[MyOEBB] OEBB -- Plan Selection Expanded for 2012-13

[MyOEBB system updates]

At its December 8, 2011 Board meeting, the Oregon Educators Benefit
Board (OEBB) board voted to give educational entities the ability to
provide more choice in medical, dental and/or visions plans available to
employees and early retirees eligible for benefits through the OEBB
benefits program.

 

We wanted to share this recent OEBB board decision with you now to allow
some time for you to let us know what we can do to better assist you in
the year to come and in planning for the 2012 Open Enrollment scheduled
to begin in August.  The Board has not finalized plan designs or rates
for the 2012-13 plan year.

 

In the past, in May and early June, the Board allowed each employee
group to select up to four medical plans; up to three dental plans; and
one of the vision plan options from the menu of 11 medical, ten dental,
and six vision plan options, respectively.  These limits were patterned
after options available through benefit plan sponsors prior to OEBB.
While not all plan decisions for the upcoming 2012-13 plan year have
been made, an example of what the Board's recent decision could mean is
that an employee in the Salem or Portland area could choose from up to
11 medical plans; up to seven dental plans; and up to five vision plans
during the 2012 Open Enrollment period.  An employee outside of the
Salem or Portland area could choose from up to nine medical, up to six
dental and up to four vision plan options.

 

The former limitations:

 

*	often resulted in individual employees and early retirees not
having the ability to consider a medical, dental and/or vision plan that
would better fit their individual or family's needs.
*	limited many employees' access to plans available through an
organized system of care promoting an increased focus on wellness and
prevention, better care coordination and better management of chronic
disease.
*	precluded some entities from making the lowest cost plan
available to employees and early retirees (ODS Medical Plan 9).  While
one of the repercussions of this was that there are individuals who
would like to save in monthly premiums, more importantly, future
healthcare reform provisions will assess penalties on employers based on
the cost of the medical plans available to employees.  Having Plan 9 as
one of the options available to all employees could help entities avoid
the possibility of significant monetary penalties set to begin as early
as January 2014.

 

Entities and insurance committees will still have the option of limiting
the number of plans available for selection at the employee level, but
there is no pre-set plan option limit.  The OEBB board wants members to
have choice among plans in recognition of the variety of needs in our
member population. The Board also wants members and entities to be able
to save money and avoid unnecessary penalties and/or costs.  

 

As in past years we will make comparative benefit plan information
available to members and entities on our website and through mailings to
employees' and early retirees' home addresses. We will also be available
to attend meetings around the state during May to talk to insurance
committees and during August and September (open enrollment) to make
presentations about the various options. This year during open
enrollment meetings we expect to be able to share research on OEBB
medical plan selection from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
(MIT) and to provide access to additional tools that can help members
select the plan that best meets their individual and/or family's needs.

 

If you have any questions, concerns, suggestions, or comments regarding
this Board decision, please send them to:  OEBB.Board at state.or.us.
Thank you. 

 

Sincerely,

 

Denise L. Hall

Denise L. Hall, Deputy Administrator

Oregon Educators Benefit Board

http://egov.oregon.gov/OHA/OEBB <http://egov.oregon.gov/DAS/OEBB> 

(503) 378-5133

(503) 378-5832 FAX

 

OEBB encourages all members to stay healthy and be happy!!!!     Pass it
on.....  http://www.oregon.gov/OHA/OEBB/WellLinks.shtml
<http://www.oregon.gov/OHA/OEBB/WellLinks.shtml>     

 

 

 

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