At its Aug. 12 meeting, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia approved the 2016 health care plan changes and premiums for active employees and retirees younger than 65. The board also approved USG funding for the new supplemental coverage for Medicare-eligible retirees and dependents age 65 and older. The 2016 plan year will begin Jan. 1.
There will be very few coverage changes for active employees. Premium increases will depend upon the specific health care plan in which employees are enrolled. Health care plan information will be sent to active employees in early October; open enrollment will be held Nov. 2-13.
Retirees and dependents who are younger than 65 will remain on the same plans as active employees. Separate pre-65 retiree premium rate charts will go into effect for the 2016 plan year.
Medicare-eligible retirees and Medicare-eligible dependents age 65 and older will enroll for supplemental health care coverage and receive the USG health care benefit in a new way in 2016. Medicare Parts A and B will provide primary coverage as they currently do. Supplemental coverage will be provided through the Aon Retiree Health Exchange, and USG will deposit money into a health reimbursement account for retirees and/or their dependents to use towards premiums and other eligible out-of-pocket health care expenses.
The regents approved the USG HRA funding of $2,736 per year or $228 per month for each Medicare-eligible retiree and any Medicare-eligible covered dependent(s) age 65 or older.
To receive the USG HRA funding, the retiree and/or dependent must be enrolled in coverage through the USG plan in 2015 and must purchase coverage through the Aon Retiree Health Exchange in 2016. The enrollment period is Oct. 1-Dec. 31 for coverage that will begin Jan. 1.
Enrollment informational meetings for Medicare-eligible retirees will be held at each USG campus in August and September. Medicare-eligible retirees have received invitations to the Athens meetings, which will be held Aug. 18 and 19. Retirees will receive an enrollment packet by mail from the Aon Retiree Health Exchange in September.
Information about the Medicare-eligible retiree supplemental coverage for 2016 is at http://www.usg.edu/hr/benefits/retiree_benefits.
The board of regents meeting notes can be found at http://www.usg.edu/regents/meetings/date/2015.
The UGA Human Resources Office is ready to assist anyone with questions. Email them to benefits@uga.edu or call 706-542-2222.
