University Park

Booklets for benefits open enrollment will arrive in mail soon

Booklets for open benefits enrollment are being mailed to Penn State employees' homes and will arrive no later than the week of Oct. 27. Credit: Penn StateCreative Commons

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — In preparation for benefits open enrollment, the Office of Human Resources will be mailing information booklets no later than the week of Oct. 27 to the homes of all Penn State full-time, benefit-eligible employees.

Two versions of the booklets are being mailed: one for faculty and staff, and another for Teamsters members.

The booklets also may be accessed online at http://ohr.psu.edu/benefits/benefits-enrollment/.

This year’s benefits open enrollment period runs from Nov. 3 to 21 to allow employees to make changes to their benefits for the next calendar year.

There are no changes to the health plans for 2015, but employees are encouraged to closely evaluate the differences between the PPO Savings Plan and the PPO Blue Plan in order to make the choice that best suits their needs for the next year.

All faculty, staff, postdoctoral scholars and fellows, and Teamsters employees who participate in a Penn State health plan must attest to the tobacco surcharge.

All faculty, staff and postdocs who cover a spouse or same-sex domestic partner must attest to the spousal insurance surcharge.

The allowance for eyeglass frames through the vision plan will be increased from $60 to $100. In addition, employees purchasing eyeglasses through a Visionworks retail store will receive a $150 frame benefit.

In addition, the rates for optional life insurance as well as accidental death and dismemberment have been reduced.

Employees who have had services with a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) provider in 2014 will receive a letter in the coming weeks from Highmark explaining the current agreement between Highmark and UPMC and how it will affect future services. More information can be found at http://ohr.psu.edu/benefits/insurance/health/upmc-agreement/.

Any changes or updates to health plans must be completed through the Employee Self-Service Information Center, or ESSIC, at http://essic.ohr.psu.edu/. Details on how to log into ESSIC also are included in the booklet.

Benefits presentations will be held at the University Park campus over the next few weeks, starting on Oct. 21. Representatives from Highmark and Penn State Employee Benefits division will be available to answer questions at each meeting.

The University Park session schedule is:

-- 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 21, HUB-Robeson Center: Health care presentations will be held at 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. in the Freeman Auditorium.

-- 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, The Penn Stater Conference Center Hotel: Health care presentations will be conducted at 9 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. in Deans Hall.

-- 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 5, HUB-Robeson Center: Health care presentations will be held at 1 to 3 p.m. and 4 to 6 p.m. in the Freeman Auditorium.

More information regarding benefits open enrollment and employee benefits can be found online at http://ohr.psu.edu/benefits/

Last Updated October 17, 2014