A new Aetna PPO medical plan will be offered along with the current UnitedHealthcare PPO medical plan. As with the UnitedHealthcare PPO plan, for in-network services the Aetna PPO plan does not require participants to select a primary care physician or to receive referrals for visits to specialists, and the option is available to go out-of-network to visit any provider (at a higher expense). To find participating providers in this new Aetna PPO plan, call (800) 535-6689 or visit www.aetna.com and search in the Aetna Choice POS II (Open Access) network under Aetna Open Access Plans.

• The UnitedHealthcare EPO (HMO) plan no longer will be offered for 2009. Employees enrolled under this plan will be required to choose a new medical plan during this open enrollment period. Those who do not elect a new medical plan for 2009 will be placed by default into the high deductible plan with employee-only, single coverage, a $5,000 annual deductible and no prescription drug coverage. Individuals on a J-1 visa who are enrolled under the UnitedHealthcare EPO (HMO) plan and do not elect coverage under another medical plan will be placed by default into the J-1 visa medical plan with employee-only, single coverage and a $500 annual deductible.
• Two new PPO dental plans are being offered through MetLife, the Basic and High Option PPO dental plans. In addition, the Aetna Dental DMO plan will be offered again. Employees who currently are enrolled under the Aetna Dental PPO or PPO Max plans and would like dental coverage for 2009 will need to select another plan during open enrollment.
• The prescription drug co-payment for multi-source drugs will be increased from $30 to $35 for retail (30-day supply) and from $60 to $70 for mail order (90-day supply). Generic co-payments remain $5 for retail and $10 for mail order, and brand-name drugs remain $20 for retail and $40 for mail order.
• In a special enrollment opportunity offered by the University and its group long-term care provider, CNA, eligible faculty and staff members who enroll into that coverage from Oct. 6 through Nov. 14 will be guaranteed acceptance into the plan.

The administration of the J-1 visa medical plan and the high deductible plan will be changed from UnitedHealthcare to Aetna.

Open enrollment lets employees evaluate coverage

The annual benefits open enrollment period for the University’s health and welfare plans will run from Monday, Oct. 6, through Friday, Oct 24. Open enrollment offers faculty and staff an opportunity to review their current benefits and consider changes to their coverage that will become effective Jan. 1, 2009.

Plans are summarized in a Comparison of Benefits table (.pdf).

A new Aetna PPO medical plan and two new dental plans through MetLife will be offered for 2009. The UnitedHealthcare EPO (HMO) plan and the Aetna PPO and PPO Max dental plans no longer will be offered for 2009; employees enrolled in those plans are strongly encouraged to review their options for coverage.

Employees in the UnitedHealthcare EPO (HMO) plan who do not elect coverage under another medical plan option during this open enrollment period will be placed by default into the high deductible medical plan with employee-only coverage. Individuals on a J-1 visa who are enrolled under the UnitedHealthcare EPO (HMO) plan and do not elect coverage under another medical plan will be placed by default in the J-1 visa medical plan with employee-only, single coverage and a $500 deductible.

Employees who are enrolled under the Aetna PPO or PPO Max dental plans and do not elect coverage under another dental plan option during open enrollment will not have dental coverage for 2009.

Open enrollment also is the time when employees can enroll or re-enroll in the expense account plans (Health Benefit Expense Account and/or Dependent Care Expense Account) for 2009. Elections in the expense account plans do not carry forward from the previous year. Faculty and staff must re-enroll if they want to participate in these plans in 2009.

Open enrollment packets will be mailed to benefits-eligible faculty and staff at their homes on or about Oct. 3. Employees should carefully review their current coverage and the open enrollment packet for detailed information.

Faculty and staff members may access eBenefits, the online benefits system, to review their current benefit elections as well as to make their 2009 benefit elections online. Faculty and staff will not receive a paper personalized benefits enrollment form. However, a paper form may be requested.

All benefit enrollment changes must be submitted online by midnight Friday, Oct. 24; however, there will be no human resources assistance after 5 p.m. that day.

Benefits Fairs set for Oct. 15-16

Have questions about your benefits? Want to learn more about the new MetLife dental plans or the new Aetna PPO medical plan? Interested in learning more about CNA’s long-term care plan? Come to a Benefits Fair sponsored by the Office of Human Resources.

The events will take place from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 15, in the Frist Campus Center Multipurpose Rooms and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, in the Spitzer Building at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Representatives from the various health, welfare and retirement vendors will be available.

Participants will be able to:

• Learn what benefit options are available by speaking with representatives from the Office of Human Resources, Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, MetLife, Crosby Benefit Systems, Medco, Carebridge, VSP, CNA and Prudential Life Insurance.
• Get questions about retirement accounts answered by representatives from TIAA-CREF and Vanguard.
• Learn about the upcoming mammography screening program (see story following) from staff members of the University Medical Center.
• Receive information from representatives of the Greater Mercer Transportation Management Association about programs on ride sharing, walking or biking and the use of mass transit to commute to and from work.

Reservations are not required to attend the Benefits Fairs.

Health plans cover breast reconstruction

The Women’s Health and Cancer Rights Act of 1998 requires all group health plans that provide medical and surgical benefits with respect to mastectomy to provide coverage:

• for reconstruction of the breast on which the mastectomy was performed;
• reconstructive surgery of the other breast to produce a symmetrical appearance; and
• prostheses and treatment of physical complications of all stages of mastectomy, including lymphedema (swelling associated with removal of the lymph nodes).

These services must be provided in a manner determined in consultation with the attending physician and the patient. This coverage may be subject to annual deductibles and co-insurance provisions applicable to other such medical and surgical benefits provided under the plan.

Faculty and staff members should refer to their summary plan description for deductibles and co-insurance information applicable to the plan in which they choose to enroll.

Contact the human resources benefits team at 258-3302 or benefits@princeton.edu with questions.

Mammography screening offered

The University will conduct a mammography screening program for female faculty and staff members who are 35 years of age or older Monday through Friday, Oct. 20-24.

Screening will be done at the University Medical Center’s Princeton facility, 253 Witherspoon St., and at its Breast Health Center, 300B Princeton-Hightstown Road in East Windsor. Both facilities are equipped with digital mammography equipment and will provide same-day results when the screening mammogram is completed by 3 p.m.

To pre-register, contact the Princeton facility at 497-4310 or the East Windsor facility at 688-2700. Callers should identify themselves as a member of the University faculty or staff calling to schedule for the Princeton University screening program.

On the day of the appointment, participants should bring their University faculty/staff ID card, medical plan ID card, appropriate co-pay, if applicable, and physician’s name and address. A referral from a primary physician is not required for those covered under a University medical plan.

Contact the human resources benefits team at 258-3302 or benefits@princeton.edu with questions.

Need more information? Check out these sources

There are a number of sources of information that can assist employees in selecting the health care plan or coverage that meets their personal and family needs. Information is available electronically, in print and in person.

Online

Use the online benefits system. Employees can access the eBenefits system to review current benefit elections, covered dependents and beneficiaries, plan rates for 2009
and enroll online. Go to www.princeton.edu/selfservice to log into the Human Resources Self Service website, then select Self Service from the side menu and choose Benefits from the menu options.

Visit the open enrollment website. Go to www.princeton.edu/hr/oe for descriptions of the different plan features, rates for 2009 and links to the various health care providers, which include directories of health care professionals and facilities that participate in the particular health care or dental care plans. Faculty and staff members who do not have access to a computer can view the open enrollment website on kiosks set up in the Office of Human Resources at 1 New South from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In print

Review the open enrollment materials. The benefits open enrollment packet provides comprehensive information on the different plan features, as well as plan rates effective Jan. 1, 2009. Employees also may contact the human resources benefits team at 258-3302 to request a personalized paper benefits enrollment form.

In person

Attend a Benefits Fair. The Benefits Fairs are scheduled for 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15, in the Frist Campus Center Multipurpose Rooms and from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 16, in the Spitzer Building at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Representatives from the health, welfare and retirement vendors will be present to answer questions.

Visit a site. Visit one of the following locations at any time to pick up informational materials:

• 1 New South
• Engineering Quadrangle
• Firestone Library
• Helm Building
• MacMillan Building
• 87 Prospect Ave.
• Jadwin Gymnasium
• Robertson Hall
• Lewis Thomas Laboratory
• PPPL Office of Human Resources, Spitzer Building.