***HEALTH CARE OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD FROM MAY 12 TO MAY 30, 2008 -- TIME TO REVIEW YOUR HEALTH CARE PLAN.  TO READ THE BENEFITS NEWSLETTER WHICH DETAILS IMPORTANT INFORMATION, CLICK HERE!

***Benefit Open Enrollment Period is May 12 to May 30 – You only need to respond if you desire to change health plans.  Links to the summaries for the PPO and Indemnity Plan are below:

PPO Plan Summary

Indemnity Plan Summary

*IMPORTANT NEWS FOR HIGHMARK INDEMNITY PLAN PARTICIPANTS!
CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW FOR AN IMPORTANT LETTER FROM APSCUF REGARDING THE INDEMNITY PLAN. IF YOU ARE NOT ENROLLED IN THE INDEMNITY PLAN, THIS LETTER DOES NOT APPLY TO YOU!

May2008IndemnityLetter  

Coaches enrolled in the Highmark Indemnity Plan – Please Note

 

The Indemnity Plan design change will alter your Indemnity Plan the same as faculty beginning July1, 2008.  The Coaches CBA applies a percentage of income for the employee contribution and is not based on the health premium cost as the faculty so the average cost increase per pay does not apply to you.  However, had this design not have been approved and implemented, Coaches would have been assessed the regular employee contribution percentage plus the premium cost over the 12%.  

 

 

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COACHES CONTRACT

 

ARTICLE 11 -- HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL INSURANCE AND SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFITS

 

Section 4.       

 

Prescription Drug Card

 

A. A three-tier open formulary with retail co-payments of $5 for generic, $10 for brand formulary, and $20 for brand non-formulary drugs for up to a thirty (30) day supply.  Effective January 1, 2008, these co-payments shall change to $0 for generic, $15 for brand formulary, and $30 for brand non-formulary.

 

B. Co-payments for mail order prescriptions of two times the retail co-payments set forth in A above for up to a ninety (90) day supply.

 

C. A deductible for all prescription coverage (total retail and mail order) of  $100 per person / $300 per family maximum per calendar year.  Effective January 1, 2008, these deductibles shall be eliminated.

 

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Contemplating retirement?               Important dates to keep in mind...

 

COACHES CBA

 

ARTICLE 11 -- HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL INSURANCE AND SUPPLEMENTAL BENEFITS

 

Section 8.

 

C.        Annuitant Contributions

 

1.         Eligible Regular full-time and Regular part-time COACHES who retire

after December 31, 2005 and prior to July 1, 2008, and who enroll in the AHCP shall contribute to the cost of coverage. The annual contribution rate shall be one percent (1.0%) of a COACH’S final annual gross salary at the time of retirement from STATE SYSTEM service, and will be payable monthly at the rate of one-twelfth of the annual contribution rate.

 

2.         Eligible Regular full-time and Regular part-time COACHES who retire after June 30, 2008, and who enroll in the AHCP shall contribute to the cost of coverage. The annual contribution rate shall be the percentage rate of a COACH’s final annual gross salary that was in effect at the time of retirement from STATE SYSTEM service. Throughout the annuitant’s lifetime while enrolled in the AHCP, this contribution shall be adjusted in the same manner as active COACHES contributions are adjusted. Contributions will be payable monthly at the rate of one-twelfth of the annual contribution rate.

 

3.         The wellness program and non-participant contribution increases set forth in

Appendix H, and in Section 6.A.5. a, b, and c of this article shall not apply to annuitants. 

 

F.         An eligible COACH who retires prior to July 1, 2009, and is enrolled in the indemnity plan at the time of retirement, may continue that enrollment as an annuitant.  However, the indemnity plan will not be available to pre-Medicare retirees who retire after June 30, 2009.

 

            G.        Eligible COACHES who retire after June 30, 2009, and who enroll in the AHCP and are not eligible for Medicare, will have the choice of enrollment in the PPO, HMO, if available, or other approved plan under the AHCP.

 

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***FACULTY CONTRACT***

 

Contemplating retirement?                  

Important dates to keep in mind...

 

Article 21 -- FRINGE BENEFITS -

 

Pre-Medicare Eligible Annuitants

 

A FACULTY MEMBER who retires prior to July 1, 2009, and is enrolled in the indemnity plan at the time of retirement, may continue that enrollment as an annuitant.

 

Any FACULTY MEMBER who retires prior to July 1, 2009, and receives health benefits under the present indemnity plan shall have major medical coverage in retirement equal to the major medical coverage that he/she had on the day prior to his/her retirement.

 

A FACULTY MEMBER who retires AFTER JUNE 30, 2009, and is enrolled in the indemnity plan MAY NOT CONTINUE that enrollment as an annuitant but will be given a choice of transferred into the Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan, Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), if available, or other approved plan.

         

Annuitant Premium Contributions

 

Faculty members who retire after June 30, 2005, and before July 1, 2008,  shall contribute to the cost of coverage at the same dollar amount for their choice of plan that was in effect the day of their retirement.  Upon becoming eligible for Medicare, they shall cease the above contribution and begin paying the same percentage of the PASSHE’s cost for the Medicare supplement as active employees are paying for their PPO plan.

 

If an annuitant who retires after June 30, 2005 and before July 1, 2008, opts to change health plans, he/she shall contribute to the new plan in the same dollar amount that was in effect for that plan as of the date of his/her retirement.

 

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FACULTY MEMBERS who retire after June 30, 2008, shall contribute to the cost at the same dollar amount for the type of contract and choice of plan as that in effect on the day of the FACULTY MEMBER’S retirement. Throughout the annuitant’s lifetime the dollar amount paid by the annuitant shall be adjusted whenever the percentage of contribution paid by active FACULTY MEMBERS for the same type of contract and choice of plan is adjusted. The new percentage shall be applied to the rate for the type of contract and choice of plan that was in effect on the day of the FACULTY MEMBER’S retirement to determine the new annuitant contribution.

 

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If an annuitant who retires after June 30, 2008, opts to change health plans, he/she shall contribute to the new plan in the same dollar amount that was being contributed to that type of contract and choice of plan by active FACULTY MEMBERS on the day of the FACULTY MEMBER’S retirement, adjusted for any changes occurring since that time in the percentage of contributions paid by active FACULTY MEMBERS.

 

The wellness program and non-participant contribution increases DO NOT apply to annuitants.

 

Pre-Medicare Eligible Annuitants

 

A FACULTY MEMBER who retires prior to July 1, 2009, and is enrolled in the indemnity plan at the time of retirement, may continue that enrollment as an annuitant.

 

Any FACULTY MEMBER who retires prior to July 1, 2009, and receives health benefits under the present indemnity plan shall have major medical coverage in retirement equal to the major medical coverage that he/she had on the day prior to his/her retirement.

 

A FACULTY MEMBER who retires AFTER JUNE 30, 2009, and is enrolled in the indemnity plan MAY NOT CONTINUE that enrollment as an annuitant but will be given a choice of transferred into the Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) plan, Health Maintenance Organization (HMO), if available, or other approved plan.

         

Faculty CBA - Article 21 -- FRINGE BENEFITS

 

Prescription Drug Card

 

The STATE SYSTEM shall provide prescription drug coverage for all of the SSHEGHP plans through a prescription drug card. The prescription drug coverage shall include:

 

A three-tier open formulary with retail co-payments of $5 for generic, $10 for brand formulary, and $20 for brand non-formulary drugs for up to a thirty (30) day supply. Effective January 1, 2008, these co-payments shall change to $0 for generic, $15 for brand formulary, and $30 for brand non-formulary.  Co-payments for mail order prescriptions of two times the retail co-payments set forth in subsection 9.a. above for up to a ninety (90) day supply.

 

A deductible for all employee prescription coverage (total retail and mail order) of $100 per person maximum per calendar year, $300 per family maximum per calendar year. Effective January 1, 2008, these deductibles shall be eliminated.