Open enrollment will be held from Oct. 24 through Nov. 4. This is an active enrollment year, which means action will be required on the part of each UGA employee to ensure that benefits and associated costs match individual circumstances.
All faculty and staff enrolled or enrolling must certify their tobacco status. Employees covering a spouse on their USG/UGA health plan must also update the working spouse certification; those faculty and staff who take no action during open enrollment to complete these certifications will default to the $150 monthly surcharge for each item. While the employer share of health plan premium costs that UGA pays will increase, faculty and staff will not see an increase in the premiums they pay for 2023.
Faculty and staff who would like to keep or enroll in a Flexible Spending Account (FSA) must register during open enrollment to have one for the 2023 calendar year. During open enrollment, faculty and staff can also elect or increase supplemental life insurance coverage by one level, up to three times their annual salary, without an Evidence of Insurability (EOI). All faculty and staff are encouraged to review their beneficiary information each year.
Additionally, voluntary retirement plan administration fees will be waived for 2023, there will be a 3% decrease in premiums for 2023 Short-Term Disability coverage, and LegalLease is offering enhanced coverage at reduced rates.
The 2023 plans also feature different vendors from last year. AFLAC will be the vendor for the USG Critical Illness Plan, the USG Accident Plan and the USG Hospital Indemnity Plan. There will be enhanced coverages with reduced rates for these plans.
MetLife will be the new pet insurance vendor for 2023. There is no auto-enrollment: if an employee is currently enrolled in the Nationwide Pet Insurance Plan and wishes to enroll with the new vendor, they will need to take action and enroll in the MetLife plan for 2023. Faculty and staff will also need to contact Nationwide to cancel their previous plan. Retirees can enroll in the Pet Insurance Plan as well.
As a reminder, USG will hold a virtual benefits fair Oct. 24 – Nov. 4. Please take this opportunity to view live events, chat with vendors and get benefits information. Registration for the fair and live events is available here.
UGA will hold an in-person benefits fair on Oct. 17 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Mahler Hall at the Georgia Center for Continuing Education. Participants are invited to chat with vendors, get benefits information and more. Registration for the fair is not required. Those planning to attend can add this event to their calendar here.
The benefits fair will also feature a walk-in flu shot clinic staffed by the University Health Center and College of Pharmacy. No appointment is necessary. The regular strength flu vaccine will be available onsite. For individuals 65 years of age and older, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends a higher dose or adjuvanted vaccine over the standard-dose vaccine.
USG would like to remind all faculty and staff that ID cards will be issued for all health care plans. The new ID cards should arrive in the last week of December.
To learn more about open enrollment for 2023, visit the University Human Resources website or contact hrweb@uga.edu.
