A biweekly publication for faculty and staff

Open Enrollment Starts Oct. 29

October 9, 2015

The open enrollment period for benefits is just around the corner.

Open enrollment for benefits starts Oct. 29 and ends Nov. 24.Open enrollment — which begins at 8 a.m. Oct. 29 and closes at 5 p.m. Nov. 24 — is the designated time when employees can make changes to their benefits and elect health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts for the 2016 fund year. Changes made during open enrollment become effective Jan. 1.

During open enrollment employees can:

  • change to a different medical plan;
  • change to a different dental plan;
  • opt out of medical, dental, and/or vision coverage or enroll if they opted-out previously;
  • enroll eligible family members in health plans;
  • cancel coverage for a currently enrolled family member;
  • enroll or re-enroll in the dependent care reimbursement account;
  • enroll or re-enroll in the health care reimbursement account;
  • cancel tax savings on insurance premium (TIP) participation or re-enroll if they’ve previously opted out; and/or
  • enroll in the ARAG Legal Plan  an opportunity that is not available every year for enrollment.

UC Merced will host the Open Enrollment Benefits Fair for faculty and staff members from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, in the Joseph Edward Gallo Recreation and Wellness Center. At the fair, attendees can meet benefits vendors, enjoy refreshments, get free cholesterol and blood pressure screenings and win door prizes. Insurance carrier representatives will be there to answer questions and provide information to assist employees in making benefits decisions.

Faculty and staff members participating in the Living Well program can earn 2,500 points toward a $75 Visa rewards card by attending the benefits fair. Attendees interested in earning points must bring their CatCards and make sure to sign in at the entrance.

More detailed information related to open enrollment will be released in the coming weeks. Meanwhile, questions can be directed to the Benefits Office in Human Resources by calling 209-228-2363 or emailing benefits@ucmerced.edu.