2015 MPS
Health & Dental Plan
Open Enrollment:
October 31, 2014
through
November 26, 2014
Effective January 1
2015
Office of Human Capital Services
Benefits and Retirement Services
APPLICATION DEADLINE: 5:00 P.M. Wednesday, November 26, 2014 with changes effective January 1, 2015 OPEN ENROLLMENT SESSION: Wednesday, November 12, 2014 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. MPS Administration Building – Auditorium 5225 West Vliet Street Representatives from the carriers will be available to answer your questions PLEASE RETAIN THIS BOOKLET FOR FUTURE REFERENCE
Contents
What’s New? ... 1 New Ways to Have your Questions Answered ... 1 New Health Plan Option and New Employee Benefit ... 1 Changes to our EPO/PPO Plan ... 1 New Prescription Drug Provider ... 1 Medicare Advantage ... 1 What are my health plan options? ... 2 ACTIVE EMPLOYEES AND EARLY (Non‐Medicare) RETIREES ... 2 What’s New In the EPO and PPO? ... 2 Special Notes on the HDHP Plan ... 3 How do I know which plan is best for me? ... 3 Health Savings Account ... 3 What bank will MPS be using for its HSA program? ... 3 Who owns the money in the HSA? ... 4 Will MPS contribute to my HSA? ... 4 What can I use the money in my HSA for? ... 4 What happens if I withdraw the money to spend on non‐qualified medical expenses? ... 4 What happens to funds left in the account at the end of the year? ... 4 What are the tax advantages of a HSA? ... 4 Can I change my contribution level during the year? ... 4 Am I eligible to open a HSA account? ... 4 How do I enroll in the HSA program? ... 5 If I am an early (non‐Medicare) retiree, am I eligible for the HDHP plan? ... 5 MEDICARE ELIGIBLE RETIREES ... 5 OTHER BENEFITS (ACTIVE EMPLOYEES) ... 6 Dental ... 6 Vision ... 6 Health Plan Opt‐Out ... 6 Wellness Program ... 7 Healthy Contributions ... 7 Employee Assistance Program (EAP) ... 7 Wellness On Site and Wellness For You ... 7 Enrollment Procedures ... 8 Am I required to submit an application? ... 8 How do I enroll in my chosen plan? ... 8 Special Enrollment Procedures for Medicare Eligible Employees... 9 Do I have the option to not enroll in the MPS Group Medicare Advantage Plan? ... 9 What if I am already enrolled in another Medicare Advantage Plan? ... 9How do I enroll in the plan? ... 9 How do I complete the Open Enrollment Application? ... 10 Instructions ... 10 Terms and Conditions of Submitting Applications ... 10 Dependent Eligibility Rules ... 11 Removing Ineligible Dependents from Your MPS Health and/or Dental Plan ... 12 Where both husband and wife are employed by MPS ... 12 Eligibility for Domestic Partner and Child(ren) of Domestic Partner ... 12 When Health and Dental Coverage Ends ... 13 Frequently Asked Questions ... 15 Mandatory Notices ... 17 COBRA Continuation of Coverage ... 17 HIPAA Exemption Notices 2015 ... 19 Women's Health & Cancer Rights Acts of 1998 ... 20 Notice of Privacy Practices ... 21 Premium Assistance Under Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) ... 24 Notice of Special Enrollment Rights ... 24 Summary of Benefits and Coverage ... 25 New Health Insurance Marketplace Coverage Options and Your Health Coverage ... 25 Additional Notices ... 27 Appeal Procedure for Health Plans (PPO, EPO, HDHP) ... 27 Claims Denials and Appeal ... 27 Voluntary External Review ... 28 Dependent Status Change Required Notices ... 28 Notice of Establishment of the Milwaukee Board of School Directors Post‐Employment Benefits Trust ... 29 Subrogation and Reimbursement Notice for MPS EPO/PPO/HDHP Plans ... 29 IMPORTANT NOTICE/DISCLAIMER ... 31 Non‐Discrimination Notices ... 31 Important Contacts ... 33 Appendix A: Active/Non‐Medicare Retiree Health Plan Design ... 34 Appendix B: Dental/Vision ... 42 Appendix C: MPS Group Medicare Advantage Plan Details ... 44 Appendix D: Monthly Premium Costs (All Plans) ... 47 Active Employee Rate Information ... 47 Retiree Rate Information... 48 COBRA Coverage Rates ... 49
1
What’s New?
There are many new and positive changes to your MPS benefits this year. Below are some highlights of the changes contained in this year’s open enrollment booklet. Please be sure to take the time to read through the open enrollment materials carefully and completely even if you do not change plans, as some aspects of your plans may have changed.New Ways to Have your Questions Answered
Navigating health care and benefits information can be complicated. MPS is partnering with Patient Care to help answer all your health care questions and needs. Patient Care can help you: Select the best plan for you Answer questions about our health plans and other benefits Provide information about the quality and costs of medicalprocedures before you see the doctor Answer questions about prescription drug benefits Help resolve billing issues Help find a doctor and help schedule your appointments This new service is here to assist you in making the most of your MPS benefits. Patient Care will even answer questions for you the employee, your spouse, dependents and even parents or parents‐in‐law.
New Health Plan Option and New Employee Benefit
This year, we are offering all benefit eligible employees a new benefit option: a Health Savings Account (HSA) in coordination with a High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). This new option will offer a health plan with lower monthly premium payments and the benefit of having a HSA. The HSA is an employee‐owned account and unused money can be saved, invested and used for future medical expenses, tax free, in the future and even into retirement. Take the time to read in detail about our HSA program on page 3.Changes to our EPO/PPO Plan
Our EPO and PPO plans have changed, including improvements to the Out‐Of‐Pocket maximum calculation, new pre‐ authorization requirements and a change in our prescription drug coverage that is designed to promote the use of generic equivalents, when available. See the plan description for further details in the section: “What’s New In the EPO and PPO” on page 2.New Prescription Drug Provider
Effective January 1, 2015, OptumRx will be the third party administrator for the District’s prescription drug benefit. All employees and retirees will receive one new insurance card that will serve for both the OptumRx prescription and the UnitedHealthcare (UHC) medical coverage. This change will simplify the member experience, as OptumRx and UHC will share a customer service number and facilitate greater transparency between these two essential benefits. On mConnect and on the MPS Website, http://mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us , click Employment > Retirees page, you can find two important documents to answer questions about this transition: (1) A Frequently Asked Questions document regarding the move to OptumRx and (2) a Prescription Drug List that indicates what tier a medication will be on under the new drug plan.Medicare Advantage
For our Medicare eligible retirees/spouses and their dependents Milwaukee Public Schools has a new health care plan, the MPS Group Medicare Advantage plan. This plan will be administered by UnitedHealthcare. The MPS Group Medicare Advantage plan combines your hospital, doctor and prescription drug coverage all into one plan. This plan has a $0 deductible and includes benefits and services beyond Original Medicare such as the SilverSneakers fitness program, HealthInnovations™, Nurseline and other wellness information. See Section MEDICARE ELIGIBLE RETIREES on page 5, Special Enrollment Procedures for Medicare Eligible Employees on page 9 and Appendix C: MPS Group Medicare Advantage Plan Details on page 44. Phone: 1‐800‐640‐1898 Web: www.patientcare4u.com/mps Hours: Monday – Friday: 7 am – 8 pm CST Saturday: 8 am – 1 pm CST
There is an APP for
that!
Did you know that UHC has an app for your smart phone that will help you manage your health care? With your Health4me mobile app you can: Search for physicians or facilities by location or specialty Locate urgent care facilities and ERs Store your favorite physicians and facilities with your notes to view in the future Skip the phone prompts and have a service representative contact you to answer any questions about claims or benefits View and share member health plan ID card information Contact an experienced registered nurse 24/7 for advice regarding any kind of medical question Check status of deductible and Out‐Of‐Pocket spending View claims Get started by registering online at: myuhc.com
What are my health plan options?
ACTIVE EMPLOYEES AND EARLY (Non‐Medicare) RETIREES
All benefit eligible active employees and early retirees (or non‐Medicare eligible dependents of Medicare eligible retirees) can participate in either the PPO, EPO or High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP). Active Building Trades unit employees and the Administrators and Supervisors unit may not participate in the MPS PPO plan, but may now enroll in the new HDHP option. Appendix A includes a grid summarizing the benefits and costs associated with the plan; Appendix D includes a listing of the monthly premium costs and per‐paycheck deductions for each health plan. What are the differences in Networks between the EPO, PPO and HDHP Plan? Both the HDHP and PPO plan use the UHC Choice Plus Network. This is an expansive network and these plan designs include both an in‐network and out‐of‐ network benefit; although there is higher cost‐sharing for out‐of‐network services (generally you will pay 50% coinsurance for out‐of‐network services). The EPO plan utilizes the UHC Choice network, which has a substantially similar network of doctors to the PPO and HDHP plan; however, the EPO plan provides no coverage for out‐of‐network services. Under both networks, members have access to local and national providers without the need for a referral. What’s New In the EPO and PPO? Out‐of‐Pocket Maximum for EPO and PPO You will notice a change in the way that our Out‐Of‐Pocket (OOP) maximums are listed for our EPO and PPO plans. In previous years, the EPO and PPO Out‐Of‐ Pocket maximum excluded the deductible and co‐pay cost. Starting in 2015, the Out‐Of‐Pocket maximum includes deductible and co‐payments. Once you reach your OOP limit, you will have no further cost sharing for covered services. This means your OOP increased but it now includes deductibles and offers a better benefit by limiting the amount of co‐pays that you will pay. Starting in 2015, health plans are required to state an Out‐Of‐Pocket maximum cost. In the past, the EPO and PPO had no limit on the Out‐Of‐Pocket prescription drug costs. Both the EPO and PPO have a separate Out‐Of‐Pocket prescription cost limit in 2015. The stated limit is the difference between the medical plan’s OOP limit and the statutory maximum for Out‐Of‐Pocket expenses. Once you reach your OOP drug limit, you will have no further cost sharing for covered prescription medications. Please note that the Out‐Of‐Pocket limits for the HDHP plan do operate differently. See the next page for notes on the HDHP OOP. Member‐Pay‐The Difference on Multi‐Source Brand Prescriptions Under the EPO and PPO, and the preventive prescription co‐pay in the HDHP plan (see the next page), there is a new feature to encourage use of generic prescriptions. If a brand prescription has a generic equivalent, then members will be required to use the generic or pay the difference in cost between obtaining the generic prescription and the brand (i.e. the member will pay the $8 generic co‐pay plus the difference in gross cost between the brand and the generic medication).3 New Preauthorization Requirement on the EPO, PPO and HDHP Plans There is an expanded list of services that require preauthorization. In most cases, when you are seeing an in‐network provider, your health care professional is responsible for obtaining prior approval. When receiving services out‐of‐network, you are responsible for contacting UHC for prior approval, or the benefit you receive will be reduced. In the benefit charts in Appendix A, services that require preauthorization are designated by a double asterisk (**). Special Notes on the HDHP Plan The HDHP plan offers employees a health plan with a lower monthly premium cost in exchange for a higher deductible within the plan and the ability to open a Health Savings Account (see below for more information). This gives employees greater control of how they manage their health care costs and an opportunity to save money with a tax advantage. How does the HDHP deductible work? Except for preventive care and preventive prescriptions, all health care (including the costs of prescription medication) are subject to the deductible and coinsurance. This means that the plan will pay 80% of covered in‐network costs, after the employee has satisfied the in‐network deductible; or 50% of covered costs after the employee has satisfied the out‐of‐ network deductible. Unlike the family deductible within the EPO and PPO (which is, in essence, three separate individual deductibles), the HDHP family coverage deductible is an aggregate total that applies to all individuals covered by the plan. The family coverage deductible must be satisfied prior to any coverage from the plan, even if the entire family coverage deductible is satisfied by one member of the family. How are preventive medical services covered under the HDHP? Preventive medical care as specified in the health care reform law under the HDHP is covered at 100% and is not subject to either the deductible or coinsurance. There is no cost sharing on these essential preventive office visits. How are medications covered under the HDHP? Under the HDHP plan, there is a difference between how “preventive” medications and all other medications are covered. Preventive prescription medications are subject to the three tier co‐pay/coinsurance structure. If a covered medication is not on the preventive list, it is subject to the deductible and coinsurance; you will be required to pay the full cost of the medication until your deductible is met and 20% thereafter. You can find a list of preventive medications under the HDHP plan on the MPS mConnect site. For retirees, this information is posted on the MPS Website, http://mps.milwaukee.k12.wi.us , click Employment > Retirees page. HDHP Out‐Of‐Pocket Maximum (OOP) Unlike the other health plans, the HDHP has a combined prescription drug and medical Out‐Of‐Pocket maximum. All member deductible, coinsurance and co‐pays for covered medical expenses and prescription drugs apply toward the Out‐Of‐Pocket maximum. Once the Out‐Of‐Pocket limit has been satisfied, there are no additional costs to the member for covered medical and prescription benefits in the calendar year. How do I know which plan is best for me? To evaluate which health plan is best for you, you need to be aware of what you currently spend for health care. Start by getting a picture of what you and the health plan spend on your health care by looking at your UHC account (myuhc.com) and your prescription drug costs (www.express‐scripts.com). Look at both what you and the plan pay toward the cost of care. Then take into account the full cost of each plan, including monthly premium costs, and the potential contribution to a HSA account for the HDHP. Then compare the savings from reduced premiums and evaluate whether the HDHP option might be best for you. If you need assistance evaluating these costs, contact Patient Care at 1‐800‐640‐1898 or visit their website at www.patientcare4u.com/mps to use their self‐service plan evaluation tool.
Health Savings Account
A Health Savings Account (HSA) is an employee‐owned bank‐account that allows employees to save money in a tax advantaged account toward current and future medical expenses (and potentially save toward retirement).
What bank will MPS be using for its HSA program?
MPS will open accounts for participating employees at Wells Fargo bank. You can learn more about HSA accounts and how to use them at: https://www.wellsfargo.com/investing/hsa/
Who owns the money in the HSA? You own the HSA account. The HSA account is a personal bank account that MPS will open on your behalf at Wells Fargo and pay the monthly account fee, while you remain an active employee and enrolled in the HDHP. At all times, you maintain ownership of, and responsibility for, the account. This includes the responsibility to only use the funds in the account for reimbursable medical, dental, and prescription drug costs and the responsibility to manage the account to ensure that funds are not overdrawn. It is also your responsibility to adhere to the annual maximum contribution limits as determined by the IRS. Maximum contribution amounts for 2015 are $3,350 for individuals and $6,650 for families. Will MPS contribute to my HSA? Yes, if you are an active employee, you elect the HDHP plan during open enrollment and you are eligible to open a HSA account (see below), then MPS will provide a lump sum contribution in 2015 as follows: $400 for a single plan and $800 for a family plan into your HSA account. This employer contribution will be made for the 2015 calendar year participation in the HDHP for active employees only in an active HDHP (neither a COBRA HDHP nor a retiree HDHP are eligible for this employer contribution). Please note: Employees who enroll mid‐year or who experience a mid‐year enrollment change will not receive a MPS employer contribution or a change in the MPS employer contribution level. You as the subscriber must be enrolled in the active HDHP option effective January 1, 2015 in order to receive the MPS employer contribution. What can I use the money in my HSA for? You can withdraw money from the account to pay for qualified medical expenses without paying any taxes. Qualified medical expenses include unreimbursed expenses for medical, dental, vision or prescription drug coverage for you and your qualifying dependents.These are explained in IRS Publication 502, Medical and Dental Expenses(http://www.irs.gov/publications/p502/). Remember with the HSA you need to substantiate that an expense is a qualifying expense, so save all your receipts. If the IRS asks, you must be able to prove using the HSA money to pay or reimburse yourself for qualified medical expenses. What happens if I withdraw the money to spend on non‐qualified medical expenses? If you withdraw funds to use on anything except qualified medical expenses, there is a 20% tax penalty that will apply. Once you reach the age of Medicare eligibility, you can withdraw funds without penalty, to use as retirement income, subject to normal income taxes. What happens to funds left in the account at the end of the year? At the end of the year, all funds in the HSA account remain in the account and are owned by the employee. Even if you are no longer enrolled in a qualified HDHP, you can continue to spend the money on qualifying medical expenses without penalty. You can take the HSA with you if you change jobs or are no longer employed by MPS. What are the tax advantages of a HSA? MPS does not provide tax advice. However, there are tax benefits to owning and using a HSA account. The HSA has a “triple tax” advantage: (1) Employees can contribute to the account, via payroll deduction, on a pre‐tax basis (or make post‐tax contributions directly); (2) you pay no taxes on any interest or investment earnings; and (3) you pay no tax on funds withdrawn to pay eligible medical expenses. To learn more about how to use your HSA, visit: https://www.wellsfargo.com/investing/hsa/ or see IRS publication 969 (http://www.irs.gov/publications/p969/index.html) for further details. Can I change my contribution level during the year? Yes. During the year, you can submit a new contribution form to the Office of Human Capital, Benefits and Retirement Services, and stop, start or change the amount of your contribution deducted from your paycheck and deposited into your HSA account. Am I eligible to open a HSA account? You are eligible to open a HSA account if you are enrolled in the District’s HDHP plan and: o You are not covered by any other health coverage (unless that coverage is also through a qualified HDHP plan); o You do not have a current Healthcare Flexible Spending Account (FSA). (If you wish to have a HSA account and receive the MPS contribution, you will be required to waive your right to any carry‐over balance in your existing FSA account);
5 o You are not a dependent on anyone else’s tax return; and o You are not Medicare eligible If, in future years, you end up not eligible for a HSA account (e.g. because you are no longer enrolled in a qualified HDHP plan), you can continue to use the account to pay qualifying medical expenses, but you can no longer contribute to the account. How do I enroll in the HSA program? If you elect to enroll in the High Deductible Health Plan (HDHP), you will be mailed an enrollment form for the HSA, which will include an authorization form to open the account and to elect any additional contribution that you may wish to make via payroll deduction. If I am an early (non‐Medicare) retiree, am I eligible for the HDHP plan? You are able to enroll in the HDHP plan if you choose. However, MPS will not open a HSA account for you and will not make any contribution toward a HSA account should you choose to set up a HSA. However, you may open a HSA account at a bank of your choosing if you meet IRS requirements regarding eligibility for HSA accounts.
MEDICARE ELIGIBLE RETIREES
Effective January 1, 2015, all Medicare eligible individuals will be automatically enrolled in our new MPS Group Medicare Advantage plan, through UnitedHealthcare (UHC). The MPS Group Medicare Advantage plan is a benefit that is exclusively available to MPS retirees and offers a higher level of benefits than Medicare Advantage plans that are available on the individual market. This new benefit program is a zero‐deductible plan with a lower monthly premium cost and includes additional wellness benefits such as the popular SilverSneakers program, which provides membership and fitness classes to over 11,000 facilities across the country including national and local chains such as Anytime Fitness, Curves, Innovative Health & Fitness, Snap Fitness & YMCAs. In Appendix C: MPS Group Medicare Advantage Plan Details (page 44) you can find a summary chart of the benefits under this plan. What if one of my family members is not Medicare eligible? If one of your family members is not Medicare eligible, he or she will continue to be enrolled in your current election (EPO or PPO), unless you make a different election (i.e. switching to the EPO, PPO or new HDHP plan). Do I still need to maintain my Medicare B enrollment? Yes. You are required to maintain your Medicare A and B enrollment while enrolled in the MPS Group Medicare Advantage plan. If you have a Board paid subsidy toward your retiree premium and the cost of this plan is less than your Board subsidy, retirees will continue to receive the standard Medicare Part B premium reimbursement. When will I be getting additional information about this plan? In November, you will be receiving a pre‐enrollment guide from UnitedHealthcare with important information about this plan. In December, you will receive both a new card and a welcome kit from UHC with additional plan details. What happens if I become Medicare eligible during the course of the plan year? If you become Medicare eligible during the plan year, you will be automatically enrolled in the MPS Group Medicare Advantage plan starting with the first month of your Medicare eligibility. You will receive pre‐enrollment and enrollment materials directly from UHC as you transition to this plan. Please note: your deductible and Out‐Of‐Pocket maximum amounts will not transfer to the new MPS Group Medicare Advantage plan. However, the new MPS Group Medicare Advantage plan is a zero‐deductible plan. Can I opt out of participation in this plan? Yes, but if you are Medicare eligible and opt out of participation in the MPS Group Medicare Advantage plan, you are opting out of participation in retiree health benefits and will be waiving your right to participate in the MPS retiree health plan now and in the future.
OTHER BENEFITS (ACTIVE EMPLOYEES)
Dental
There are two dental plans offered to MPS employees: Delta Dental and Care‐Plus/Dental Associates. These plans are only available to active employees. Delta Dental coverage provides in and out‐of‐network benefits for an array of dental services. When you use an in‐network Delta Dental provider, you and the District save money because network providers have agreed to lower negotiated fees. You can find who is in the Delta Dental network on line at www.deltadentalwi.com/provider‐search/dental/. Care‐Plus/Dental Associates coverage provides in‐network coverage only for a list of covered services. Members must use one of the multiple Care‐Plus facilities for services and to obtain coverage under the MPS plan. You can visit the Care‐Plus website at www.careplusdentalplans.com for information on facility locations. Please see the dental coverage comparison chart Appendix B: Dental/Vision section of this booklet (page 42). Note: Retirees are not eligible to enroll in a dental plan. Retirees currently enrolled in COBRA dental and who are paying for this COBRA continuation coverage will be mailed open enrollment materials under separate cover.Vision
If you are an active employee and enrolled in a MPS health plan, you will also be automatically enrolled in and receive routine vision coverage through National Vision Administrators (NVA). This routine vision coverage is an in‐network benefit only, so you must see a NVA provider to receive coverage. When enrolled, NVA will provide you with an identification card. For a list of network providers, please visit www.e‐nva.com Note: Vision benefits are not offered on a free standing basis (e.g. can’t be unbundled from the health plan) and retirees are not eligible for this vision coverage through NVA. For coverage details please see Appendix B: Dental/Vision (page 42).Health Plan Opt‐Out
Who is eligible? Any MPS employee eligible for health insurance coverage (except Board Members and Retirees) is eligible for opt‐out if he/she elects not to subscribe to a MPS health plan due to having coverage under a non‐MPS health plan. If you are canceling your current MPS health coverage enrollment, you must be covered by another employer’s health insurance plan (Government plans are not eligible). Generally you will be a dependent or spouse covered under a non‐MPS employer health plan. In lieu of taking MPS health insurance coverage, you are eligible for a $50 per month taxable payment up to $500 per year. Retirees are not eligible for opt‐out. How do I apply for the Opt‐Out payments? To enroll you must provide the following: Upon hire or an applicable family status change, complete a MPS Application/Change form electing the Opt‐Out Option. During open enrollment, use the Open Enrollment Benefits Application form. Verification of other health coverage in the form of a statement on an employer’s letterhead certifying you are covered under that employer’s health plan or a HIPAA certificate of coverage is acceptable. A copy of an ID card is NOT considered proof of coverage. A completed “Payment in Lieu of Health Coverage” form. A Payment in Lieu of Health Coverage form can be obtained from the MPS mConnect page: http://mconnect.milwaukee.k12.wi.us When do payments begin? Payments are $50 per month, paid September through June, on the second check of the month. If you are newly eligible, payments will begin in the same month that health coverage would have started, had you applied. If you elect this option during open enrollment, payments of $50 per month will begin with the second paycheck of January.7 What if my non‐MPS health coverage cancels? You must submit an application for benefits form along with proof of loss to MPS Benefits and Retirement Services within 31 calendar days of your loss of coverage. Upon receipt of this application and proof of loss within the time limits, your MPS group health plan coverage will begin when your other insurance lapses, without being subject to waiting periods or the exclusion of pre‐existing conditions. Voluntary cancellation of the other insurance does not allow you to enroll unless the voluntary cancellation was a result of an increase in the required employee premium payment or a decrease in benefits under that plan. What if I go on an unpaid leave of absence? Your Opt‐Out Option will terminate as soon as you have no active pay. If you are on FMLA, your coverage will automatically be reinstated once you return to work. For any non‐FMLA leave, you will need to re‐enroll and provide proof of other coverage once you return to work.
Wellness Program
Healthy Contributions For Employees Only: Beginning November 1, 2014, MPS will sponsor a gym membership subsidy program in partnership with our vendor Healthy Contributions. The program will support a monthly $20 subsidy toward employee’s gym membership fees, based on the required minimum attendance of 12 visits per month. Eligible employees must be the active subscriber in one of the MPS UnitedHealthcare health insurance plans. To register for this benefit, you must have a signed copy of the Wellness Certificate to turn into a participating location. You can find the Certificate under the Employee Wellness page on mConnect. For more information, please visit the Employee Wellness page on mConnect or call Tara Witt, Employee Wellness Coordinator at 414‐773‐9829. Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Aurora EAP is committed to enhancing the well‐being and quality of life of the diverse populations we serve. The EAP provides free, confidential and high quality services that help employees and their families successfully meet home and workplace challenges. MPS employees and family members have up to three (3) free confidential counseling sessions either over the phone or in person with a Master degreed counselor. The EAP also provides resources for childcare, eldercare, adoption, legal matters, financial concerns and mediation needs. To learn more, call 800‐236‐3231 or check out the EAP website: www.aurora.org/eap for more information/articles on behavioral health topics. Our website user name is “mps.” Wellness On Site and Wellness For You At MPS, it is our mission to create a culture of wellness and it is our vision to do so by providing our employees with high quality, effective and engaging wellness interventions. As a MPS employee, you can take advantage of on‐site group exercise programs, healthy cooking classes, a myriad of seminars, workshops, and lunch ‘n learns, as well as recreational sports leagues and team building opportunities! To find more information on available programming, please visit the Employee Wellness page on mConnect.Enrollment Procedures
Am I required to submit an application? You must complete the enclosed Open Enrollment (OE) application if: you are enrolling for the first time, you wish to change your present health/vision or dental plan, you are changing dependent(s) covered under those plans, adding or removing dependents or you are updating/correcting information on the form. OE changes are effective January 1, 2015. If you do not return an enrollment form, MPS will continue your current eligible coverage. How do I enroll in my chosen plan? 1. Use the enrollment application enclosed with this booklet, which contains your individual information. If you lose the enclosed form, it takes time to make another form for you. Employees who complete the enclosed form get higher service priority. 2. We suggest that you bring your original form(s) along with a copy to the MPS Benefits and Retirement Services office, Room 124. We will date and time stamp the copy for you so that you have it as a “receipt” for your records. 3. If you do not return your form(s) in person to the MPS Benefits and Retirement Services office, keep a copy for your records and send the original form to Milwaukee Public Schools, Office of Human Capital, Benefits and Retirement Services, 5225 West Vliet Street, Room 124, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 53208. 4. Please note that if you are adding a dependent, you are required to submit verification (birth certificate or marriage certificate). What if my spouse is a MPS employee? Where both spouses are employed by or retired from MPS, MPS will pay either a single plan for each or one family plan for both. Please indicate the MPS Employee ID# (six digits) of your spouse if completing an OE application. What if my spouse is a MPS retiree? For retirees where both spouses are retired from MPS and meet eligibility requirement for retiree health coverage as of his/her retirement date, the Board only pays its portion of the retiree health premium rate in effect as of his/her date of retirement for (1) family coverage or (2) single plans. When can I make changes (add dependents, drop coverage/dependents or add coverage) outside of the Open Enrollment Period? After open enrollment, additions, terminations, and changes will only be allowed to your MPS health/vision and dental plans as the result of a family status change. In order to enroll in coverage or add new dependents to your MPS health/vision and dental plans, you must file a new, complete application with MPS Benefits and Retirement Services within: 31 calendar days of a qualifying Family Status Change event, 60 calendar days for birth, adoption, or loss of Medicaid or State Children’s Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP). Remember you are required to report other insurance changes and loss of dependent status for spouse and/or children immediately to MPS Benefits and Retirement Services throughout the year as they occur. Do not miss these deadlines to report this important information. We welcome you to deliver your completed form(s) in person! It is your responsibility to have your completed enrollment form(s) in our office (Rm. 124 in Central Services) by the deadline of 5:00 PM on Wednesday, November 26, 2014 Please note: Nov. 17‐21 and Nov. 24‐26, 2014 from 11:00 a.m.to 5:00 p.m., we will have representatives from Patient Care at our offices and available to help answer questions you might have.9 What documentation is required to enroll a new dependent or initiate an enrollment change based on a change of family status? The following is a list of the most common family status changes and the documentation needed from you to make a change: Failure to submit acceptable documentation to MPS Benefits and Retirement Services will delay processing of your eligible dependent(s). If verification is not received within 31 calendar days of our written request, the dependent will not be enrolled and will have to wait until the next open enrollment period to enroll. What if I am a retiree and marry after retirement? What if I have a single retiree plan? Retirees with MPS retiree health coverage cannot add a new spouse to their retiree health plan. If you have family coverage and change to single coverage during retirement, you cannot change back to a family plan. If you retire with single coverage, you cannot change to family coverage. Special Enrollment Procedures for Medicare Eligible Employees This transition to the MPS Group Medicare Advantage plan will happen automatically for coverage effective January 1, 2015. You do not need to take any action to be enrolled in this plan. If you have any questions about this new plan, please call your dedicated UnitedHealthcare Customer Service team at 1‐866‐487‐9303 TTY 711, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m., local time, Monday – Friday to learn more. Do I have the option to not enroll in the MPS Group Medicare Advantage Plan? Before deciding not to join this plan, you need to know that in order to continue to have prescription drug coverage through the Milwaukee Public Schools, you must have medical coverage as well. If you choose to decline participation in the MPS Group Medicare Advantage plan, you will be irrevocably waiving participation in MPS retiree health insurance coverage now and in the future.
What if I am already enrolled in another Medicare Advantage Plan?
Federal regulations only allow you to be enrolled in one Medicare Advantage plan. Unless you opt‐out of participation in MPS’s Group Medicare Advantage plan, you will be automatically enrolled in the MPS program and automatically dis‐enrolled in your prior Medicare Advantage plan. Please keep in mind that if you elect not to participate in the MPS Group Medicare Advantage plan, you will be irrevocably waiving participation in MPS retiree health insurance coverage both now and in the future.
How do I enroll in the plan?
In order for your enrollment in the MPS Group Medicare Advantage plan to be confirmed, the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) require specific information. Examples of required information include:
o Physical Street address o Medicare ID number o Part B Enrollment
Please contact MPS if you think your information is not current. If MPS records show that you are currently missing this information, we’ll contact you shortly to gather the information so your enrollment into the MPS Group Medicare Advantage plan can be processed. Look for more information in the mail regarding the MPS Group Medicare Advantage plan from UnitedHealthcare! Family Status Change Copy of Document or Notice Required Marriage Marriage Certificate (must be registered certified state copy). Birth Birth certificate or proof that the birth certificate is registered. Adoption Court adoption or adoption agency placement letter. Divorce Notification of date of divorce. Death Notification of date of death. Loss of Other Insurance Coverage HIPAA notice of coverage loss.
How do I complete the Open Enrollment Application?
Instructions
Please complete the 2015 Open Enrollment Benefits Application Form if you are making a change to your current coverage, enrolling for the first time, or updating your coverage information.
Complete the 2015 Open Enrollment Benefits Application Form by selecting the coverage option (single or family) for health/vision and/or dental insurance. Please note the following:
o You cannot elect vision only coverage. The only vision provider is National Vision Administrators (NVA). If you are electing health coverage, you are automatically enrolled in vision coverage (except retirees).
o If you enroll in single coverage for health/vision and/or dental, please verify information on the application form for yourself (subscriber).
o If you enroll in family coverage for either health/vision or dental or want to correct any of the information provided about your dependents, please complete/correct the Dependent(s) section of the application form for all eligible dependents in addition to yourself and your spouse, if applicable. Please indicate “yes” if you want to enroll your dependents in health or dental coverage or “no” if you do not want to enroll your dependent(s) in health or dental coverage. If deleting a dependent, please provide reason for deletion and event date (see application).
o Only eligible dependents will be accepted. Please refer to the Dependent Eligibility Rules section beginning on page 11 of this booklet for detailed information on eligible dependents. Additional information may be requested to verify a dependent’s eligibility. COVERAGE WILL NOT BE EFFECTIVE FOR ANY DEPENDENTS YOU
DO NOT INCLUDE ON THE APPLICATION FORM.
o If you are enrolling dependents other than your spouse, the following is a list of valid options for the Dependent Relationship section: Natural or Adopted Child, Grandchild (must meet requirements on page 11), Legal Ward/Guardian (documentation of such status is required if it has not already been provided), and Stepchild. 1. If you have other health insurance (including Medicare or Medicaid) or other prescription drug coverage we do not yet know about, please complete the Other Insurance Information section of the application form. 2. If you have a disabled dependent, please indicate yes on the application form and whether the dependent is Medicare eligible. Additional information may be requested to verify the disabled status of the dependent. 3. IF YOU ARE ENROLLING ANY DEPENDENT(S) YOU MUST SUBMIT VERIFICATION OF DEPENDENT ELIGIBILITY.
For example, if you are enrolling a spouse and/or dependent child(ren), you must submit a marriage certificate and/or birth certificate(s). Failure to submit acceptable documentation to MPS Benefits and Retirement Services can delay or possibly prevent the enrollment of your eligible dependents.
4. If you are making changes or corrections, please retain a copy of the application for your records. We encourage you to return your original application form in person to MPS Benefits and Retirement Services at the address listed below. Bring a copy of the application form with you and we will date and time stamp the copy as received for your records.
5. If you do not return your form to MPS Benefits and Retirement Services in person, please mail the original Employee Benefits Application Form to Milwaukee Public Schools, Office of Human Capital, Benefits and Retirement Services, 5225 West Vliet Street, Room 124, Milwaukee, WI, 53208.
Terms and Conditions of Submitting Applications
By completing the MPS insurance application, you are agreeing to the following terms and conditions:
1. I hereby apply for enrollment/plan membership for the person(s) listed and agree that my dependents and I shall abide by the provisions of coverage in the service agreement under which we are enrolled.
2. I understand enrollment is subject to all of the terms and conditions on the Master Group Policyholder Agreement with the provider I have chosen.
3. I hereby authorize deductions from my earnings of the required contributions toward the cost of the monthly premium as required by the terms and conditions of employment.
4. I consent and authorize any physician, dentist, consultant, hospital or other person by whom any diagnosis, medical, surgical, dental treatment or advice has been rendered to release pertinent medical, surgical, dental reports and records as requested to the insurance plan I selected subject to all applicable provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996.
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5. I understand that coverage is effective only upon timely submission of a complete application to MPS.
6. I certify that the application information is complete, true, and correct subject to State, Federal and Board policy insurance fraud penalties governing eligibility for and payment of health and dental insurance benefits for myself and my claimed dependent(s). MPS reserves the right to pursue appropriate disciplinary action against you, up to and including termination of your employment with MPS, as well as any available legal remedies to recover benefits wrongfully paid on behalf of ineligible dependent(s) including notification to local law enforcement authorities regarding possible insurance fraud. I have shared the “General Notice of COBRA Continuation Coverage Rights” with all eligible family members. As information requested on this form changes, I understand I must promptly inform MPS Benefits and Retirement Services in writing within 31 calendar days of a Qualifying Family Status Change or 60 calendar days for birth/adoption or loss of Medicaid or SCHIP. Please refer to Dependent Eligibility Rules beginning on page 11 for additional details. Failure to provide such written notice may result in loss of coverage or denial of benefits.
7. MPS reserves the right to determine eligibility and obtain all necessary information to verify eligibility. MPS also retains the right to conduct periodic audits, including random audits for eligibility verification.
Dependent Eligibility Rules
When enrolling any dependent(s), you must submit verification of dependent eligibility. For example, if you are enrolling a spouse you must submit a marriage certificate or if you are enrolling a dependent child(ren) you must submit a birth certificate(s). Failure to submit acceptable documentation to MPS Benefits and Retirement Services may delay or prevent processing of your eligible dependents. As per Board policy and Plan provisions, the following dependents are eligible for coverage: Spouse is the person to whom the subscriber is legally married. Dependent Child includes the following: o Natural or adopted child of the subscriber. o Stepchild ‐ is the natural or adopted child of the subscriber's spouse for whom the subscriber and/or spouse provide more than 50% of the child's support during a calendar year. o Legal Ward ‐ is a child for whom the subscriber or current spouse is the legal guardian and for whom the subscriber and/or spouse provide more than 50 percent of the child's support during a calendar year. o Grandchild ‐ is a child of the subscriber's dependent child for whom the subscriber and/or spouse provide more than 50 percent of the grandchild's support during a calendar year when the grandchild's parent is under age 18. Domestic Partner (active employees only) – is a person for which a valid and approved MPS affidavit is on file with MPS Benefits and Retirement Services showing that the person is in a relationship with the subscriber which meets all of the following criteria: o They are in a domestic relationship of mutual support, caring and commitment and intend to remain in that relationship. o They are 18 years of age or older and competent to enter into a contract. o They are not married to or in a domestic partner relationship with any other person. o They are not related by blood/kinship to a degree of closeness that would prohibit a legal marriage in the state of Wisconsin. o They live together in the same principle residence. o They have not been in a domestic partnership with another individual during the six months immediately preceding the application date. Dependent Child of a Domestic Partner (active employees only)– (when the domestic partner is enrolled in an MPS health and/or dental plan for the following): o Natural or adopted child of the enrolled domestic partner. o Legal Ward – child for whom the enrolled domestic partner is the legal guardian and for whom the enrolled domestic partner provides more than 50 percent of the child’s support during a calendar year. o Grandchild – child of the enrolled domestic partner’s dependent child for whom the subscriber and/or the enrolled domestic partner provides more than 50 percent of the grandchild’s support during a calendar year when the grandchild’s parent is enrolled in an MPS health and/or dental plan and the grandchild’s parent is under age 18. Adult Child Dependent Eligibility – As a result of State and Federal mandated changes* to health and dental coverage, adult dependent children (age 19 and older) must meet coverage eligibility as outlined below. These mandates do not require you to cover your adult children under your MPS health and/or dental plan. o Adult child is between the ages 19 to 26. o Adult child can be single or married. o Per State mandate, eligibility requirements also include the adult child who is a full‐time student regardless of age and was under age 27 years when called to federal active duty in the National Guard or in a reserve component of the U.S. armed forces while the child was attending, on a full‐time basis, an institution of higher education. o Application for disabled dependents continuation of health coverage (and dental coverage under Care Plus only) must be completed prior to turning age 25. *WI Statute 632.885; Federal Acts PPACA and HCERA
Removing Ineligible Dependents from Your MPS Health and/or Dental Plan
You are required to notify MPS Benefits and Retirement Services of events such as a divorce, death of spouse or domestic partner or dependent, or the end of a domestic partner relationship in order to remove ineligible dependents from your plan. In the case of divorce, your ex‐spouse and your step‐child(ren) from that marriage are no longer eligible to be covered as your dependents and you must remove them from your MPS health and dental plan within 31 calendar days. MPS reserves its right to pursue appropriate disciplinary action against you, up to and including termination of your employment with MPS, as well as any available legal remedies to recover benefits wrongfully paid on behalf of ineligible dependent(s) including notification to local law enforcement authorities regarding possible insurance fraud.Where both husband and wife are employed by MPS
Where both husband and wife are employed by MPS, only a single plan for each or one family plan for both are permitted. An employee who changes marital status, or acquires dependents must apply by filing a new, complete application listing all covered dependents with MPS Benefits and Retirement Services within 31 calendar days of the event (60 calendar days for birth or adoption, loss of Medicaid or SCHIP coverage) in order for such coverage to be effective as of the date of the event.Eligibility for Domestic Partner and Child(ren) of Domestic Partner
Effective September 2013, MPS has approved domestic partner benefits on a district‐wide basis for all benefit eligible employees for group health, dental and leave benefits. You can obtain detailed eligibility information (“Instructional Guide to Domestic Partner Benefits”) and the required enrollment forms for domestic partner benefits on the Benefits page of the new mConnect site. You can also pick up a packet in the Office of Human Capital, Benefits and Retirement Services, Room 124 at the MPS Administration Building. Please note that other than when first eligible upon hire, open enrollment is the only time that eligible employees may add their domestic partner and child(ren) of a domestic partner to their plans. Note: Once you are covering a domestic partner and child(ren) of domestic partner, you are required to promptly remove any ineligible domestic partner dependents within 31 days of the domestic partner or children of domestic partner’s date of ineligibility. Tax laws require employees to pay taxes on the fair market value of the health and dental benefits (also known as imputed income) when covering a domestic partner or children of a domestic partner, just like the taxes you pay on any other income you receive. For more detailed information regarding imputed income, how it is calculated and applied please see the Instructional Guide to Domestic Partner Benefits on the MPS mConnect site. If you have any further questions regarding imputed income and its exact tax impact to you, please consult a qualified tax advisor or your tax preparer. MPS cannot provide tax advice to you. UPDATE ON SAME‐SEX MARRIAGES: On October 6, 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Wisconsin’s appeal in the Wolf v. Walker (W.D. Wis. 2014) decision. As a result, all same‐sex marriages will now be treated equally as a marriage and rules pertaining to domestic partners will no longer apply.13
When Health and Dental Coverage Ends
Board paid health and dental coverage for the employee and all dependents ends on the last day of the month following the month in which the employee becomes ineligible due to non‐payment of the required employee premium contribution, termination, suspension, resignation, layoff, reduction in hours below 30 hours per week, or unpaid status for more than one‐ half the number of paid work days in a calendar month. However, for 10‐month and Year‐Round School Calendar employees who lose eligibility at the end of their regularly scheduled school year, health and dental coverage ends on August 31 following the loss of eligibility. As per Board policy/procedures, Plan provisions, and State/Federal mandates, coverage ends for dependents as follows: Spouse ‐ coverage ends at the end of the month in which the spouse is no longer legally married to the subscriber. Dependent Child ‐ End of the month in which adult child attains age 26 per current State and Federal mandates in effect as of the date of this publication. Note: See page 12 Adult Child Dependent eligibility for additional details. o Delta Dental (MPS Dental Indemnity Plan) coverage ends at the end of the month in which the child attains age 26. o Health/Vision and Care Plus Dental coverage ends at the end of the month in which the child attains age 26, regardless of support, unless prior to attaining age 25 the child is and continues to be both incapable of self‐ sustaining employment by reason of mental or physical disability and chiefly dependent upon the subscriber and/or subscriber's spouse for support and maintenance. Proof of such incapacity and dependency must be furnished by the subscriber to the employee’s health plan, at no expense to the employee’s health plan, within 31 calendar days of the child's attainment of age 25, and subsequently when and as often as the employee’s health plan may reasonably require but not more frequently than annually after the two‐year period following the child's attainment of age 25. Grandchild ‐ coverage ends at the end of the month when the grandchild’s parent loses dependent status or the grandchild’s parent turns 18 or the subscriber and/or spouse no longer provide more than 50 percent of the grandchild’s support. Loss of legal status ‐ coverage ends at the end of the month in which the child no longer meets the definition of stepchild or legal ward. For example, a stepchild’s parent is no longer legally married to the subscriber; legal ward’s coverage ends at age 18. Emancipation ‐ coverage ends at the end of the month in which the child is legally emancipated, even if the emancipation occurs prior to the attainment of age 19. Domestic Partner – coverage will end the earlier of the following: o As of the last day of the month that contains the date that any of the eligibility requirements for the domestic partner relationship are not met including the termination of the domestic partner relationship. o As of the last day of the month of the subscriber’s death, termination, layoff, reduction in hours below 30 hours per week, retirement or resignation. o As of the subscriber’s loss of eligibility due to non‐payment of premium. Domestic Partner Dependent Child – coverage will end the earlier of the following: o When the domestic partner’s coverage terminates. o Marriage – at the end of the month in which the child marries. o End of the month in which adult child attains age 26 per current State and Federal mandates in effect as of the date of this publication. Note: See page 12 Adult Child Dependent eligibility for additional details. o Delta Dental (MPS Dental Indemnity Plan) coverage ends at the end of the month in which the child attains age 26. o Health/Vision and Care Plus Dental coverage ends at the end of the month in which the child attains age 26, regardless of support, unless prior to attaining age 25 the child is and continues to be both incapable of self‐ sustaining employment by reason of mental or physical disability and chiefly dependent upon the subscriber and/or subscriber's spouse for support and maintenance. Proof of such incapacity and dependency must be furnished by the subscriber to the employee’s health plan, at no expense to the employee’s health plan, within 31 calendar days of the child's attainment of age 25, and subsequently when and as often as the employee’s health plan may reasonably require but not more frequently than annually after the two‐year period following the child's attainment of age 25. o At the end of the month in which the child no longer meets the definition of domestic partner dependent child. o Emancipation – at the end of the month the child becomes legally emancipated from the domestic partner, even if emancipation occurs prior to attainment of age 19.o Loss of legal status – coverage ends at the end of the month in which the child of the domestic partner no longer meets the definition of stepchild or legal ward. For example, a stepchild’s parent is no longer the domestic partner of the subscriber or when the legal ward turns 18. o At the end of the month of the subscriber’s date of termination, resignation, layoff, reduction in hours below 30 hours per week, retirement, or death. o As of the subscriber’s loss of eligibility due to non‐payment of premium. o Dependent Grandchild of a Domestic Partner – coverage will end the earlier of the following: When the domestic partner’s coverage terminates. When the grandchild’s parent’s coverage terminates. At the end of the month the grandchild’s parent turns 18. At the end of the month of the subscriber’s date of termination, resignation, layoff, reduction in hours below 30 hours per week, retirement, or death. As of the subscriber’s loss of eligibility due to non‐payment of premium. At the end of the month that domestic partner last provided more than 50 percent of grandchild’s support. In the event you, your spouse or your dependent children lose Board health and/or dental insurance coverage due to a loss of employment for any reason (except gross misconduct), divorce, death of a spouse, over‐age dependent child, or reduction in hours below 30 hours per week, you and/or your spouse and dependent children are eligible to remain in the group on a self‐ pay basis for either 18 or 36 months. For more information about COBRA continuation, see section under Mandatory Notices in this booklet. Please note that Domestic Partners and children of Domestic Partners are not eligible for COBRA continuation unless legally married, where proof of marriage has been submitted to Benefits & Retirement Services, and they meet the definition of a qualified beneficiary with a qualifying event. Please see the Instructional Guide for Domestic Partner Benefits for more information.
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