Flex Credits

• Flex Credits are increasing by 7%.

Medical Plans

• UnitedHealthcare (UHC) ‐ UHC plans will waive copays for generic high blood pressure and diabetes drugs delivered through home delivery.

• Kaiser – The following services are available at no cost to members:

• • A1c testing for diabetes, low‐density lipoprotein (LDL) testing for heart disease.

• • International normalized ratio (INR) testing for liver disease or bleeding disorders.

Dental Plans

• Diagnostic and preventive services will no longer count toward the annual benefit maximum of $2,000 per individual under the PPO dental plan. This means you can get regular checkups and cleanings without reducing your annual maximum benefit.

Vision Plan

• Increased Frame Allowance — When you purchase frames from an in‐network provider, the plan will now cover up to $150 of the cost, after your $15 copay.

Spending Accounts

• The maximum amounts you can contribute to a spending account are increasing in 2021:

• • Health Savings Account (HSA) — Individual coverage: $3,600; family coverage: $7,200.
  • Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) — $2,750.
  • The annual rollover amount for a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) or HCFSA has increased to $550 for 2021, if the 2020 account remains active through 12/31/2020.

Voluntary Short‐Term (STD) and Long‐Term Disability (LTD)

• New Voluntary STD and LTD Administrator — Lincoln Financial Group will administer our voluntary short‐term and long‐term disability plans. Plan designs and rates will not change, and there is nothing you need to do if you are currently enrolled and want to continue coverage.

• • If you are currently on disability leave, or have an active disability claim in 2020, Cigna will continue to administer the plan for you until your disability ends.

All Employees should review their benefit elections annually.  This year’s Open Enrollment is all about Learning, Planning, and Choosing benefit plans to meet your needs and lifestyle.

Learn what’s changing for the upcoming plan year and check out the frequently asked questions.

Plan, by visiting the Open Enrollment Website for benefit plan information.

Choose your benefits and complete your enrollment in PeopleSoft eBenefits anytime from September 28th- October 22nd, 2020.

Check out the Open Enrollment Guide  to help you learn, plan, and choose the right benefits for you: (link to OE Decision Guide).

Reminders:

If you are planning to waive your Medical coverage for the 2021 plan year, you must select the waiver option that applies to you during enrollment.

Health Care and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Accounts must be re-elected annually.  2020 elections will not carry over into the new plan year.

Access the MetLife website to designate your life insurance beneficiaries at www.metlife.com/mybenefits.  The group name is County of San Diego. You may log into your MetLife account at any time to update your life insurance beneficiaries. If you have not previously registered your account with MetLife, you will be prompted to create a username and password.

The County of San Diego’s flexible benefit program provides you with a pay period allowance known as your Flex Credit amount.  These are credits that you can use toward your benefit premiums. Flex Credits can be applied toward the cost of your health care plans, various supplemental insurances, and Spending Accounts.

How many benefit flex credits do I get?

To see your Flex Credits and benefit plans, visit the Benefit Plan Summaries by Union Code page - and search for your Union Code’s benefit plan summary.

Things you should know about Flex Credits.

•  They carry no cash value.

Where Do Excess Flex Credits Go If I Waive Medical Coverage?

•  Remaining Flex Credits will be directed to the respective reimbursement account based on your waive reason up to the IRS plan maximums.

•  Remaining Flex Credits less than $5 per pay period and $120 per calendar year, will be forfeited.

Thing to note:

•  Flex Credits will be allocated to the appropriate reimbursement account based on your medical election.

• Excess flex credits automatically applied to a Health Care Flexible Spending Account (HCFSA) have a $500 annual limit.

• If you would like to apply Flex Credits to a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account (DCFSA), you must make an election during open enrollment.

The Excess Flex Credit Chart located in the Open Enrollment Guide is a great resource for figuring out where your excess Flex Credits can be applied.  Please visit the Open Enrollment Website and click on the Benefits Guide for more information about Flex Credits.

During Open Enrollment re-enrollment is always required for Flexible Spending Accounts (FSAs) and Health Savings Account (HSAs).

When you enroll in an FSA or HSA, you decide how much you want to contribute annually, up to the IRS plan limits the money you contribute is deducted from your paycheck, on a pre-tax basis, over 24 pay periods.

FSAs provide you with a way to pay for eligible out-of-pocket health care and dependent care expenses, save money, and they’re easy to use.

Here’s how they work:

Determine your expenses:

• Decide how much you want to contribute during the benefit plan year (January 1 through December 31).
• Be sure to estimate carefully: A combined amount of $550 between the Health Reimbursement Account and the Health Care FSA will automatically rollover annually if you have an active account on December 31st.
• Any remaining balances will be forfeited after December 31st. (This is called the “use it or lose it” rule.)
• Keep in mind, if you elect a High Deductible Health Plan during open enrollment, and have a Health Care FSA, rollover funds will be directed into a Limited Purpose FSA (dental and vision purposes only). If you have an HRA and elect an HDHP plan during open enrollment, you will not be eligible for HRA rollover.
• There is no rollover for Dependent Care FSAs.
• Be sure to save your receipts and look for important reminders from the Benefits Division.

Things you should know about Health Reimbursement Accounts (HRAs).

Are you wondering how you can contribute to a Health Reimbursement Account?

• HRAs are only funded by County Excess Flex Credit contributions.  If you have excess Flex Credits, they will automatically be allocated to the appropriate reimbursement account, based on your medical election.

Health Savings Accounts (HSA)

• HSAs are only available if you enroll in a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP).
• HSA funds roll over from year to year and you own the account forever.
• HSA contributions can be changed at any time.

For more information on any of the Spending Accounts, please visit the Open Enrollment Website.

High Deductible Health Plans, often referred to as HDHPs are medical plans that put you in control of your health care spending.

They offer two main components:

• The first component is the medical plan. Under a HDHP, premiums are usually lower, but you have a high deductible that you must pay before the insurance company starts to pay its share.
• The 2nd component is the Health Savings account, HSA for short. This is a type of savings account that lets you set aside money on a pre-tax basis to pay for qualified medical expenses. By using pre-taxed dollars to pay for deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and some other expenses, you may be able to lower your overall health care costs.

To be eligible for an HSA, you must meet the following requirements.

• You are covered under a high deductible health plan (HDHP).
• You have no other health coverage.
• You aren’t enrolled in Medicare, Tricare or considered active duty military.
• You can’t be claimed as a dependent on someone else’s tax return.

 For more information about HDHP and HSA eligibility, visit the County’s Open Enrollment Website.

If you are a new employee hired during the County’s Open Enrollment period, you must complete your New Hire elections first.

• Your New Hire elections will carry over into 2021 with the exception of those who Waive their medical coverage and for those who have elected spending accounts.

If you meet either exception, you will then need to make elections again for the 2021 plan year.

If you have a Qualifying Life Event during OE, please email DHRBenefits.FGG@sdcounty.ca.gov or call us at 888-550-2203 to coordinate the Life Event and your Open Enrollment elections.

If you are waiving medical coverage, proof of other coverage is not required. However, you are required to complete Open Enrollment in eBenefits to indicate that you are waiving medical coverage.

If you are enrolling a dependent in one of the County health plans (medical, dental, vision and/or critical illness) for the first time, you will need to provide proof of relationship:

• marriage certificate for a spouse.
• birth certificate(s) for children.
• affidavit of domestic partnership or certificate of registered domestic partnership for a domestic partner.

Be sure to read all of the text on each screen so you know what you will need to provide.

Documents can be submitted through the PeopleSoft - eBenefits “Document Upload” feature or by sending an email to the Benefits Department.  Here’s the email address: DHRBenefits.FGG@sdcounty.ca.gov.

For more information, please visit the Open Enrollment Website.

Review UnitedHealth Care (UHC) networks to see which network your provider is in.  The network you select will be the one you remain on for the plan year.

For help with selecting a network, call the County of San Diego VEBA Advocacy line at (888) 276-0250.

If you are newly enrolling in a UHC plan you can elect your network during Open Enrollment. UnitedHealth Care will automatically assign a Primary Care Provider (PCP) for newly enrolled UHC HMO members.

To change your  PCP,  you must contact UnitedHealthcare at (888) 586-6365 between December 7, 2020 and December 11, 2020.

If you are continuing your current medical plan with no changes, your provider will remain the same.  All current UHC members will also receive new ID cards for 2020.

The cards are being sent throughout the month of January.  Remember, you can still use your current UHC card as verification until the new ID card arrives.

UnitedHealthcare links and contact information:

• UHC Website: https://cosd.welcometouhc.com/
• UHC Member Services: 888-586-6365
• COSD/VEBA Advocacy Center:   888-276-0250

Your elections will be effective January 1, 2021 through December 31, 2021

UnitedHealth Care – HMO Members

UHC will automatically assign a Primary Care Provider (PCP) for newly enrolled UHC HMO members.

To change your  PCP  you must contact UnitedHealthcare at (888) 586-6365 between December 7, 2020 and December 11, 2020.

If you are continuing your current medical plan with no changes, your provider will remain the same.

Delta Dental – DeltaCare DHMO Members

Delta Dental will automatically assign a Primary Care Dentist (PCD) for newly enrolled DeltaCare HMO members.

To change your PCD, you must contact Delta Dental at 844-697-0579 between December 7, 2020 and December 11, 2020.

Delta Dental PPO and VSP Members

Members will not be receiving ID cards. These plans require the primary member’s social security number and date of birth. The provider’s office will contact the carriers directly for verification of enrollment.

Benefits Ambassadors are available throughout the County to assist with questions about Open Enrollment. If your department does not have a designated Benefits Ambassador, please reach out to another Benefits Ambassador from your group.

Visit the Open Enrollment Website for more information.

Open Enrollment is available from September 28th through October 22nd, 2020. You can access eBenefits as many times as you like to change your elections for plan year 2021, just make sure that you confirm your final change is correct. Additional changes cannot be made after October 22nd unless you experience a Qualifying Life Event outside of Open Enrollment.

Reminder: after you submit your final elections, print a copy of your confirmation page for your records. A confirmation will not be emailed to you.

To confirm your elections have been submitted, access eBenefits where you made your elections:

Main Menu > Self Service > Benefits > Benefits Enrollment

After your Open Enrollment elections have been submitted, the Event Status will be updated from “Open” to “Submitted”.

Reminders

You can make changes and new elections as many times as you like while Open Enrollment is available from September 28th through October 22nd, 2020.

Print a copy of your confirmation page for your records. A confirmation will not be emailed to you.