Campus News
October 10, 2011
Benefits open enrollment brings changes for 2012
This year's Benefits Annual Open Enrollment started Monday, Oct. 10 and will continue through Oct. 28, giving Emory University faculty and staff an opportunity to review their current benefit selections and make changes, if needed, for the upcoming year. Elections made during the enrollment period will become effective Jan. 1, 2012.
This year, all faculty and staff will need to participate in Annual Enrollment by logging onto self service — even if they are not making changes to their benefits — in order to complete the tobacco surcharge certification.
Information about benefit options, meeting locations, employee contribution amounts and more can be found on the MyBenefits web site. The 2012 Benefits Guide, a comprehensive guide to Emory's various benefit plans, can also be viewed or downloaded from this site.
The Benefits Department will host a series of meetings across campus beginning on Oct. 12. For those who can't attend an in-person meeting, a webcast is also offered on Oct. 11 at 4 pm, with webcast playback recordings available from Oct. 12-28.
"On a national level, the escalating cost of health care benefits continues to be a factor in plan design and management," says Vice President of Human Resources Peter Barnes. "In 2011, national group plan costs increased by 9.8 percent, the highest cost increase since 2005. Fortunately, for plan year 2012, Emory faculty and staff will see only modest increases on average in employee contributions, again illustrating Emory's commitment to treat faculty and staff as fairly as possible in the current economic climate."
One big change for this year is the addition of a tobacco surcharge — a $50 per person monthly surcharge on medical contributions for faculty and staff and their covered spouses/same sex domestic partners who use tobacco products.
This year, all faculty and staff will need to participate in annual enrollment by logging onto self service — even if they are not making changes to their benefits — in order to complete the tobacco surcharge certification. Additionally, those employees who cover a spouse/SSDP under an Emory sponsored medical plan must also complete the annual spouse/SSDP certification. Additional charges will be automatically applied for those who don't complete these certifications.
For those currently enrolled (or who plan to enroll) in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) for health care or dependent care expenses, re-enrollment is required annually by the IRS. For 2012, over-the-counter drugs and medicines will require a prescription in order to be eligible for reimbursement under the Health Care FSA.
Other changes for 2012 include:
• Preventive care covered at 100 percent
• New vision plan
• Prescription drug co-pay changes
• Employee contributions
Read the Take Care newsletter for more detailed information about each of these changes.
