PEBA Update - August 4, 2020

August 4, 2020

Reminder about changes to open enrollment materials

In the July 7, 2020, PEBA Update, we announced changes to the distribution of our open enrollment publications for 2020. Below is a recap.

2021 Insurance Summary

PEBA will not print and distribute the Insurance Summary this year; however, we will publish the summary online before open enrollment. The summary will still include callouts for changes that members can make during open enrollment, as well as checklists for open enrollment and new hires for 2021. We will also provide the checklists as separate documents to allow for quick printing, if necessary.

Federally mandated notices

Federal laws require written notification of many of the notices prior to open enrollment; therefore, sending notices electronically does not comply with these federal laws. To assist employers with this requirement, PEBA will print the federally mandated notices and deliver them to employers to provide to all insurance-eligible employees in advance of open enrollment. Once the delivery time frame has been confirmed with the printer, we will notify employers via PEBA Update so you can prepare for the delivery.

Benefits Advantage newsletter

PEBA will print the Benefits Advantage newsletter and mail it to retirees, COBRA subscribers, survivors and former spouses in advance of open enrollment.

2021 Insurance Benefits Guide

PEBA will not print a limited supply of the Insurance Benefits Guide this year; however, we will publish the guide online before open enrollment.

Make the process easy: enroll new hires online

If you haven’t heard by now, you can enroll insurance-eligible new hires through EBS—either individually or by uploading a file. Once you enter basic information in EBS and select MyBenefits Enrollment, the employee will receive an email from PEBA, which will take him to MyBenefits to make his enrollment selections. We encourage you to use this process, eliminating the need for in-person meetings to get a signature on a paper form. Additionally, the employee can upload his required documentation through MyBenefits, or you can upload the documentation through EBS.

Important note for new hires who were previously covered by another group or as a dependent

If you cannot enroll a new hire through EBS, it may be because the employee has not been terminated from his previous employer group or dropped as a dependent. In this case, your new hire should contact his previous employer to terminate his coverage, or ask his spouse/parent to drop him as a dependent.

Remember, too, that transferring employees cannot make new elections. However, they must still confirm their enrollment with their new group.