How to Enroll or Opt Out of Medical Benefits
All changes must be made in the MyOEBB online system. Even if you are opting out of medical benefits, you must fill out an online enrollment form.
Choosing a Plan
Selecting the best health plans for you and your family can be challenging. Over time, both your personal circumstances and plan provisions may change. For that reason, employees are encouraged to review the current plan offerings, revisiting plan selection decisions previously made. This section offers some tips and guidance on things that may be important to you.
- Step 1) Review your Cost Sheet:
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You will bear a portion of the cost of your care. This may come in various forms, such as:
- paying a portion of the premiums
- paying a copayment at the doctor’s office
- paying coinsurance – your share of the bill (plan pays X%, patient pays Y%)
- paying for the full cost of the care until you have met the deductible
- paying for services where the billed amount is more than the health plan allows
Look at each of the plan choices in terms of how the cost is shared and what you think your medical care and financial needs will be.
- Step 2) Review the medical, vision and dental plans
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Choice: As you look at the plans you see that they vary in terms of the choice you have in selecting physicians, clinics, hospitals and other providers. If you have strong preferences about providers, make sure the ones you want to use are within the provider network associated with the plan you choose.
Covered Services: There are differences in the plans regarding what they cover. Consider what plans are best for the treatments you prefer. If you have other coverage available, you may want to evaluate how complementary the plans are, if they duplicate services and how the benefits will be coordinated.
Service: There may also be a difference between plans and providers in terms of service levels. Not all plans and not all providers are equal in terms of responsiveness to patient needs.
- Step 3) Attend an informational session
- Step 4) Fill out your online enrollment form
- Use the 2011 Open Enrollment Action Checklist and the 2011 Open Enrollment Decision Guide to help guide you through the process.
Opting out of PCC insurance
Employees who have other group medical insurance may choose to opt out of PCC insurance. To opt out you must go into the OEBB online system and provide your other coverage information, then select the opt out option. Employees who previously opted out of PCC insurance need to go online and verify that their other insurance information is still valid.
Eligible employees who opt out of medical, vision and dental insurance will receive up to $200 (prorated for part-time employees) as an opt out incentive (part-time faculty are not eligible for the opt out incentive). The opt out incentive will be taxed.
Part-Time Faculty Eligibility Requirements
Employees who receive the open enrollment mailing in early August need to complete the OEBB online open enrollment process. More »
Mid-Year Changes
PCC employees may add or drop insurance for themselves and their dependents only within 31 days of a qualifying event or at Open Enrollment. See Guidelines for Mid-Year Changes.
Special Categories and Situations
To read more click on a category.
- Retirees
Employees retiring from PCC may retain their group coverage on PCC’s medical plans, with certain restrictions, until they reach 65 and become eligible for Medicare. Retirees pay the full cost of premiums based on the rate for active employees for the plans unless there is a PCC contribution established under the labor agreement or PCC policy. Retirees are not eligible for the health insurance opt out (waiver) incentive.
In general, to continue on a PCC retiree group plan after retirement the employee must be receiving PERS benefits. For Kaiser retiree coverage, that coverage will terminate if the retiree permanently moves outside of the Northwest Kaiser Service Area.
- Domestic Partner Coverage
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Domestic partners are currently permitted to participate in nearly all of PCC’s benefit programs. The only restrictions occur in cases where the federal government or state does not recognize domestic partnerships, and typically this affects the taxability of benefits. The Certificate of Domestic Partnership will need to be submitted for a domestic partner to participate in the benefit programs. Access the Domestic Partner benefits website for additional information including the Certificate of Domestic Partnership. PCC’s domestic partnership requirement is different than OEBB’s. PCC requires that domestic partners are not legally married to anyone nor have had another domestic partner within the previous 31 days.
Reconstructive Surgery
Please see Reconstructive Surgery Notice.
Questions?
Check out the Frequently Asked Questions. If they don't appear there, email your questions to HR/benefits. And don't forget to attend an Informational Meeting.