Open Enrollment Closes at 5 p.m. Nov. 24

Time is running out for faculty and staff members to make selections or changes to their UC benefits for 2016.

Open Enrollment, the annual opportunity for employees to review their benefits to make sure they have the best coverage to suit their needs, ends at 5 p.m. Tuesday (Nov. 24). Changes made during Open Enrollment are effective Jan. 1, 2016.

No major changes to benefits will occur for 2016, but there are a few highlights worth noting:

• The ARAG Legal Plan is open for enrollment this year with no planned rate increase. The benefit provides access to basic, personal legal assistance online, over-the-phone or in person. ARAG also offers a program and services for those affected by identity theft.
• The health flexible spending account (FSA) now includes a feature that lets each employee carry over up to $500 of unused money to the next plan year. Unused funds more than $500 will be forfeited. Employees must re-enroll during Open Enrollment for health or dependent care FSAs. More information regarding FSAs is available on the UCNet website.

At UC Merced, faculty and staff members were given an opportunity to speak with benefits vendors during the campus’s annual Open Enrollment Benefits Fair. Nearly 400 employees attended the event, which included health screenings, giveaways, information tables and a free lunch for those who registered in advance.

Open Enrollment closes promptly at 5 p.m. Tuesday, so those who’ve not yet made their selections are strongly encouraged to do so as soon as possible.

Additional resources:

• 2016 UC Open Enrollment website
• Employee medical plan costs for 2016
• Video: Making the Most of Your Medical Benefits
• Website information in Spanish

Still have questions? Email the Benefits office or call 209-228-2363.