Benefits open enrollment ends today, Nov. 30

Benefits open enrollment for USA Health and University of South Alabama employees ends Tuesday, Nov. 30.

During this period, benefits-eligible faculty, staff and administrative employees may enroll in the USA Choice Plan or USA Select Plan for health, dental and pharmacy benefits and add or remove eligible dependents from coverage. The USA Choice Plan is a new combination of the previous USA Health & Dental Plan (base and standard) that takes effect Jan. 1.

“For many employees, open enrollment is a good time to review their benefits and decide whether they want to make changes. In many cases, no action is needed,” said Tina Stalmach, senior director, human resources, benefits, EEO and employee relations. “For those who participate in SouthFlex, it’s a time to re-enroll.”

Here are the details to consider during open enrollment:

• Employees currently enrolled in the USA Health & Dental Plan (base or standard) or USA Select Health & Dental Plan and wish to make no changes, do not have to re-enroll in a plan.
• Current USA Health & Dental Plan participants may switch to the USA Select Plan during open enrollment. Changes take effect Jan. 1, 2022.
• The USA Choice Plan allows employees to choose their providers, either Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) providers or USA Health providers, with minimal cost-sharing. The lower-priced Select Plan provides a more narrow network with the greatest benefit coming from using USA Health providers. Participants in the Select Plan still can use BCBS providers but have a 30 percent cost share when they do. The pharmacy and dental benefits for both plans are identical.
• Eligible faculty, staff or administrative employees who voluntarily elect not to enroll in the USA Choice Plan or USA Select Plan automatically default to a waiver of coverage for Affordable Care Act reporting purposes.
• Eligible employees who wish to participate in SouthFlex, the flexible spending account for health care and dependent care, must enroll each year.

Stalmach said that open enrollment provides the opportunity to review life insurance beneficiary elections, enroll in applicable retirement plans, make changes to existing retirement plan contributions, explore new benefit offerings and review any plan changes that have been made.

On Oct. 1, USA Health clinical faculty, staff and administrative employees began receiving short-term disability coverage at no cost to them. Short-term disability insurance provides weekly benefits to help pay for everyday expenses for employees who are unable to work for a short time because of a covered disability. Health Care Authority physicians and USA General Division employees are not eligible for the benefit.

To make changes in benefits or enroll in SouthFlex during open enrollment, download forms at southalabama.edu/hr, pick them up from a Human Resources office or call 251-415-1604 to request them. Completed forms must be hand-delivered to Human Resources or emailed to employeebenefitshr@southalabama.edu by 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 30.

Faxed forms will not be accepted.