Benefit rates increase slightly: Open enrollment begins April 9

Benefit rates increase slightly
Open enrollment begins April 9

BY JENNIFER EVANS
Rice News staff

Health-benefit costs are increasing nationwide, but for the fourth year in a row, Rice University has managed to keep increases in its premiums below the local and national average.

While most businesses are seeing increases of 8 to 12 percent, Rice has held premiums to a 7 percent increase for the plan year beginning July 1. That translates to only a $4-per-month increase for employee-only coverage through the HMO plan. The largest increase will be for the PPO plan, family coverage, which will cost an additional $53 per month.

Rice will continue to pay between 60 and 84 percent of employees’ monthly premium costs, depending on the plan and coverage options.

 Also remaining unchanged is the administrator for all the plans, Aetna, and the plan designs, RiceCare HMO, RiceCare Flexplan (POS), RiceCare PPO and RiceCare Catastrophic Plan. Detailed information about each plan will be included in the open-enrollment packet, which employees will receive via campus mail by April 9. Information is also available at .

Employees will see no increase in co-pays or deductibles for any of these plans.

The dental insurance plan offerings will continue to be Aetna DMO and United Concordia Indemnity Dental Plan. The indemnity plan premiums will not increase. The cost of the DMO premiums will increase by 5 percent. Employee-only coverage will be $12.36 per month; employee plus one will be $22.51; and employee plus two or more will be $31.52.

Rates for life insurance and long-term care insurance will remain unchanged, and the cost for long-term disability coverage will actually decrease by 20 percent.

There also will be no changes to the flexible spending accounts, which will continue to be administered by WageWorks.

Open enrollment, Rice employees’ annual opportunity to change their health and welfare benefits, will begin at 12:01 a.m. April 9 and run through 11:59 p.m. April 27 and will be conducted online at Esther, <esther.rice.edu>. Changes will be effective July 1.

The benefit packet will include information about all the benefit options, the employee’s Rice Esther ID number and personal identification number as well as complete instructions for the enrollment process.

Employees who have no changes to make to their benefit selections or who have no flexible spending accounts needn’t do anything. Their benefits will continue as-is.

Employees who want to keep medical or dependent-care spending accounts — whether at the same contribution level or a different amount — or those who want to make changes to their benefits must go online to do so.

Employees who choose new benefits that require evidence of insurability, beneficiary elections or long-term care insurance will require additional paperwork, which can be completed in the Human Resources offices in Allen Center.

This also is an opportune time to evaluate and update beneficiary information for life insurance, accidental death and dismemberment insurance and retirement plans. Forms for updating this information can be found at <http://people.rice.edu/benefits.cfm?doc_id=8601>.

The benefits team will be available to answer questions in person, on the phone and via e-mail each day of open enrollment from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Faculty and staff can make an appointment to meet with a benefits team member or drop by 330 Allen Center for assistance.

Staff from Human Resources also will be on hand to answer questions about open enrollment and benefit options at RiceFest, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday, April 12, in Grand Hall, Rice Memorial Center.

Employee cost per month for medical benefits, 2007-08

Detailed information about the benefit options will be included in the open-enrollment packet that benefits-eligible employees will receive via campus mail by April 9. Open enrollment runs April 9-27. Employees who have no changes to make to their benefit selections and who have no flexible spending accounts do not need to do anything. Their benefits will automatically roll over. Employees who want to keep medical or dependent-care spending accounts must do so online at Esther, . Employees can learn more about Rice benefits and benefit providers during RiceFest, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. April 12 in Grand Hall, Rice Memorial Center.