More about open enrollment.

Open enrollment resources are plentiful: online, in booklets mailed to employees' homes, and in person — at large-group presentations and other programs, and during special help desk hours.

One presentation and one help desk session took place this week, but there are many more such opportunities yet to come.

For example, the Health Care Facilitator Program, which serves the Davis and Sacramento campuses, has scheduled eight large group presentations Nov. 4 through 9, with no reservations required, dealing only with health coverage.

The large group presentations are divided evenly between Davis and Sacramento, on the following topics:

• Medical plan overview (a total of four presentations)
• Working with your health maintenance organization, or HMO (two presentations)
• Health insurance after you retire (two presentations)

The Davis campus and UC Davis Health System benefits units have arranged a variety of other presentations dealing with all aspects of open enrollment (and all of the available benefits: medical as well as dental, vision, legal, etc.).

In addition, the Health Care Facilitator Program announced presentations for retirees only — on retiree medical plans and choosing between Blue Cross plans when you have Medicare.

AT A GLANCE

WHAT: Open enrollment is your annual opportunity to make changes in benefits coverage.

WHEN: 8 a.m. Monday, Oct. 25, to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 23. Changes will take effect Jan. 1, 2011.

WHO: Anyone making a change (including the addition of children up to age 26), and anyone who wishes to renew or establish a tax-saving flexible spending account for dependent care or medical expenses. (NOTE: FSA accounts do not automatically renew; if you want an FSA, you must sign up again.) If you are not making any benefits changes and do not want an FSA, you need not do anything.

HOW:

For medical, dental, vision and legal — Online. Employees without computer access should contact their department or unit offices, or the Davis campus or UC Davis Health System benefits office:

• Davis campus — (530) 752-1774
• UC Davis Health System — (916) 734-8099

For changes in life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment coverage (such as adding a child up to age 26) — You need to fill out a form and submit it to your campus’s benefits office. Click here for the form, or contact your benefits office.

OVERVIEW (MEDICAL OPTIONS ONLY): DAVIS AND SACRAMENTO

This presentation will provide information about all medical insurance options while highlighting any changes for 2011— in particular, UC's two new health plans: Anthem Lumenos PPO+HRA (preferred provider organization with health reimbursement account) and Health Net Blue & Gold HMO. All UC medical plans will be described, compared and contrasted. Other plans to be discussed: Anthem Blue Cross PLUS, Anthem Blue Cross PPO, Health Net HMO, Kaiser Permanente HMO, Western Health Advantage HMO and the catastrophic plan Core. The presentation also will cover behavioral health and wellness benefits. No reservations required.

• DAVIS: Thursday, Nov. 4 — 9-10:30 a.m., Ballroom B, Activities and Recreation Center
• DAVIS: Friday, Nov. 5 — 1-2:30 p.m., Ballroom B, ARC
• SACRAMENTO: Monday, Nov 8 — 9-10:30 a.m., ballroom, Courtyard by Marriott hotel, 4422 Y St.
• SACRAMENTO: Tuesday, Nov. 9 — 2-3:30 p.m., auditorium, Cancer Center, 4501 X St.

OVERVIEW (ALL OF OPEN ENROLLMENT): DAVIS

Presentations that will offer a very general view of open enrollment. Seating is first-come, first-served.

• Wednesday, Nov. 3 — 10:30 a.m.-noon, Mee Room, Memorial Union
• Monday, Nov. 8 — 1:30-3 p.m., Ballroom A, Conference Center (at the campus’s south entry)
• Thursday, Nov. 18 — 1-2:30 p.m., Mee Room, MU
• Monday, Nov. 22 — 10:30 a.m.-noon, 182 Human Resources Administration Building, Orchard Road just west of La Rue Road

OPEN ENROLLMENT FAIR: UC DAVIS HEALTH SYSTEM

• 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 3, ballroom, Courtyard by Marriott hotel

HELP DESK: DAVIS AND SACRAMENTO

For individual counseling, on a first-come, first-served basis.

• DAVIS: Thursday, Nov. 4 — 10:40 a.m.-noon, Ballroom B, ARC
• DAVIS: Friday, Nov. 5 — 11:40 a.m.-1 p.m., Ballroom B, ARC
• DAVIS: Nov. 15 — 1-4 p.m., Ballroom B, ARC

• SACRAMENTO: Friday, Nov. 5 — 11 a.m.-1 p.m., cafeteria in the new Pavilion, main hospital
• SACRAMENTO: Monday, Nov. 8 — 10:40 a.m.-noon, ballroom, Courtyard by Marriott hotel
• SACRAMENTO: Tuesday, Nov. 9 — 11 a.m.-1 p.m., cafeteria, Ambulatory Care Center
• SACRAMENTO: Tuesday, Nov. 9 — 12:40-2 p.m., auditorium, Cancer Center
• SACRAMENTO: Wednesday, Nov. 10 — 11 a.m.-1 p.m., Broadway Building (Room 2510)
• SACRAMENTO: Tuesday, Nov. 16 — 11 a.m.-1 p.m., cafeteria in the new Pavilion, main hospital

OTHER PRESENTATIONS: DAVIS AND SACRAMENTO

WORKING WITH YOUR HMO: Get to know your HMO! This session will offer information to help to make you a more effective health care consumer. Topics will include: matching your priorities with services, choosing your doctor and problem solving.

• DAVIS: Friday, Nov. 5 — 10-11:30 a.m., Ballroom B, ARC
• SACRAMENTO: Tuesday, Nov. 9 — 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., auditorium, Cancer Center

HEALTH INSURANCE AFTER YOU RETIRE: Thinking about retiring within the next year or so? If so, this presentation can help you get to know the health insurance package offered to UC retirees. UC’s retiree health plan eligibility rules and 2011 costs will be reviewed.The presentation also will include a discussion of medical plans for people who move outside of California, and information on how UC's plans coordinate with Medicare.

• DAVIS: Thursday, Nov. 4 — noon-1 p.m., Ballroom B, ARC
• SACRAMENTO: Monday, Nov. 8 — noon-1 p.m., ballroom, Courtyard by Marriott hotel

FOR RETIREES ONLY

UC RETIREE MEDICAL PLANS: A general overview of the medical insurance plans that UC offers to retirees and their dependents. The options include the new Health Net Blue & Gold HMO. During this approximately two-hour presentation, all of UC’s medical plans, both with and without Medicare, will be compared and contrasted. The program also will highlight the changes for 2011 and address UC's Medicare requirements.

• SACRAMENTO: Monday, Nov. 1 — 9 a.m., ballroom, Courtyard by Marriott hotel
• DAVIS: Tuesday, Nov. 2 — 9 a.m., Ballroom A, ARC

CHOOSING BETWEEN BLUE CROSS PLANS WHEN YOU HAVE MEDICARE: Intended primarily for Medicare-eligible retirees, this presentation will compare and contrast the four Anthem Blue Cross plans that UC offers while highlighting any changes for 2011. Since Blue Cross plans pay secondary to Medicare, coordination with Medicare (and UC’s Medicare requirements) will be discussed. This presentation runs for about two hours.

• SACRAMENTO: Monday, Nov. 1 — 1 p.m., ballroom, Courtyard by Marriott hotel
• DAVIS: Tuesday, Nov. 2 — 1 p.m., Ballroom A, ARC