Benefits Open Enrollment for UF Health Shands employees begins Nov. 6 and closes Dec. 1. Be sure to review your current plan to ensure you are enrolled in the benefits that best satisfy you and your family’s health needs for the upcoming 2018 plan year.

Look for the UF Health Shands Human Resources Benefits Newsletter in your home mailbox the week of Oct. 24 — it outlines changes to this year’s benefit plans and guides you through the enrollment process.

• Visit the Bridge homepage, hover over “Employee Services,” click on “Employee and Manager Self-Service,” sign in using your network User ID and password, click “Benefits” and then click “Benefits Resources.” Be sure to hit “submit” if you make any changes to your current elections or the changes will not save.
• Visit enrollers in the UF Health Shands Hospital Atrium and offsite locations for assistance in choosing the right benefits plan. Employees must contact their supervisors to schedule a one-on-one consultation with an enroller.

“Open Enrollment is the only time that employees can make changes to their benefits package,” said David Thaxton, vice president of The Elan Group, an employee benefits firm that will staff our enrollment events. “Enrollers are there to help employees navigate the system. We can give guidance on how to choose the proper plan that fits
each employee’s needs.”

Enrollers can inform you about voluntary plans — including accident plans, cancer policies and life insurance — to help you decide if they are right for you. Pharmacy benefit managers and medical third-party administrators will also be available to answer questions.

• Starting Jan. 1, GatorCare will mandate a new prescription refill process for certain medications. Following a maximum of two 30-day supplies of Tier 1 and Tier 2 maintenance medications at a retail pharmacy, participants will have to order a 90-day supply at a retail pharmacy or mail order delivery service. Maintenance medications are drugs taken regularly to manage chronic illnesses, like diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure.
• Please be aware of automatic enrollment. If you previously waived GatorCare coverage, you must waive coverage again each year or you will be automatically enrolled in Prime Plus employee-only coverage.
• A note about other elections: Additionally, flexible spending accounts (HCRA and DCRA) must be elected every year — these plans do not roll over to the new year and they require a new election.

On Dec. 17, HR will ask employees to review their benefits summary for their 2018 plan year elections. If there are any discrepancies in your plan, please call the UF Health Shands Benefits office at 352-265-0043.