
More than 1,000 benefit-eligible employees can’t be wrong. When it comes to choosing your benefits package, online enrollment is the way to go.
“More than 1,100 employees enrolled online during our 2005 open enrollment period last fall, and based on the positive feedback we heard from them, we’re expecting even more to take advantage of this new and improved tool,” says Edward Potts, CKHS vice president for Employee Benefits Services. “Online enrollment is available 24 hours a day, and with the click of your mouse, you can make benefit elections, update beneficiary or dependent information, or just review your current benefit elections. You can even print out a statement confirming your elections.”
Open enrollment is the only time during the year that benefit-eligible employees may add or delete dependents or change benefit elections without experiencing a life event or eligible change in work status, as defined by the Internal Revenue Service. Changes made during the open enrollment period become effective Jan. 1, 2006.
This year’s open enrollment period begins on Monday, Nov. 7, and concludes on Friday, Nov. 18. All benefit-eligible employees will receive a complete open enrollment package through the mail during the first week of November. The package includes information about what’s new for 2006, an updated Choices benefit booklet, and a personalized 2006 enrollment form that reflects the employee’s current benefit elections and 2006 costs.
Information mailed to the employee’s home will also include the simple instructions and unique Personal Identification Number (PIN) and password that you will need to enroll online via the World Wide Web.
“This year’s online benefits enrollment system has several new features that provide employees with important information that they need right at their fingertips,” says Christine Keck, employee benefits manager. “For example, employees who are considering enrolling in a Medical, Dependent Care or Transit Reimbursement Account for 2006 can use an online calculator that will show — in dollars and cents — the tax advantages of participating in a reimbursement account and paying for things like braces, medical and prescription drug copays and deductibles, child care, or SEPTA fares using pretax dollars. Employees can also take advantage of a new health plan selection tool that can help them choose the medical plan that best meets their families’ needs.”
To encourage employees to enroll or view their benefit selections online, Employee Benefits Services will once again offer prizes, via a random drawing, for employees who access their benefit information via the Internet.
To help employees through the open enrollment process, annual Benefit Fairs are scheduled for each CKHS site on the following dates:
Monday, Nov. 7: Delaware County Memorial Hospital, Meeting Rooms A & C, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 8: Springfield Hospital, First Floor Conference Room, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 9: Crozer-Chester Medical Center, James E. Clark Auditorium Lobby, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 10: Community Hospital, Southeast Conference Room, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 11: Taylor Hospital, Classrooms A & B, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Representatives from Employee Benefits Services, various benefit plans and the Employee Wellness Team will be available at each fair to discuss the Choices plan and the options employees have.
Benefit Fair teams can also help an employee determine if he or she must submit 2006 enrollment elections, or if no action is required. For example, any employee who wants to change his or her benefit elections or covered dependents, enroll in a reimbursement account, or sell personal time to pay for benefits must submit enrollment elections. Elections can be made online via the World Wide Web or Intranet, or using the standard paper enrollment form provided in each employee’s personalized open enrollment package.
For more information on the Choices benefit package and the open enrollment process, call Employee Benefit Services at (610) 595-6380 or 19-6380.