Below are excerpts from Dr. Stan Stone's email of August 25, 2009, regarding the enhancements to Valencia's benefits package for 2010.

 

For the health insurance, we have:

 

1.       Contracted with CIGNA Healthcare to provide our health benefits.

 

2.       Designed and are in the process of implementing healthcare plans that essentially mirror our current plans.  As a result of this work, we will continue to have:

 

a.       An Open Access Plan similar to our current Plan A PPO

 

b.       An Open Access, In-Network Plan similar to our current Plan B HMO

 

c.        An Open Access, Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) Plan similar to our current Plan D HRA

 

d.       An Opt-Out Plan for those who have other adequate insurance and choose not to participate in our program similar to our current Plan C.

 

3.       Designed health care plans that will result in lower out-of-pocket expenses and lower premiums for dependent coverage without degrading the benefit.  We have also analyzed the network differences and believe that you will experience only minimal network disruption as a result of the changes we are making.  This means most of your current doctors will be in the new network.

 

4.       Taken some initial steps to tie our health care plans to health management and wellness programs that we anticipate will result in improved health and lower costs for everyone involved.  CIGNA has agreed to provide significant discounts if we each complete a health assessment questionnaire.  In exchange for the mandatory participation in this assessment by you and your covered dependents 18 years and older, we are passing these savings on to you in the form of lower co-pays and dependent coverage premiums.

 

Under the dental insurance:

 

1.       We have negotiated a contract with the same provider that we currently have, Florida Combined Life, but with improved coverage and guaranteed in-network discounts.

 

2.       While the baseline maximum annual benefit remains at $1,000 per year, the new plan provides for it to increase  by $350 annually for  members:  a) who submitted at least one claim in the prior year, and b) who did not spend more than $500 in that year.  The annual maximum can accumulate over time by an additional $1,000 for a total of $2,000.

 

3.       We have also implemented a four-tier premium structure similar to the one we use for our health care plans that more closely correlates the costs of the coverage with the number of covered individuals.

 

For the life insurance, we have:

 

1.       Contracted with Minnesota Life to provide our life insurance coverage.  They will provide both our basic life, which is paid by the college for the employee, and supplemental life that you can buy individually for yourself and your dependents.   

 

2.       Increased the basic coverage for all full-time employees from $10,000 to $25,000, at no cost to the employee. 

 

3.       For the 2009 open enrollment period, secured a one-time opportunity for all full-time employees to enroll in a supplemental term life insurance guaranteed issue amount of up to two times your annual salary to a maximum of $500,000 with no prequalifying health requirements.

 

4.       Made coverage portable for both the employee and covered dependents.   Portability means that employees and covered family members can opt to continue coverage upon retirement or leaving Valencia employment.

 

 

A new vision insurance will be added:

               

We have contracted with Cigna to provide voluntary vision insurance for corrective lenses, frames, and contact lenses.  Under this contract Cigna will:

 

1.       Provide a comprehensive vision examination annually for a co-pay of $15 at participating network providers.

 

2.       Cover lenses and contact lenses every 12 months and frames every 24 months.

 

3.       Cover some lenses and frames for the applicable co-pays with additional costs and services provided at discounted rates.

 

Other changes we are making to our benefits package include increasing the health care flexible spending account limit to $5,000, moving the Employee Assistance Program to CIGNA along with the health insurance to ensure a more integrated continuum of care, increasing our focus on wellness programs and integrating them into our health care plans, and developing an online enrollment system.

 

We have scheduled several informational meetings on all campuses during September 2009, to ensure that you have all the information you need to complete the required health assessment questionnaire online.  You may use a college computer that will be made available to you for this purpose, or your own home computer.  You must make your benefits selections during the open enrollment period which will be held October 12-30, 2009. 

 

The schedule for the informational meetings and other related open enrollment events can be found on the benefits website at www.valenciacc.edu/HR/benefits.asp. 

 

In the meantime, if you have any questions please contact Joe Livingston at jlivingston@valenciacc.edu or phone ext. 8069 or Laurie Youngman at lyoungman@valenciacc.edu, ext. 8116.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HR Notes # 97

September, 2009