The State Health Plan will conduct Annual Enrollment March 19-30, 2012. Employees should be receiving enrollment materials in the mail this week.

Please communicate to your employees that they do NOT need to do anything during Annual Enrollment if they are satisfied with the plan in which they are currently enrolled. If they take no action, they will remain on their current plan, along with any covered dependents. Any plan changes made during Annual Enrollment will become effective July 1, 2012.

Once employees choose a benefit plan, they may not elect to switch plans until the next Annual Enrollment period. The coverage type they select, (for example, employee only), will remain in effect until the next benefit plan year, unless the employee experiences a qualifying life event. Qualifying life events include changes such as marriage, birth, death and retirement.

If employees have additional questions about Annual Enrollment or their benefits, please direct them to the State Health Plan website or to call Customer Service at 888-234-2416. Customer Service hours have been extended from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. throughout Annual Enrollment, March 19-30, 2012.

Effective July 1, 2012, there has been a 5.3% premium rate increase. There has been no change to copays, deductibles and coinsurance maximums. For detailed rate information, visit the State Health Plan website.

Pharmacy Benefit Change
The Plan's Board of Trustees approved a cap on the maximum amount members must pay to cover the difference between brand and generic medications when a generic equivalent is available. For brand name drugs with a generic equivalent, if the brand name drug is chosen, members must pay the generic copayment plus the difference between the Plan's cost of the brand name drug and the Plan's cost of the generic drug not to exceed $100 per a 30-day supply of the brand medication.

No paper applications will be accepted, employees must enroll through BEACON or eBenefitsNow. Enrollment instructions are available on the State Health Plan's website. Members that make a change during Annual Enrollment can expect to receive a new ID card in June.