Mark the calendar for October benefits open enrollment

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UO employees eligible for health care benefits are encouraged to make plans now for taking action during the required open enrollment period this October.

Open enrollment happens each year and gives benefit-eligible employees the opportunity to review benefit offerings and keep or change their elections for the following year.

“We want employees to start thinking ahead to open enrollment and set themselves a reminder to take action before the deadline,” said Cindi Peterson, the university’s benefits manager.

Participation is mandatory; all benefit-eligible employees are required to take action even if no changes to current elections are made. The deadline for completing open enrollment is Oct. 31. Failure to take action results in higher deductibles and surcharges.

The benefits annual open enrollment webpage on the Office of Human Resources website is the go-to resource for all open enrollment information. It provides important dates and links to tools and materials, and it guides employees through the necessary action steps, Peterson said.

Benefit-eligible employees are invited to attend the Benefits Fair on Oct. 3 at the Erb Memorial Union in the Crater Lake rooms from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Representatives from each medical plan will be available to answer questions.

A health engagement model will be a part of the open enrollment process again this year. The model is a tool employees can use to learn about health risks and take actions to reduce them. Employees who plan to participate in the model can complete the health assessment questionnaire beginning Sept. 1.

The benefits office and the Public Employees’ Benefit Board will share additional information in the weeks ahead as the open enrollment period approaches, including enrollment instructions and information about benefit plans. Benefits-eligible employees should watch for emails and direct mail delivered to their home address.

The open enrollment webpage is a valuable source of information to keep employees apprised of processes, updates and deadlines throughout the open enrollment period.