September 19, 2024

Open enrollment is your chance to make coverage changes for the upcoming year. PEBA wants to help you complete your open enrollment puzzle, so you are ready to select your insurance coverage for 2025. Start thinking now about what changes you might want to make to your coverage. Our open enrollment webpage can help you review your options and find the perfect fit, so you’ll be ready to elect your benefits for 2025.

Eligible subscribers can make changes between October 1-31, 2024. Any changes you make during open enrollment will take effect January 1, 2025.

If you are satisfied with your coverage, you don’t need to do anything. Your coverage will continue in 2025. Keep in mind, though, you must reenroll in MoneyPlus flexible spending accounts each year.

If you’re unsure what insurance coverage you currently have, log in to MyBenefits to find out. While you’re logged in, take a few minutes to review your life insurance beneficiaries and make any necessary updates.

Highlights for 2025

• Active employee and funded retiree health insurance premiums will not increase in 2025.
• Permanent, part-time teacher, partially funded retiree, non-funded retiree, COBRA subscriber, survivor and former spouse health insurance premiums will increase in 2025.
• If you work for an optional employer, verify your rates with your benefits office.
• Supplemental Long Term Disability (SLTD) monthly premium factors will decrease in 2025.
• Apply for SLTD or change your benefit waiting period for existing coverage without medical evidence.
• Normal Plan provisions (copayments and coinsurance) will apply to members who receive care at a patient-centered medical home (PCMH).
• Members will pay the applicable brand copayment for higher-cost diabetic products and supplies, such as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) and insulin pumps. No-Pay Copay participants will pay a reduced copayment for Tier 2 higher-cost products and supplies.
• A new tobacco cessation program will offer participants an option of live interactive online sessions or a self-paced structured program.

Open enrollment is upon us, but have you used your 2024 benefits? Make sure to schedule your appointments before the close of 2024. These can include, but aren’t limited to, your annual visit to the eye doctor, a trip to have your teeth cleaned or your yearly mammogram.

Retirement looks different for all of us. While you might not expect to retire for years, it’s never too soon to consider the steps you need to take now to fulfill your future retirement plans. People often plan to retire, and then realize they aren’t as prepared as they thought. It’s important to start thinking ahead about your potential sources of income in retirement so you can take steps to ensure you have enough time to prepare for your retirement.

If you participate in Deferred Comp, you have access to local retirement plan advisors (RPAs) at no additional cost to you. RPAs can help you take an all-inclusive look at your potential retirement income sources and help you navigate the steps you need to take to prepare. Learn more about Deferred Comp and what RPAs can do for you online.

Making decisions about your insurance and retirement benefits can be complicated. The Navigating Your Benefits series provides common-language explanations and can help you find your way in the world of your insurance and retirement benefits. On this webpage, you’ll find helpful flyers and videos, including several videos about how to use our online portals to manage your PEBA-administered benefits.

Direct deposit can make funds available on the last business day of the month, which is often faster than traditional checks. Direct deposit is also a safer alternative to paper checks, which can be lost or stolen, and it reduces the risk of check fraud.

If you haven’t yet signed up for direct deposit for your retirement benefit, we encourage you to do so. If you’re a retiree, sign in to Member Access to view, change or add a payment method. For more information on what you can do in Member Access as a retiree, see the Using Member Access in Retirement flyer on the Navigating Your Benefits page.

There’s a one-stop shop for mental well-being resources, made possible by the S.C. Department of Mental Health. Hopeful Minds is a free online platform that brings together expert-rated videos, podcasts, apps, online programs, books and articles in one place. You don’t have to be a State Health Plan member to access them.

Confidential and available 24/7, with Hopeful Minds, you can learn new skills, understand your own mental health, take a mental health assessment and browse their library of thousands of mental well-being resources.

Additionally, 988 Lifeline SC is available to those in immediate crisis. You don’t have to be a State Health Plan member to call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org/chat. For more information, visit 988sc.org.

Serving those who serve South Carolina

Not all members participate in a PEBA-administered retirement plan or insurance programs. Please disregard any information not applicable to you.

Data classification: public information