Health plan update [Vol. 7, no. 1 (Nov. 3, 2006)]

Health Plan Update
A Publication of the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia November 3, 2006 Volume 7, No. 1
Open Enrollment is Nov. 13 Dec. 15
The open-enrollment period for the various health plans the Board of Regents will offer University System of Georgia (USG) employees and their families during 2007 is set for Nov. 13 through Dec. 15.
During this period, all USG employees will have the opportunity to consider whether or not they need to make any changes regarding their health-care coverage for the coming year. Those who wish to change plans or the level of health-care coverage for 2007 should complete the health-plan election form included in their benefits packet. Employees who do not wish to make any changes need not fill out the form.
The coverage provided by the University System's Preferred Provider Organization (PPO), Health Maintenance Organization (HMO) and self-insured indemnity plan will not change in 2007. The HMO health-care plan options will be provided by BlueChoice and Kaiser Permanente.
There will be no open enrollment for the USG indemnity dental plan for 2007. Employees already enrolled in the dental plan will not experience a rate increase or changes in coverage in 2007.
The Board of Regents is scheduled to consider and approve the rates for the 2007 plan premiums at its Nov. 9 meeting. Benefits packets detailing the new rates will be distributed after this meeting.
Educate Your Mind: Make the Smart Choice
Health Plan Update, the plan booklets included in the benefits packets and the openenrollment website (www.usg.edu/employment/benefits/, active as of Nov. 10) are designed to help employees choose the health-care plan that best suits their needs and make good use of benefits such as the pharmacy program and the disease state management program.
The Board of Regents encourages you to use these tools to educate yourself as an informed and responsible consumer. Your smart choices are what enable the Board of Regents to keep increases in health-care premiums well below current national trends without reducing health-care benefits to employees.
Employees who have questions after studying these documents and browsing the website are urged to contact their Human Resources Office for further information.
Get Help in Managing Chronic Diseases/Conditions
The Board of Regents strongly encourages members to continue using the disease state management programs available through the PPO and indemnity plans. Currently, the University System of Georgia offers PPO and indemnity plan members programs for man-
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aging diabetes, congestive heart failure, asthma, oncology, cardiovascular disease (CVD) with stroke overlay and obesity.
Research indicates that participants in these program generally require fewer trips to the emergency room. Participants have access to the leading medical strategies used in treating these chronic conditions, in addition to individualized case management and enhanced quality of life.
For more information on the PPO and indemnity plan programs, call Unicare at 1-800-790-2507.
The BlueChoice HMO plan offers programs in diabetes, asthma, congestive heart failure, cholesterol management for members with cardiac disease and high-risk maternity. For more information, call 1-800-638-4754. The Kaiser Permanente HMO offers programs in diabetes, asthma, congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease and depression. For more information, call 404-261-2590.
Free Smoking-Cessation Program Available
Smoking also has been identified as contributing to an increased risk of cardiopulmonary disease. The Board of Regents encourages members who are smokers to take advantage of the smoking-cessation program added to all USG health plans. "TLC, The Last Cigarette" is available on the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia website at www.bcbsga. com. PPO, indemnity and BlueChoice plan members also can call 1-800-814-1508 to request a free TLC kit. For information on Kaiser Permanente's free, six-week Quit Smart Program, call 404-365-0966 or 1-800-611-1811.
Attention, Medicare-Eligible Members
The Medicare Prescription Drug Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 otherwise known as is "Medicare Part D" took effect on Jan. 1, 2006. This is the most significant recent development affecting prescription-drug coverage in the United States.
The act offers Medicare enrollees an optional outpatient prescription-drug benefit. Members who are Medicare-eligible are required to make an important decision: whether to continue with current prescription drug coverage provided by the USG health-care plans or enroll in a Medicare prescription drug plan offered by an outside vendor approved by Medicare. If a member elects the former option, the University System will be eligible to receive a retiree drug subsidy from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to reinvest in health-care plan reserves.
Please ensure that you carefully compare the costs and the plan design if you decide to utilize an external, CMSapproved, Medicare Part D pharmacy vendor. Some external plans may offer coverage at a higher cost than what you currently pay, and, the covered medications under an external vendor's plan may be more limited than your current Board of Regents preferred drug list.
Detailed information about Medicare plans that offer prescription drug coverage may be viewed at www.medicare.gov, or obtained by calling Medicare at 1800Medicare (18006334227).
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