It’s Open Enrollment time – the period during which you may enroll in a health plan, change your health insurance elections or sign up for a tax-free Flexible Spending Account. Now is the time to consider health insurance options for 2017-18 so that you can make the best choices for you and your family.
Open Enrollment will run from Monday, May 1 through Wednesday, May 31 at 4:30 p.m. The benefits you elect during the Open Enrollment period will remain in effect for the period from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018, unless you have a qualifying life event (marriage, divorce, birth or adoption of a child), at which time you may make changes to your benefit elections.
If you have no changes in your health insurance coverage, no action is required. If you do nothing, your current health insurance elections will stay the same. Participation in Health Care and Dependent Care Spending Accounts, however, requires new enrollment each year. You must make your election for each account online through Employee Self-Service (ESS) or submit a paper enrollment form to Human Resources.
Effective July 1, CareFirst will be our new dental carrier, replacing MetLife dental. This change will provide members with access to a broad dental provider network, the same dental coverage and lower premiums. Employees participating in the current dental plan will receive a new ID card from CareFirst unless they opt out during Open Enrollment. Read the CareFirst FAQ for details.
Please take time to review the Employee Benefits Newsletter, which provides details about Open Enrollment, what’s new in 2017-18, including our new dental insurance provider, CareFirst, premium rates, and instructions for making your elections through Employee Self Service (ESS).
Please plan to attend an Open Enrollment Information Sessions this month, where you can meet with human resources staff and representatives from our various plans and get answers to your questions. You can also:
- Relax and enjoy a free seated massage
- Sample healthy food and drinks
- Learn about the ACPS Finding Fit, our employee wellness program, and the Spring Health Challenge that kicks off on May 1
- Get details about “Real Appeal,” a United Healthcare wellness program that promotes healthy diet and physical activity for lasting weight loss
Please mark your calendar and plan to attend one of the following sessions:
| T.C. Williams Cafeteria | Wednesday, May 3, 3 to 6 p.m |
| Transportation Bus Facility (for Transportation Employees only) | Thursday, May 4, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. |
| George Washington Middle School Library | Thursday, May 11, 3 to 6 p.m. |
| Central Office School Board Room | Tuesday, May 16, 3 to 6 p.m. |
| Hammond Middle School Library | Wednesday, May 24, 3 to 6 p.m |
Have questions about Open Enrollment? Please email HRBenefits@acps.k12.va.us.