Benefits open enrollment for 2018 medical plans to begin Monday

Open enrollment provides an annual opportunity for faculty and staff to review benefit offerings and make choices for the upcoming year. This year's open enrollment begins Monday (Oct. 23) and ends at 6 p.m. EST Nov. 10. Benefit selections made during this period go into effect on Jan. 1.

The same three medical plan options with Anthem now in effect will be offered for 2018. Changes to the three health plans for 2018 are:

* Prescription drug coverage: CVS Caremark will become Purdue’s prescription drug administrator for 2018, replacing Express Scripts. Welcome letters will be mailed to employee homes during the first week of open enrollment, and CVS Caremark representatives will be on campus for one-on-one meetings during open enrollment.

* Addition of a wellness incentive focused on encouraging health awareness and engaging with a primary care provider --offering eligible employees the opportunity to earn additional contributions to their health savings account (HSA) and health reimbursement accounts (HRA).

* Purdue faculty and staff will see an increase of 7 percent in medical plan premiums in 2018, and University costs under the plans also will increase by 7 percent.

Throughout open enrollment's three-week time frame, employees will be offered several tools and resources to ease them through the process. 

Enrollment tips

As open enrollment approaches, here are a few tips to keep in mind:

* All employees are asked to actively enroll and are encouraged to set aside time for this important task.

* Remember to review HSA or flexible spending account (FSA) contributions -- take advantage of the pre-tax savings.

* Review beneficiaries. Open enrollment is the perfect time to review and update beneficiaries.

* Don’t stress. There will be open enrollment sessions, labs and additional resources to assist employees and help ensure they choose the plan that is best suited for them and their family.

Enrollment guides will be delivered to campus addresses beginning Monday (Oct. 23) morning. Additional communications and resources -- including walk-in labs, presentations and a dedicated enrollment website -- will follow.

Benefits are an important part of Purdue employees’ total compensation. Benefits staff members are committed to providing excellent customer service and resources -- during open enrollment and all year -- to help employees and their families best use these valuable programs.